Origin
El Monte, CA
Morning in El Monte on Saturday
Local time
6:41 AM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from El Monte, CA to Santa Monica, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
28.8 mi
46 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
El Monte, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Monica, CA
Bjorn Pierre
Trip Overview
The drive from El Monte, CA to Santa Monica, CA covers 28.8 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Santa Monica Freeway, San Bernardino Freeway, Harbor Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.2 miles on Santa Monica Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.62 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in Santa Monica, CA
Full guide →Founded 1769
Anchoring the Westside of Los Angeles County, Santa Monica is a beachfront city popular with tourists for its expansive beach and its famous pier, which are among the most popular coastal attractions in Southern California. Within the city, visitors will find a number of urban shopping districts and plenty of restaurants and nightlife.
Top landmarks
- • Santa Monica Pier — Pier in Santa Monica, California, USA
- • Muscle Beach — outdoor acrobatics and gymnastics platform
- • Pacific Park — amusement park in Santa Monica, California, United States
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 28.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 36m highway drive covering 28.8 miles, with most of the trip on Santa Monica Freeway and San Bernardino Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 12.2 miles on Santa Monica Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Santa Monica Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 12.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Monica Freeway and San Bernardino Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 13.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 28.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 13.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
13.1 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward I 110 South, CA 110 North: San Pedro, Pasadena
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 3
Toward I 110 South, CA 110 North: San Pedro, Pa...
9
13.2 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 110 South, CA 110 North: San Pedro, Pasadena
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 110 South, CA 110 North: San Pedro, Pa...
6
13.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 110 South: Harbor Freeway, San Pedro
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 110 South: Harbor Freeway, San Pedro
8
15.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 10 West: Santa Monica
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 10 West: Santa Monica
7
28.1 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward CA 1 South: Lincoln Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward CA 1 South: Lincoln Boulevard
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between El Monte, CA and Santa Monica, CA, road signs point toward Pasadena and San Pedro.
Pasadena
13.1 mi in
|
~15m
San Pedro
13.4 mi in
|
~16m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica Freeway | 12.2 mi | 14m |
| San Bernardino Freeway | 11.6 mi | 13m |
| Harbor Freeway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Lincoln Boulevard | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Olympic Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Valley Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Peck Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Monica Freeway
— 12.2 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between El Monte, CA and Santa Monica, CA.
1
Start on this road
10 ft
·
0 sec
·
this road
Exit 29B
Toward Valley Boulevard
2
Turn right onto Valley Boulevard
201 ft
·
12 sec
·
Valley Boulevard
3
Turn left onto Peck Road
80 ft
·
1 sec
·
Peck Road
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
5
Merge onto I 10
12 mi
·
13 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Merge onto US 101
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
439 ft
·
10 sec
Exit 3
Toward I 110 South, CA 110 North: San Pedro, Pasadena
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 110 South, CA 110 North: San Pedro, Pasadena
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward I 110 South: Harbor Freeway, San Pedro
10
Merge onto CA 110
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Harbor Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 10: Santa Monica Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 10 West: Washington Boulevard
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward I 10 West: Santa Monica
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 10
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Santa Monica Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 1B
Toward CA 1 South: Lincoln Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn straight onto Olympic Boulevard
478 ft
·
14 sec
·
Olympic Boulevard
17
Turn right onto US 66 Hist
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Lincoln Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Arrive at destination
US 66 Hist
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.62 one way
$13.24 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $6.82 | $13.64 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.00 | $14.01 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.36 | $12.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.02 | $1.38 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.52 | $1.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.03 | $1.84 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Santa Monica, CA
Morning in Santa Monica on Saturday
Local time
6:41 AM
PDT
Current temp
80°F
Sunny
NNW 10 to 15 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 11:09AM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 10:52AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
26 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
36m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from El Monte, CA to Santa Monica, CA covers 28.8 miles and takes about 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Santa Monica Freeway, San Bernardino Freeway, Harbor Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.4 miles from El Monte, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.62 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 28.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
The main spots that need attention: at 13.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between El Monte, CA and Santa Monica, CA, road signs point toward Pasadena and San Pedro.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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