Best Time to Drive from Burbank to Santa Ana

Right now (4:52 pm PDT): about 75 minutes via I-5 South, usually 93 at this time.

Only 29% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Burbank to Santa Ana by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	48	63	62	53	52	54	55	58	61	79	90	83	73	54	43	40
Tue	39	50	71	70	57	56	54	55	54	64	89	100	92	81	60	49	39
Wed	38	48	75	70	61	55	55	56	56	68	77	82	82	76	61	50	39
Thu	38	47	70	69	58	58	57	59	63	77	94	100	94	83	59	49	41
Fri	39	46	62	63	58	54	54	56	69	89	92	94	93	80	59	53	42
Sat	40	41	42	44	51	55	59	59	64	70	73	70	64	60	54	54	42
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	46	49	56	58	61	60	58	56	54	53	54	43

About this drive

On weekdays the 43-mile drive from Burbank to Santa Ana (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 38 minutes and up to 100 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 60 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (73 minutes).

About 40 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Burbank (East Olive Avenue) to central Santa Ana (Main Street) along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Burbank to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 38 minutes then, versus up to 100 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Burbank to Santa Ana?

The 43-mile drive usually takes 38 to 100 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 60 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Burbank to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 100 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (21 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Ana to Burbank (return trip) · Burbank to Los Angeles · Burbank to Santa Monica · Burbank to Pasadena · Burbank to Long Beach · Burbank to West Covina · Burbank to Santa Clarita · Burbank to Torrance · Burbank to LAX · Burbank to Culver City · Burbank to El Monte · Burbank to Downey

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	48	63	62	53	52	54	55	58	61	79	90	83	73	54	43	40
Tue	39	50	71	70	57	56	54	55	54	64	89	100	92	81	60	49	39
Wed	38	48	75	70	61	55	55	56	56	68	77	82	82	76	61	50	39
Thu	38	47	70	69	58	58	57	59	63	77	94	100	94	83	59	49	41
Fri	39	46	62	63	58	54	54	56	69	89	92	94	93	80	59	53	42
Sat	40	41	42	44	51	55	59	59	64	70	73	70	64	60	54	54	42
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	46	49	56	58	61	60	58	56	54	53	54	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	48	63	62	53	52	54	55	58	61	79	90	83	73	54	43	40
Tue	39	50	71	70	57	56	54	55	54	64	89	100	92	81	60	49	39
Wed	38	48	75	70	61	55	55	56	56	68	77	82	82	76	61	50	39
Thu	38	47	70	69	58	58	57	59	63	77	94	100	94	83	59	49	41
Fri	39	46	62	63	58	54	54	56	69	89	92	94	93	80	59	53	42
Sat	40	41	42	44	51	55	59	59	64	70	73	70	64	60	54	54	42
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	46	49	56	58	61	60	58	56	54	53	54	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	48	63	62	53	52	54	55	58	61	79	90	83	73	54	43	40
Tue	39	50	71	70	57	56	54	55	54	64	89	100	92	81	60	49	39
Wed	38	48	75	70	61	55	55	56	56	68	77	82	82	76	61	50	39
Thu	38	47	70	69	58	58	57	59	63	77	94	100	94	83	59	49	41
Fri	39	46	62	63	58	54	54	56	69	89	92	94	93	80	59	53	42
Sat	40	41	42	44	51	55	59	59	64	70	73	70	64	60	54	54	42
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	46	49	56	58	61	60	58	56	54	53	54	43