Origin
El Monte, CA
Late night in El Monte on Tuesday
Local time
2:12 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from El Monte, CA to Santa Ana, 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
40m
Distance
30 mi
48 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
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 Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling from El Monte to Santa Ana, you are looking at a 32.2-mile journey that typically takes about 38 minutes. This route stays entirely within the Pacific Coast region, making it a quick and straightforward drive that is easily managed in a single day. With zero planned stops and a fuel budget of approximately $4, it is a highly economical and efficient trip. Because the route relies on local roads rather than high-speed interstates, it serves as a practical connection between these two Southern California points. You will not need an overnight stay for this distance, as the drive is short enough to complete in under an hour.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 16.8 mi | 19m |
| San Gabriel River Freeway | 6.4 mi | 7m |
| Peck Road | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| North Broadway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Durfee Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Valley Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 16.8 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between El Monte, CA and Santa Ana, 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
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Peck Road
4
Turn right onto Durfee Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Durfee Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Continue on Peck Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Peck Road
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 605 South
7
Merge onto I 605
6.4 mi
·
7 min
·
San Gabriel River Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 11
Toward I 5 South, I 5 North: Santa Ana, Los Angeles
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana, Florence Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Use the slight left lane.
11
Merge onto I 5
17 mi
·
19 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
57 sec
Toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Main Street North, Broadway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto North Broadway
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto West 5th Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
West 5th Street
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the right lane.
18
Turn right onto West 1st Street
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 1st Street
Use the right lane.
19
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 9.8 and 28 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
9.8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward I 5 South, I 5 North: Santa Ana, Los Angeles
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 11
Toward I 5 South, I 5 North: Santa Ana, Los Ang...
9
10 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Santa Ana, Florence Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana, Florence Avenue
8
10.1 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
7
27.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
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.
Toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
8
28 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Main Street North, Broadway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Main Street North, Broadway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.90 one way
$13.79 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.11 | $14.21 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.30 | $14.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.62 | $13.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.20 | $1.92 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (60% 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 Ana, CA
Late night in Santa Ana on Tuesday
Local time
2:12 AM
PDT
Current temp
81°F
Sunny
S 0 to 10 mph
0% chance
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
10 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
40m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate grind, as this route features zero highway miles. You will spend your time navigating through local thoroughfares like Valley Boulevard, Peck Road, and Durfee Avenue. Because the route is entirely local, there is no single long-distance stretch to settle into; instead, you will find yourself managing frequent turns and urban road transitions. The personality of this drive is dictated by the constant pace of surface streets, requiring your full attention as you move between the two cities. It is a functional, technical commute that avoids the predictability of major freeways.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.8 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and San Gabriel River Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 9.8 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 17 decision points packed into just 30 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
286 ft
76 ft
Total Climb
79 ft
Total Descent
252 ft
Highest Point
286 ft
Elevation Range
211 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Ana, CA, road signs point toward Los Angeles, Broadway and Main Street North.
Los Angeles
9.8 mi in
|
~14m
Broadway
27.2 mi in
|
~35m
Main Street North
28 mi in
|
~36m
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 Santa Ana, CA
Full guide →Founded 1869
Santa Ana is a city in Orange County, Southern California and is the county seat of that county.
Top landmarks
- • Yost Theater — historic movie theater and hotel building in Santa Ana, California, later used b...
- • Santa Ana Fire Station Headquarters No. 1 — fire station in Santa Ana, United States of America
- • Rankin's — historic building in Santa Ana, 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 40m. Total distance: 30 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.8 miles on Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana, 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 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Santa Ana, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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