Best Time to Drive from Canyon Country to Santa Ana

Right now (6:18 pm PDT): about 88 minutes via I-5 South, usually 79 at this time.

Only 17% 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 Canyon Country 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	62	82	102	89	76	74	73	74	76	83	93	99	92	83	69	63	61
Tue	60	98	118	105	86	79	75	75	76	88	101	109	100	89	73	66	61
Wed	59	84	109	95	89	77	75	74	77	87	93	97	94	87	73	67	60
Thu	61	91	113	97	85	80	77	79	82	95	103	108	106	91	70	67	61
Fri	60	78	91	84	79	75	75	80	92	104	104	102	104	87	74	70	64
Sat	61	63	64	67	72	73	77	78	85	88	89	82	81	76	72	69	61
Sun	60	60	61	61	63	67	70	75	77	78	77	77	73	74	72	70	62

About this drive

On weekdays the 66-mile drive from Canyon Country to Santa Ana (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 59 minutes and up to 118 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 80 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (89 minutes).

About 60 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (8 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Canyon Country to central Santa Ana 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 Canyon Country to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 59 minutes then, versus up to 118 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Canyon Country to Santa Ana?

The 66-mile drive usually takes 59 to 118 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 80 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Canyon Country to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 118 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (41 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (15 miles) · SR-14 South in Los Angeles (4 miles)

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

More drives

Santa Ana to Canyon Country (return trip) · Canyon Country to Los Angeles · Canyon Country to Long Beach · Canyon Country to Anaheim · Canyon Country to Riverside

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	62	82	102	89	76	74	73	74	76	83	93	99	92	83	69	63	61
Tue	60	98	118	105	86	79	75	75	76	88	101	109	100	89	73	66	61
Wed	59	84	109	95	89	77	75	74	77	87	93	97	94	87	73	67	60
Thu	61	91	113	97	85	80	77	79	82	95	103	108	106	91	70	67	61
Fri	60	78	91	84	79	75	75	80	92	104	104	102	104	87	74	70	64
Sat	61	63	64	67	72	73	77	78	85	88	89	82	81	76	72	69	61
Sun	60	60	61	61	63	67	70	75	77	78	77	77	73	74	72	70	62

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	62	82	102	89	76	74	73	74	76	83	93	99	92	83	69	63	61
Tue	60	98	118	105	86	79	75	75	76	88	101	109	100	89	73	66	61
Wed	59	84	109	95	89	77	75	74	77	87	93	97	94	87	73	67	60
Thu	61	91	113	97	85	80	77	79	82	95	103	108	106	91	70	67	61
Fri	60	78	91	84	79	75	75	80	92	104	104	102	104	87	74	70	64
Sat	61	63	64	67	72	73	77	78	85	88	89	82	81	76	72	69	61
Sun	60	60	61	61	63	67	70	75	77	78	77	77	73	74	72	70	62

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	62	82	102	89	76	74	73	74	76	83	93	99	92	83	69	63	61
Tue	60	98	118	105	86	79	75	75	76	88	101	109	100	89	73	66	61
Wed	59	84	109	95	89	77	75	74	77	87	93	97	94	87	73	67	60
Thu	61	91	113	97	85	80	77	79	82	95	103	108	106	91	70	67	61
Fri	60	78	91	84	79	75	75	80	92	104	104	102	104	87	74	70	64
Sat	61	63	64	67	72	73	77	78	85	88	89	82	81	76	72	69	61
Sun	60	60	61	61	63	67	70	75	77	78	77	77	73	74	72	70	62