The El Monte center point is approximately 1 mile southeast of El Monte Airport and 4 miles south of Arcadia Historical Society.
Most visitors come to El Monte in September, when the summer highs start to dwindle into the comfortable 80s. It's the perfect time to plan a family visit to Whittier Narrows in South El Monte and spend some time on the lake.
Summers are hot, but temperatures during the mild autumn and winter dip into the 70s. You can expect significant rainfall in the winter months, from January to March, but the cooler temps make a visit worth it, and finding accommodation is easy.
Visit El Monte throughout the year for events like the Annual Emily Ishigaki Children's Day Parade and the Harvest Festival at Arceo Park in mid-October. El Monte also makes a great spot to stay if you plan on seeing the Pasadena Rose Parade on New Year's Day, but book your hotel well in advance to secure your spot.
If you're planning on a long stay or happen to be a AAA member, you'll find great discounted rates at Ramada by Wyndham South El Monte. You'll also be within 13 miles of Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Staples Center, and you'll be just three minutes from Whittier Narrows.
This hotel offers lovely grounds that are perfect for hosting small events, even intimate wedding receptions or ceremonies. Enjoy a dip in the pool and spa tub, work out in the fitness center, then take a relaxing shower. If you need a crib or rollaway bed, simply request it. Should you feel hungry, Ramada's on-site restaurant takes the guesswork out of where to go.
Quality Inn Rosemead-Los Angeles puts you just 10 minutes from Whittier Narrows and San Gabriel Mission and offers a mix of value rates and great amenities that are second-to-none. Guests enjoy the complimentary wireless internet, free daily breakfast service, free newspapers, and free coffee and tea in the lobby.
However, if you'd like a cappuccino, Starbucks is right across the street. The hotel is also situated within walking distance of local shops and restaurants. Check out the fitness center while you're on the hotel property, and if you're traveling on business, be sure to get your suit pressed thanks to the hotel's on-site dry cleaning and laundry service.
The first Europeans arrived in 1770 in the area today known as El Monte; Spanish soldiers and missionaries stopped to rest here. Although you might think the city's name references a mountain, the name actually comes from an archaic Spanish word meaning "the wood," a reference to the area's original wooded landscape. You can connect with the past at the historic Mission San Gabriel Archangel, which was the seat of Spanish life in the colonial days.
In 1841, a group of travelers known as the "Workman-Rowland Party" traveled from Santa Fe to El Monte. They traveled on what became known as the Santa Fe Trail, which started in Kansas City, went through Santa Fe, and continued west to El Monte. The first immigrant settlers arrived and set up homesteads in 1849 during the California Gold Rush. The rich soil near the San Gabriel River yielded bountiful harvests and fostered the growing agricultural community. The Santa Fe Trail Historical Park in El Monte commemorates the importance of the trail in El Monte's history.
As a crossroads town between San Bernardino and LA, El Monte also attracted its share of gamblers and bandits to its saloons. The Monte Rangers formed in 1854 to combat the rising lawlessness of the Old West, and the peace was later informally upheld by local vigilantes, called the "El Monte Boys." A stagecoach station was established in 1858, followed by a Southern Pacific Railroad depot in 1873, and the town grew larger.
After the pioneer era, more settlers arrived in El Monte during the Great Depression, thanks to Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal homestead project. The land grant helped families relocate and provided single-family ranch houses to applicants who had suffered hardships during the Dust Bowl.
In the 1950s, LA vehemently opposed the emerging rock 'n' roll sound, and these kinds of concerts were banned from LA. Because of El Monte's location, just miles outside LA's city limits, The El Monte Legion Stadium hosted some of the greatest acts and personalities of the early rock 'n' roll era, including Ritchie Valens; The Grateful Dead; Earth, Wind & Fire; and The Beatles. Though the stadium closed long ago, El Monte's importance in the history of rock 'n' roll remains alive and well.
Whether you're traveling on business, need a lake weekend, or just want to be close to LA to see the sights, you'll enjoy your stay in El Monte, California.