We will be driving to Vegas from Santa Monica on a Monday morning in September. How do we avoid LA
commuter traffic? Is it best to leave very early in the morning? Are there reasonable break points on the route? Thanks for any advice.

12:00AM 0.0 DEPART Santa Monica (CA) on the I10 4 miles E Los Angeles
12:04AM 3.9 At Culver City stay on the I10 16 miles E Los Angeles
12:23AM 20.0 At Alhambra stay on the I10 5 miles E Pomona
12:30AM 25.5 At El Monte stay on the I10 5 miles E Pomona
12:36AM 30.6 At W Covina stay on the I10 5 miles E Pomona
12:41AM 35.1 At Covina stay on the I10 6 miles E Ontario
12:48AM 40.7 At La Verne stay on the I10 9 miles E Ontario
12:57AM 49.8 At Upland stay on the I10 7 miles E
1:03AM 56.6 Turn off onto I15 42 miles N Las Vegas
1:41AM 98.3 At Victorville stay on the I15 179 miles N Las Vegas
4:26AM 277.7 At Mccarran Intl Airport stay on the I15 8 miles N Las Vegas
4:33AM 285.2 ARRIVE Las Vegas (NV)
Sorry this is so long & rambling. I copied my auto map for you. basically I10 to I15 all the way to Vegas. There are towns along the way. See your road atlas. Does AAA have maps on the internet so you can see? @65 miles an hour it'll take 4.5 hours. Traffic - rush hour will be more people coming IN to L.A. during the AM rush. But best to get through BEFORE it starts. I only say AM because it's best to get accross the desert before noon. The desert is something to consider so travel accross at cooler times. early AM (before 11 or 12) & dusk or later.Have fun - any other Vegas Q's, let me know
S.

If you leave before 5AM you should be clear of the major traffic mess. When we go north from San Diego and leave before 5AM we average 65mph or better all of the way through the LA area. If your car is good, your air conditioner will keep you comfortable all the way to your destination.

I forgot to mention there are lots of break points along the way to pull off the freeway, gas the car, get something to eat and to visit the restroom. It is worth your while in purchases some travel software such as AAA Map'n'Go from DeLorme. See www.delorme.com or better still join the AAA also you can get road service when needed it is about the same price as the above software and more useful. It will pay you in the long run based on maps and savings on room rates etc. The major towns along the way are Victorville,Barstow, and Baker. Routing is simple just take Interstate 10 to Interstate 15 and go north. They cross at Cucamonga.

Thank you all for your advice, much appreciated.