Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to El Monte

Right now (11:33 pm PDT): about 27 minutes via I-10 East.

Only 8% 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.

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Santa Monica to El Monte (via I-10 East) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 73 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (41 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: El Monte to Santa Monica

Freeway, about 28 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 1.3 miles: 2 to 3 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from downtown Santa Monica to central El Monte (Valley Boulevard) along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Santa Monica 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	27	27	30	34	33	32	31	33	36	43	52	59	61	49	37	32	28
Tue	27	27	30	34	34	32	32	33	37	45	56	67	69	56	42	34	28
Wed	27	27	30	35	35	33	32	34	39	46	58	69	70	56	42	34	29
Thu	27	28	30	35	35	33	32	34	38	47	58	69	70	58	44	36	29
Fri	27	27	29	33	33	32	33	38	44	51	60	65	64	54	42	36	29
Sat	27	27	28	28	29	30	32	35	38	39	40	41	41	40	36	33	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	28	29	31	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	31	28

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 Monica to El Monte?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 73 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 27 to 73 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to El Monte?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 73 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (1.3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	30	34	33	32	31	33	36	43	52	59	61	49	37	32	28
Tue	27	27	30	34	34	32	32	33	37	45	56	67	69	56	42	34	28
Wed	27	27	30	35	35	33	32	34	39	46	58	69	70	56	42	34	29
Thu	27	28	30	35	35	33	32	34	38	47	58	69	70	58	44	36	29
Fri	27	27	29	33	33	32	33	38	44	51	60	65	64	54	42	36	29
Sat	27	27	28	28	29	30	32	35	38	39	40	41	41	40	36	33	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	28	29	31	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	31	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	30	34	33	32	31	33	36	43	52	59	61	49	37	32	28
Tue	27	27	30	34	34	32	32	33	37	45	56	67	69	56	42	34	28
Wed	27	27	30	35	35	33	32	34	39	46	58	69	70	56	42	34	29
Thu	27	28	30	35	35	33	32	34	38	47	58	69	70	58	44	36	29
Fri	27	27	29	33	33	32	33	38	44	51	60	65	64	54	42	36	29
Sat	27	27	28	28	29	30	32	35	38	39	40	41	41	40	36	33	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	28	29	31	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	31	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	27	30	34	33	32	31	33	36	43	52	59	61	49	37	32	28
Tue	27	27	30	34	34	32	32	33	37	45	56	67	69	56	42	34	28
Wed	27	27	30	35	35	33	32	34	39	46	58	69	70	56	42	34	29
Thu	27	28	30	35	35	33	32	34	38	47	58	69	70	58	44	36	29
Fri	27	27	29	33	33	32	33	38	44	51	60	65	64	54	42	36	29
Sat	27	27	28	28	29	30	32	35	38	39	40	41	41	40	36	33	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	28	29	31	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	31	28