Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to El Monte

Right now (7:49 pm PDT): about 65 minutes via I-5 North, usually 59 at this time.

Only 55% 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 San Clemente 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	54	57	62	67	64	62	66	66	69	73	77	77	77	70	63	57	54
Tue	54	58	64	68	67	65	66	68	70	73	78	80	82	75	66	57	55
Wed	54	58	63	67	65	66	67	68	69	72	78	81	80	73	65	59	54
Thu	54	59	63	67	67	66	68	70	71	75	78	81	80	72	65	60	55
Fri	54	58	61	63	63	67	69	72	75	78	83	80	80	73	65	60	55
Sat	54	55	56	56	58	63	66	69	69	70	70	70	70	65	63	61	55
Sun	54	55	55	55	56	58	62	64	66	67	69	68	67	66	64	60	54

About this drive

On weekdays the 62-mile drive from San Clemente to El Monte (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 54 minutes and up to 83 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 70 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (71 minutes).

About 61 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.5 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Clemente 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 San Clemente to El Monte?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 54 minutes then, versus up to 83 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Clemente to El Monte?

The 62-mile drive usually takes 54 to 83 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 70 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to El Monte?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 83 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (49 miles) · I-605 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (1.6 miles)

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

More drives

El Monte to San Clemente (return trip) · San Clemente to Los Angeles · San Clemente to San Diego · San Clemente to Santa Monica · San Clemente to Long Beach · San Clemente to Anaheim · San Clemente to Riverside · San Clemente to Santa Ana · San Clemente to Chula Vista · San Clemente to Irvine · San Clemente to San Bernardino · San Clemente to Santa Barbara

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	57	62	67	64	62	66	66	69	73	77	77	77	70	63	57	54
Tue	54	58	64	68	67	65	66	68	70	73	78	80	82	75	66	57	55
Wed	54	58	63	67	65	66	67	68	69	72	78	81	80	73	65	59	54
Thu	54	59	63	67	67	66	68	70	71	75	78	81	80	72	65	60	55
Fri	54	58	61	63	63	67	69	72	75	78	83	80	80	73	65	60	55
Sat	54	55	56	56	58	63	66	69	69	70	70	70	70	65	63	61	55
Sun	54	55	55	55	56	58	62	64	66	67	69	68	67	66	64	60	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	57	62	67	64	62	66	66	69	73	77	77	77	70	63	57	54
Tue	54	58	64	68	67	65	66	68	70	73	78	80	82	75	66	57	55
Wed	54	58	63	67	65	66	67	68	69	72	78	81	80	73	65	59	54
Thu	54	59	63	67	67	66	68	70	71	75	78	81	80	72	65	60	55
Fri	54	58	61	63	63	67	69	72	75	78	83	80	80	73	65	60	55
Sat	54	55	56	56	58	63	66	69	69	70	70	70	70	65	63	61	55
Sun	54	55	55	55	56	58	62	64	66	67	69	68	67	66	64	60	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	57	62	67	64	62	66	66	69	73	77	77	77	70	63	57	54
Tue	54	58	64	68	67	65	66	68	70	73	78	80	82	75	66	57	55
Wed	54	58	63	67	65	66	67	68	69	72	78	81	80	73	65	59	54
Thu	54	59	63	67	67	66	68	70	71	75	78	81	80	72	65	60	55
Fri	54	58	61	63	63	67	69	72	75	78	83	80	80	73	65	60	55
Sat	54	55	56	56	58	63	66	69	69	70	70	70	70	65	63	61	55
Sun	54	55	55	55	56	58	62	64	66	67	69	68	67	66	64	60	54