Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to El Monte

Right now (2:05 pm PST): about 43 minutes via I-5 North and I-605 North, usually 44 at this time.

Only 32% 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 Santa Ana 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	30	32	38	42	40	37	37	37	38	43	50	53	53	48	36	33	30
Tue	30	33	41	46	41	38	38	38	39	45	51	56	60	53	41	33	30
Wed	30	32	40	44	42	37	37	38	38	43	52	56	58	51	41	34	30
Thu	30	32	39	43	40	38	38	38	40	44	50	55	58	49	39	34	31
Fri	30	32	37	38	37	37	39	39	42	47	54	52	53	49	39	35	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	35	35	35	36	38	39	39	36	34	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	34	34	34	33	33	34	33	34	34	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 31-mile drive from Santa Ana to El Monte (via I-5 North and I-605 North) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 60 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (39 minutes).

About 27 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Ana (Main Street) to central El Monte (Valley Boulevard) 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 Santa Ana to El Monte?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 60 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 31-mile drive usually takes 30 to 60 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to El Monte?

Leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 60 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (18 miles) · I-605 North in Los Angeles (8 miles)

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

More drives

El Monte to Santa Ana (return trip) · Santa Ana to Los Angeles · Santa Ana to Santa Monica · Santa Ana to Pasadena · Santa Ana to Long Beach · Santa Ana to West Covina · Santa Ana to Burbank · Santa Ana to Glendale · Santa Ana to Santa Clarita · Santa Ana to Van Nuys · Santa Ana to Torrance · Santa Ana to LAX

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	32	38	42	40	37	37	37	38	43	50	53	53	48	36	33	30
Tue	30	33	41	46	41	38	38	38	39	45	51	56	60	53	41	33	30
Wed	30	32	40	44	42	37	37	38	38	43	52	56	58	51	41	34	30
Thu	30	32	39	43	40	38	38	38	40	44	50	55	58	49	39	34	31
Fri	30	32	37	38	37	37	39	39	42	47	54	52	53	49	39	35	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	35	35	35	36	38	39	39	36	34	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	34	34	34	33	33	34	33	34	34	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	32	38	42	40	37	37	37	38	43	50	53	53	48	36	33	30
Tue	30	33	41	46	41	38	38	38	39	45	51	56	60	53	41	33	30
Wed	30	32	40	44	42	37	37	38	38	43	52	56	58	51	41	34	30
Thu	30	32	39	43	40	38	38	38	40	44	50	55	58	49	39	34	31
Fri	30	32	37	38	37	37	39	39	42	47	54	52	53	49	39	35	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	35	35	35	36	38	39	39	36	34	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	34	34	34	33	33	34	33	34	34	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	32	38	42	40	37	37	37	38	43	50	53	53	48	36	33	30
Tue	30	33	41	46	41	38	38	38	39	45	51	56	60	53	41	33	30
Wed	30	32	40	44	42	37	37	38	38	43	52	56	58	51	41	34	30
Thu	30	32	39	43	40	38	38	38	40	44	50	55	58	49	39	34	31
Fri	30	32	37	38	37	37	39	39	42	47	54	52	53	49	39	35	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	35	35	35	36	38	39	39	36	34	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	34	34	34	33	33	34	33	34	34	31