Origin
Fontana, CA
Late night in Fontana on Tuesday
Local time
4:30 AM
PDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fontana, CA to El Monte, 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
43m
Distance
36.7 mi
59 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fontana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
El Monte, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Fontana, CA to El Monte, CA is 36.7 miles and takes about 43m via San Bernardino Freeway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within the Pacific Coast region, connecting two points in California. It's a straightforward freeway drive, ideal for a quick trip or as part of a larger itinerary. You'll likely find it a practical choice for getting between these two Southern California locations without significant detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino Freeway | 25.1 mi | 28m |
| I-10 Metro ExpressLanes | 9.3 mi | 9m |
| Sierra Avenue | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Merrill Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Bernardino Freeway
— 25.1 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fontana, CA and El Monte, CA.
1
Start on Merrill Avenue
205 ft
·
9 sec
·
Merrill Avenue
2
Turn left onto Sierra Avenue
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Sierra Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 10
5.8 mi
·
6 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 EXPR
9.3 mi
·
9 min
·
I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 10
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
15
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
18
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
·
San Bernardino Freeway
19
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 29B
Toward Valley Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Arrive at destination
Exit 29B
Toward Valley Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 36.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Sierra Avenue
Turn left onto Sierra Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
7.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 10 EXPR / I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
Keep slight left at fork onto I 10 EXPR / I-10 Metro ExpressLanes
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
20.5 mi into trip
|
~24m 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
22.4 mi into trip
|
~26m 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
36.4 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward Valley Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 29B
Toward Valley Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.44 one way
$16.87 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.69 | $17.38 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.93 | $17.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.10 | $16.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11 | 0 | $3.85 | $1.76 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.14 | $2.35 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
El Monte, CA
Late night in El Monte on Tuesday
Local time
4:30 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°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
2 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
43m 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 almost entirely on the highway, with 94% of the 36.7 miles covered by freeways like the San Bernardino Freeway and I-10 Metro ExpressLanes. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 25.1 miles on the San Bernardino Freeway. Expect urban merging and a high density of exits as you navigate this busy corridor. The transition to surface streets will occur towards the end of your trip.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.1 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 I-10 Metro ExpressLanes. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Sierra Avenue.
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 36.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Sierra Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles (I 10 EXPR / I-10 Metro ExpressLanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.5 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Fontana, CA
Full guide →Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County in Southern California.
Arriving in El Monte, CA
Full guide →El Monte is a city in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles in Southern California.
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 43m. Total distance: 36.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.1 miles on San Bernardino Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 4 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 El Monte, 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: near the start (Sierra Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles (I 10 EXPR / I-10 Metro ExpressLanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.5 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): 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 El Monte, 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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