Origin
Montebello, CA
Morning in Montebello on Sunday
Local time
10:47 AM
PDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Montebello, CA to Los Angeles, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
10.2 mi
16 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Montebello, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick commute between Montebello and Los Angeles, this 10.2-mile trip is an efficient way to navigate the Pacific Coast region. The drive typically takes about 18 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day journey. You will not need an overnight stay, as the route is short enough to complete in under half an hour. With a fuel cost of just $1, it is an extremely budget-friendly trip. Because both locations sit within the Pacific Coast region, you can expect a familiar urban environment from start to finish.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 5.7 mi | 7m |
| Ferguson Drive | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| West Olympic Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Olympic Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Whittier Boulevard | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| North Los Angeles Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Greenwood Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Westside Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 5.7 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Montebello, CA and Los Angeles, CA.
1
Start on West Whittier Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West Whittier Boulevard
2
Turn left onto South Greenwood Avenue
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
South Greenwood Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto West Olympic Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Olympic Boulevard
4
Continue on East Olympic Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Olympic Boulevard
5
Turn left onto Westside Drive
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Westside Drive
Use the left lane.
6
At end of road, turn right onto Ferguson Drive
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Ferguson Drive
7
Continue on Telegraph Road
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Telegraph Road
8
Take the ramp
377 ft
·
9 sec
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
9
Merge onto I 5
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 2B
Toward Alameda Street, Union Station
Use the slight right lane.
12
Continue on I 10 EXPR
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
East Arcadia Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
13
Turn left onto North Los Angeles Street
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
North Los Angeles Street
14
Turn right onto East 1st Street
461 ft
·
17 sec
·
East 1st Street
15
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 9.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South Greenwood Avenue
Turn left onto South Greenwood Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.1 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Westside Drive
Turn left onto Westside Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
3.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
6
6.5 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
9.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward Alameda Street, Union Station
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 2B
Toward Alameda Street, Union Station
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.34 one way
$4.69 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $2.42 | $4.83 |
| premium | $6.18 | $2.48 | $4.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.25 | $4.50 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.07 | $0.49 |
| Efficient EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.89 | $0.41 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.65 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Los Angeles, CA
Morning in Los Angeles on Sunday
Local time
10:47 AM
PDT
Current temp
53°F
Mostly Clear
N 5 to 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 7:10PM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
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
20 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
18m 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?
This trip offers a mixed driving profile that transitions from local streets to major thoroughfares. You will spend roughly 56% of your time on the highway, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 5.7 miles on the Santa Ana Freeway. Beyond the freeway, you will navigate via Ferguson Drive and West Olympic Boulevard. The experience balances faster-paced interstate travel with the stop-and-go nature of city arterials. Expect a functional, straightforward journey that gets you from point A to point B without unnecessary complexity.
56% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.7 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near South Greenwood Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 10.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 18m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (South Greenwood Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (Westside Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
308 ft
155 ft
Total Climb
174 ft
Total Descent
95 ft
Highest Point
308 ft
~8.7 mi in
Elevation Range
153 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.
On the drive from Montebello, CA to Los Angeles, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Union Station along the way.
Union Station
9.4 mi in
|
~16m
About the Cities
Starting in Montebello, CA
Full guide →Top landmarks
- • Armenian Genocide Martyrs Monument — Monument in Montebello, California, USA
Arriving in Los Angeles, CA
Full guide →“Tinseltown” · Founded 1781
Frank Lloyd Wright is said to have quipped, "Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles," a quote that has since been repeated both by those who love and hate L.A. The "City of Angels" is home to people who hail from all parts of the globe and an important center of culture, business, media, and international trade. However, it's most famous for being a major center of the world's television, motion picture, and music industry, which forms the base of the city's status and lures visitors for its show business history and celebrity culture. Visitors are also drawn to Los Angeles for its Mediterranean climate and numerous beaches, which gave birth to California's famed surf culture.
Top landmarks
- • Hollywood Walk of Fame — more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks...
- • Hollywood Sign — sign reading "HOLLYWOOD" located in Los Angeles, California, United States
- • Getty Center — campus of the Getty Museum and other programs of the Getty Trust in Los Angeles
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 18m. Total distance: 10.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.7 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 Los Angeles, 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 0.4 miles (South Greenwood Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (Westside Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Los Angeles, 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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