Best Time to Drive from Glendale to Santa Ana

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 71 minutes via I-5 South, usually 78 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 Glendale 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	39	46	60	60	52	50	52	53	57	59	78	89	82	73	53	41	38
Tue	37	47	67	66	55	55	52	53	52	63	88	100	92	79	59	47	38
Wed	36	46	72	67	58	53	53	55	54	67	76	82	81	74	60	48	38
Thu	37	45	67	67	56	57	55	58	61	74	92	99	93	82	57	47	40
Fri	37	44	59	61	56	52	52	54	66	85	91	92	91	78	57	51	41
Sat	39	39	40	42	48	52	57	57	62	68	71	68	63	59	52	53	40
Sun	38	38	38	39	39	44	47	55	56	60	59	57	54	52	51	52	41

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Glendale to Santa Ana (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 36 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 58 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (71 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Glendale (South Brand Boulevard) 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 Glendale to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 36 minutes then, versus up to 100 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 36 to 100 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 58 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Glendale to Santa Ana?

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

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (18 miles)

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

More drives

Santa Ana to Glendale (return trip) · Glendale to Los Angeles · Glendale to Santa Monica · Glendale to Long Beach · Glendale to West Covina · Glendale to Santa Clarita · Glendale to Van Nuys · Glendale to Torrance · Glendale to LAX · Glendale to Culver City · Glendale to El Monte · Glendale 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	39	46	60	60	52	50	52	53	57	59	78	89	82	73	53	41	38
Tue	37	47	67	66	55	55	52	53	52	63	88	100	92	79	59	47	38
Wed	36	46	72	67	58	53	53	55	54	67	76	82	81	74	60	48	38
Thu	37	45	67	67	56	57	55	58	61	74	92	99	93	82	57	47	40
Fri	37	44	59	61	56	52	52	54	66	85	91	92	91	78	57	51	41
Sat	39	39	40	42	48	52	57	57	62	68	71	68	63	59	52	53	40
Sun	38	38	38	39	39	44	47	55	56	60	59	57	54	52	51	52	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	46	60	60	52	50	52	53	57	59	78	89	82	73	53	41	38
Tue	37	47	67	66	55	55	52	53	52	63	88	100	92	79	59	47	38
Wed	36	46	72	67	58	53	53	55	54	67	76	82	81	74	60	48	38
Thu	37	45	67	67	56	57	55	58	61	74	92	99	93	82	57	47	40
Fri	37	44	59	61	56	52	52	54	66	85	91	92	91	78	57	51	41
Sat	39	39	40	42	48	52	57	57	62	68	71	68	63	59	52	53	40
Sun	38	38	38	39	39	44	47	55	56	60	59	57	54	52	51	52	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	46	60	60	52	50	52	53	57	59	78	89	82	73	53	41	38
Tue	37	47	67	66	55	55	52	53	52	63	88	100	92	79	59	47	38
Wed	36	46	72	67	58	53	53	55	54	67	76	82	81	74	60	48	38
Thu	37	45	67	67	56	57	55	58	61	74	92	99	93	82	57	47	40
Fri	37	44	59	61	56	52	52	54	66	85	91	92	91	78	57	51	41
Sat	39	39	40	42	48	52	57	57	62	68	71	68	63	59	52	53	40
Sun	38	38	38	39	39	44	47	55	56	60	59	57	54	52	51	52	41