Origin
Monterey Park, CA
Evening in Monterey Park on Saturday
Local time
6:21 PM
PDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Monterey Park, CA to Los Angeles, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
12m
Distance
8.4 mi
14 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 11m
★
6 AM
0h 12m
8 AM
0h 14m
10 AM
0h 13m
12 PM
0h 13m
3 PM
0h 13m
5 PM
0h 14m
8 PM
0h 11m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Monterey Park, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between Monterey Park and Los Angeles, this 8.4-mile trip is as straightforward as it gets. Expect a brief 12-minute drive that serves perfectly as a simple day trip within the Pacific Coast region. You will spend roughly $1 on fuel for the entire journey, making it an incredibly budget-friendly commute. Because the duration is so short, there is no need to consider an overnight split. This route is purely functional, designed to get you from point A to point B with maximum efficiency. It is an ideal choice if you prioritize speed and simplicity over a long-form road trip experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino Freeway | 6.3 mi | 7m |
| Garfield Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Los Angeles Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Arcadia Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
San Bernardino Freeway
— 6.3 mi, about 7m
Traffic on I-10
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 10 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
5 PM
~7,444 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~955 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 48 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Monterey Park, CA and Los Angeles, CA.
1
Start on Garfield Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Garfield Avenue
2
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
Use the straight lane.
3
Keep slight left at fork
346 ft
·
8 sec
Toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
4
Merge onto I 10
6.3 mi
·
7 min
·
San Bernardino Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto US 101
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 2B
Toward Alameda Street, Union Station
Use the slight right lane.
7
Continue on I 10 EXPR
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
East Arcadia Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Turn left onto North Los Angeles Street
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
North Los Angeles Street
9
Turn right onto East 1st Street
461 ft
·
17 sec
·
East 1st Street
10
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 7.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
6
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 10 West: Los Angeles
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Merge onto I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
7.2 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway
Merge onto US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
7.7 mi into trip
|
~10m 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
$1.90 one way
$3.81 round trip
$5.76/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $1.97 | $3.94 |
| premium | $6.09 | $2.01 | $4.03 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $1.79 | $3.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.88 | $0.40 |
| Efficient EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.74 | $0.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.18 | $0.54 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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
Evening in Los Angeles on Saturday
Local time
6:21 PM
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
24 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
12m 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 highway-focused drive where 80% of your time is spent cruising along major thoroughfares. The journey relies heavily on the San Bernardino Freeway and the Santa Ana Freeway, providing a fast-paced experience rather than a scenic tour. You will tackle a significant 6.3-mile stretch on the San Bernardino Freeway, which represents the longest uninterrupted segment of your travel. While you will transition onto Garfield Avenue for local navigation, the character of the road remains consistent and predictable throughout. Prepare for a standard interstate flow that prioritizes direct movement over winding, technical maneuvers.
80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.3 mi on San Bernardino Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Bernardino Freeway and Garfield Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in.
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 8 decision points packed into just 8.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 12m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Monterey Park, CA to Los Angeles, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Union Station along the way.
Union Station
7.7 mi in
|
~10m
About the Cities
Starting in Monterey Park, CA
Full guide →Monterey Park is in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California.
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
This is a super easy same-day round trip, clocking in at just 8.4 miles and 12 minutes each way. You'll barely have time to finish your playlist!
Family Friendly
While the 8.4 miles and 12-minute drive is short enough for kids, the 7/10 complexity rating suggests navigating this route might be a bit more involved than you'd want with a full car. It's a quick trip, but be ready for some potentially busy highway interchanges.
Solo Traveler
At only 8.4 miles and 12 minutes, this drive is incredibly short for a solo traveler, but the 7/10 complexity might offer a tiny bit of engagement. It's more of a quick hop than a scenic adventure.
EV Driver
With a total distance of 8.4 miles, this route is absolutely doable on a single EV charge. You won't need to worry about finding a charger in this short span.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.3 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 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 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1 miles (I 10 / San Bernardino Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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