Best Time to Drive from Burbank to Santa Ana

Right now (7:50 pm PST): about 48 minutes via I-5 South, usually 49 at this time.

Only 28% 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	49	64	63	53	52	55	55	59	61	80	90	84	74	54	43	40
Tue	39	49	73	72	58	56	54	53	54	65	88	102	93	82	63	48	39
Wed	38	47	73	69	61	54	53	53	55	63	69	75	73	67	58	49	40
Thu	38	47	70	68	58	57	57	58	62	74	91	96	94	83	59	49	42
Fri	39	46	60	62	56	53	53	56	67	87	93	94	94	80	62	53	42
Sat	40	40	42	43	48	52	55	57	61	66	67	66	64	61	55	53	43
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	45	50	58	59	63	59	59	58	57	56	55	44

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 102 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 59 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (67 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 102 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 102 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 59 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Burbank to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 102 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

Burbank to Santa Ana over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

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	49	64	63	53	52	55	55	59	61	80	90	84	74	54	43	40
Tue	39	49	73	72	58	56	54	53	54	65	88	102	93	82	63	48	39
Wed	38	47	73	69	61	54	53	53	55	63	69	75	73	67	58	49	40
Thu	38	47	70	68	58	57	57	58	62	74	91	96	94	83	59	49	42
Fri	39	46	60	62	56	53	53	56	67	87	93	94	94	80	62	53	42
Sat	40	40	42	43	48	52	55	57	61	66	67	66	64	61	55	53	43
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	45	50	58	59	63	59	59	58	57	56	55	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	49	64	63	53	52	55	55	59	61	80	90	84	74	54	43	40
Tue	39	49	73	72	58	56	54	53	54	65	88	102	93	82	63	48	39
Wed	38	47	73	69	61	54	53	53	55	63	69	75	73	67	58	49	40
Thu	38	47	70	68	58	57	57	58	62	74	91	96	94	83	59	49	42
Fri	39	46	60	62	56	53	53	56	67	87	93	94	94	80	62	53	42
Sat	40	40	42	43	48	52	55	57	61	66	67	66	64	61	55	53	43
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	45	50	58	59	63	59	59	58	57	56	55	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	49	64	63	53	52	55	55	59	61	80	90	84	74	54	43	40
Tue	39	49	73	72	58	56	54	53	54	65	88	102	93	82	63	48	39
Wed	38	47	73	69	61	54	53	53	55	63	69	75	73	67	58	49	40
Thu	38	47	70	68	58	57	57	58	62	74	91	96	94	83	59	49	42
Fri	39	46	60	62	56	53	53	56	67	87	93	94	94	80	62	53	42
Sat	40	40	42	43	48	52	55	57	61	66	67	66	64	61	55	53	43
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	45	50	58	59	63	59	59	58	57	56	55	44