Best Time to Drive from Northridge to El Monte

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 60 minutes via I-10 East and I-5 South, usually 70 at this time.

Only 9% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Northridge to El Monte by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	47	52	56	56	55	55	58	63	75	93	97	93	78	64	43	38
Tue	37	47	54	56	58	58	55	57	61	78	97	96	94	82	69	48	39
Wed	36	46	52	56	56	55	56	56	61	76	87	100	102	83	67	53	39
Thu	37	46	52	55	58	56	53	56	63	82	98	110	101	84	72	54	41
Fri	37	45	50	56	54	54	55	68	77	94	104	106	99	87	69	54	40
Sat	39	38	40	42	47	51	57	56	69	73	74	68	69	66	61	54	42
Sun	38	38	38	39	39	44	52	56	57	62	67	67	67	64	57	53	42

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Northridge to El Monte (via I-10 East and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 36 minutes and up to 110 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 64 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (74 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 22 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Northridge to central El Monte along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Northridge to El Monte?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 36 minutes then, versus up to 110 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Northridge to El Monte?

The 40-mile drive usually takes 36 to 110 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 64 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to El Monte?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 110 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (11 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (8 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (6 miles) · SR-134 East in Los Angeles (5 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (4 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

El Monte to Northridge (return trip) · Northridge to Los Angeles · Northridge to Rancho Cucamonga · Northridge to Long Beach · Northridge to Anaheim · Northridge to Riverside · Northridge to Santa Ana · Northridge to Irvine · Northridge to Fontana · Northridge to Oxnard · Northridge to Huntington Beach · Northridge to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	47	52	56	56	55	55	58	63	75	93	97	93	78	64	43	38
Tue	37	47	54	56	58	58	55	57	61	78	97	96	94	82	69	48	39
Wed	36	46	52	56	56	55	56	56	61	76	87	100	102	83	67	53	39
Thu	37	46	52	55	58	56	53	56	63	82	98	110	101	84	72	54	41
Fri	37	45	50	56	54	54	55	68	77	94	104	106	99	87	69	54	40
Sat	39	38	40	42	47	51	57	56	69	73	74	68	69	66	61	54	42
Sun	38	38	38	39	39	44	52	56	57	62	67	67	67	64	57	53	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	47	52	56	56	55	55	58	63	75	93	97	93	78	64	43	38
Tue	37	47	54	56	58	58	55	57	61	78	97	96	94	82	69	48	39
Wed	36	46	52	56	56	55	56	56	61	76	87	100	102	83	67	53	39
Thu	37	46	52	55	58	56	53	56	63	82	98	110	101	84	72	54	41
Fri	37	45	50	56	54	54	55	68	77	94	104	106	99	87	69	54	40
Sat	39	38	40	42	47	51	57	56	69	73	74	68	69	66	61	54	42
Sun	38	38	38	39	39	44	52	56	57	62	67	67	67	64	57	53	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	47	52	56	56	55	55	58	63	75	93	97	93	78	64	43	38
Tue	37	47	54	56	58	58	55	57	61	78	97	96	94	82	69	48	39
Wed	36	46	52	56	56	55	56	56	61	76	87	100	102	83	67	53	39
Thu	37	46	52	55	58	56	53	56	63	82	98	110	101	84	72	54	41
Fri	37	45	50	56	54	54	55	68	77	94	104	106	99	87	69	54	40
Sat	39	38	40	42	47	51	57	56	69	73	74	68	69	66	61	54	42
Sun	38	38	38	39	39	44	52	56	57	62	67	67	67	64	57	53	42