Best Time to Drive from Sylmar to El Monte

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 49 minutes via I-210 East, usually 47 at this time.

Only 27% 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 Sylmar 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	36	38	41	46	43	41	41	40	41	45	52	57	59	47	39	38	37
Tue	36	39	43	53	49	44	41	41	42	44	55	61	64	54	42	39	37
Wed	36	39	43	52	51	45	42	42	42	48	55	59	59	52	42	39	38
Thu	37	39	43	52	48	44	42	42	44	48	59	64	63	53	43	40	38
Fri	37	39	42	45	44	42	43	45	50	57	66	69	63	50	43	39	37
Sat	37	37	38	38	38	40	41	42	44	46	46	48	45	41	39	37	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	40	39	39	39	38	38	38	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 41-mile drive from Sylmar to El Monte (via I-210 East) usually takes as little as 36 minutes and up to 69 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 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 44 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (48 minutes).

About 40 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.2 miles surface streets (1 to 2 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Sylmar 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 Sylmar to El Monte?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 36 minutes then, versus up to 69 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 41-mile drive usually takes 36 to 69 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 44 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sylmar to El Monte?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 69 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-210 East in Los Angeles (33 miles) · I-605 South in Los Angeles (5 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (1 mile)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

El Monte to Sylmar (return trip) · Sylmar to Los Angeles · Sylmar to Long Beach · Sylmar to Anaheim · Sylmar to Riverside · Sylmar to Santa Ana · Sylmar to Irvine · Sylmar to San Bernardino · Sylmar to Fontana · Sylmar to Oxnard · Sylmar to Huntington Beach · Sylmar 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	36	38	41	46	43	41	41	40	41	45	52	57	59	47	39	38	37
Tue	36	39	43	53	49	44	41	41	42	44	55	61	64	54	42	39	37
Wed	36	39	43	52	51	45	42	42	42	48	55	59	59	52	42	39	38
Thu	37	39	43	52	48	44	42	42	44	48	59	64	63	53	43	40	38
Fri	37	39	42	45	44	42	43	45	50	57	66	69	63	50	43	39	37
Sat	37	37	38	38	38	40	41	42	44	46	46	48	45	41	39	37	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	40	39	39	39	38	38	38	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	38	41	46	43	41	41	40	41	45	52	57	59	47	39	38	37
Tue	36	39	43	53	49	44	41	41	42	44	55	61	64	54	42	39	37
Wed	36	39	43	52	51	45	42	42	42	48	55	59	59	52	42	39	38
Thu	37	39	43	52	48	44	42	42	44	48	59	64	63	53	43	40	38
Fri	37	39	42	45	44	42	43	45	50	57	66	69	63	50	43	39	37
Sat	37	37	38	38	38	40	41	42	44	46	46	48	45	41	39	37	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	40	39	39	39	38	38	38	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	38	41	46	43	41	41	40	41	45	52	57	59	47	39	38	37
Tue	36	39	43	53	49	44	41	41	42	44	55	61	64	54	42	39	37
Wed	36	39	43	52	51	45	42	42	42	48	55	59	59	52	42	39	38
Thu	37	39	43	52	48	44	42	42	44	48	59	64	63	53	43	40	38
Fri	37	39	42	45	44	42	43	45	50	57	66	69	63	50	43	39	37
Sat	37	37	38	38	38	40	41	42	44	46	46	48	45	41	39	37	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	40	39	39	39	38	38	38	36