Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to El Monte

Right now (7:20 pm PDT): about 53 minutes via SR-241 North and SR-71 South and I-10 West, usually 78 at this time.

Only 45% 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 Rancho Santa Margarita 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	51	66	67	61	60	56	55	55	54	57	62	62	59	55	54	52	50
Tue	51	65	71	64	58	57	56	55	56	58	61	63	62	62	60	56	52
Wed	51	63	70	64	60	55	55	54	54	57	60	63	71	78	78	62	51
Thu	51	63	68	60	58	56	55	55	56	58	61	62	63	59	60	57	51
Fri	50	56	56	57	56	56	55	55	61	66	65	64	68	81	66	66	51
Sat	50	51	51	51	52	53	56	63	57	57	59	57	59	56	54	52	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	53	53	55	53	63	71	74	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 56-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to El Monte (via SR-241 North and SR-71 South and I-10 West) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 82 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 7:30 pm on Sundays (78 minutes).

About 56 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.7 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Rancho Santa Margarita to El Monte?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 82 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to El Monte?

The 56-mile drive usually takes 50 to 82 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to El Monte?

Leaving around 7:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 82 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-241 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (13 miles) · SR-71 South in Los Angeles (9 miles) · SR-91 East in Orange County (7 miles) · SR-71 South in Inland Empire (2 miles) · SR-71 South in Orange County (2 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

El Monte to Rancho Santa Margarita (return trip) · Rancho Santa Margarita to Los Angeles · Rancho Santa Margarita to San Diego · Rancho Santa Margarita to Long Beach · Rancho Santa Margarita to Anaheim · Rancho Santa Margarita to Riverside · Rancho Santa Margarita to Santa Ana · Rancho Santa Margarita to Irvine · Rancho Santa Margarita to San Bernardino · Rancho Santa Margarita to Fontana · Rancho Santa Margarita to Moreno Valley · Rancho Santa Margarita to Huntington Beach

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	66	67	61	60	56	55	55	54	57	62	62	59	55	54	52	50
Tue	51	65	71	64	58	57	56	55	56	58	61	63	62	62	60	56	52
Wed	51	63	70	64	60	55	55	54	54	57	60	63	71	78	78	62	51
Thu	51	63	68	60	58	56	55	55	56	58	61	62	63	59	60	57	51
Fri	50	56	56	57	56	56	55	55	61	66	65	64	68	81	66	66	51
Sat	50	51	51	51	52	53	56	63	57	57	59	57	59	56	54	52	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	53	53	55	53	63	71	74	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	66	67	61	60	56	55	55	54	57	62	62	59	55	54	52	50
Tue	51	65	71	64	58	57	56	55	56	58	61	63	62	62	60	56	52
Wed	51	63	70	64	60	55	55	54	54	57	60	63	71	78	78	62	51
Thu	51	63	68	60	58	56	55	55	56	58	61	62	63	59	60	57	51
Fri	50	56	56	57	56	56	55	55	61	66	65	64	68	81	66	66	51
Sat	50	51	51	51	52	53	56	63	57	57	59	57	59	56	54	52	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	53	53	55	53	63	71	74	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	66	67	61	60	56	55	55	54	57	62	62	59	55	54	52	50
Tue	51	65	71	64	58	57	56	55	56	58	61	63	62	62	60	56	52
Wed	51	63	70	64	60	55	55	54	54	57	60	63	71	78	78	62	51
Thu	51	63	68	60	58	56	55	55	56	58	61	62	63	59	60	57	51
Fri	50	56	56	57	56	56	55	55	61	66	65	64	68	81	66	66	51
Sat	50	51	51	51	52	53	56	63	57	57	59	57	59	56	54	52	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	53	53	55	53	63	71	74	50