Origin
El Monte, CA
Late night in El Monte on Tuesday
Local time
2:36 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from El Monte, CA to Riverside, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
40.6 mi
65 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
El Monte, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Riverside, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
El Monte to Riverside is 40.6 miles and takes about 54 minutes via San Bernardino Freeway and Pomona Freeway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This primarily highway route stays within the Pacific Coast region of California, connecting two urban areas. It's a straightforward drive that's ideal for a quick trip or as a segment of a larger Southern California adventure. Given its short duration, it's easily manageable as a same-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino Freeway | 12.7 mi | 14m |
| Pomona Freeway | 12 mi | 13m |
| Van Buren Boulevard | 6.1 mi | 8m |
| Central Avenue | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| Chino Valley Freeway | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| Mission Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Valley Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Bernardino Freeway
— 12.7 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between El Monte, CA and Riverside, CA.
1
Start on this road
10 ft
·
0 sec
·
this road
Exit 29B
Toward Valley Boulevard
2
Turn right onto Valley Boulevard
165 ft
·
33 sec
·
Valley Boulevard
3
Continue on Valley Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Valley Boulevard
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 10 East: San Bernardino
5
Merge onto I 10
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 42B
Toward CA 71 South: Corona
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward CA 71 South: Corona
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on CA 71
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Chino Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
1.4 mi
·
2 min
Toward CA 60 East: Riverside
Use the slight right lane.
17
Merge onto CA 60
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Pomona Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 42
Toward Van Buren Boulevard, Etiwanda Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Turn straight onto Mission Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
·
Mission Boulevard
20
Continue on Van Buren Boulevard
6.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Van Buren Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
21
Turn left onto Central Avenue
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Central Avenue
Use the left lane.
22
Turn sharp right
171 ft
·
12 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 40.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.3 miles from El Monte, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 2.1 and 30.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
3.1 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
13 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward CA 71 South: Corona
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 42B
Toward CA 71 South: Corona
7
13.5 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 71 South: Corona
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 71 South: Corona
8
30.3 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward Van Buren Boulevard, Etiwanda Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 42
Toward Van Buren Boulevard, Etiwanda Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.33 one way
$18.66 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $9.62 | $19.23 |
| premium | $6.18 | $9.87 | $19.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.96 | $17.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.26 | $1.95 |
| Efficient EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.55 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.68 | $2.60 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Riverside, CA
Late night in Riverside on Tuesday
Local time
2:36 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
54m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly highway, with 68% of the 40.6 miles on freeways. You'll experience a stretch of 12.7 miles on the San Bernardino Freeway before transitioning to the Pomona Freeway and then Van Buren Boulevard. Expect to encounter numerous exits and entrances as you navigate through developed areas for most of the trip.
68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.7 mi on San Bernardino Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Bernardino Freeway and Pomona Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.1 miles in near I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway.
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 19 decision points packed into just 40.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.1 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 13 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in El Monte, CA
Full guide →El Monte is a city in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles in Southern California.
Arriving in Riverside, CA
Full guide →Founded 1870
Riverside is a city in Riverside County in California. With a population of over 300,000, the city plays host to a diverse cross-section of people and has a rich history. Riverside is approximately 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. It is a center for higher education, with one community college, a large state university, and two private universities. A hub of regional commerce and transportation, it is a city with an intriguing past and a promising future, and is worth a visit.
Top landmarks
- • Mission Inn — hotel in Riverside, California
- • Universalist Unitarian Church of Riverside — church building in Riverside, California, USA
- • First Congregational Church of Riverside — church building in Riverside, California, United States of America
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 54m. Total distance: 40.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.7 miles on San Bernardino Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Riverside, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.1 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 13 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Riverside, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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