Best Time to Drive from Hollywood to Santa Ana

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 49 minutes via I-5 South, usually 46 at this time.

Only 3% 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 Hollywood 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	38	42	55	53	45	42	46	47	50	48	72	84	80	69	49	40	38
Tue	36	43	60	61	46	44	44	46	46	54	76	90	87	75	57	45	37
Wed	35	42	65	61	47	43	45	46	46	56	65	77	76	67	56	45	37
Thu	36	41	62	61	47	47	50	50	55	58	84	96	90	78	55	43	38
Fri	36	40	54	56	49	45	45	47	57	72	89	89	86	73	55	47	38
Sat	37	37	38	40	43	42	47	48	52	57	63	60	56	49	44	45	39
Sun	36	37	36	38	39	42	43	48	49	51	51	50	49	47	46	47	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from Hollywood to Santa Ana (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 96 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (63 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Hollywood (North Cahuenga 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 Hollywood to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 96 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 38-mile drive usually takes 35 to 96 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Hollywood to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 96 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (7 miles)

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

More drives

Santa Ana to Hollywood (return trip) · Hollywood to Los Angeles · Hollywood to Santa Monica · Hollywood to Pasadena · Hollywood to Long Beach · Hollywood to West Covina · Hollywood to Santa Clarita · Hollywood to Van Nuys · Hollywood to Torrance · Hollywood to El Monte · Hollywood to Downey · Hollywood to Whittier

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	42	55	53	45	42	46	47	50	48	72	84	80	69	49	40	38
Tue	36	43	60	61	46	44	44	46	46	54	76	90	87	75	57	45	37
Wed	35	42	65	61	47	43	45	46	46	56	65	77	76	67	56	45	37
Thu	36	41	62	61	47	47	50	50	55	58	84	96	90	78	55	43	38
Fri	36	40	54	56	49	45	45	47	57	72	89	89	86	73	55	47	38
Sat	37	37	38	40	43	42	47	48	52	57	63	60	56	49	44	45	39
Sun	36	37	36	38	39	42	43	48	49	51	51	50	49	47	46	47	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	42	55	53	45	42	46	47	50	48	72	84	80	69	49	40	38
Tue	36	43	60	61	46	44	44	46	46	54	76	90	87	75	57	45	37
Wed	35	42	65	61	47	43	45	46	46	56	65	77	76	67	56	45	37
Thu	36	41	62	61	47	47	50	50	55	58	84	96	90	78	55	43	38
Fri	36	40	54	56	49	45	45	47	57	72	89	89	86	73	55	47	38
Sat	37	37	38	40	43	42	47	48	52	57	63	60	56	49	44	45	39
Sun	36	37	36	38	39	42	43	48	49	51	51	50	49	47	46	47	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	42	55	53	45	42	46	47	50	48	72	84	80	69	49	40	38
Tue	36	43	60	61	46	44	44	46	46	54	76	90	87	75	57	45	37
Wed	35	42	65	61	47	43	45	46	46	56	65	77	76	67	56	45	37
Thu	36	41	62	61	47	47	50	50	55	58	84	96	90	78	55	43	38
Fri	36	40	54	56	49	45	45	47	57	72	89	89	86	73	55	47	38
Sat	37	37	38	40	43	42	47	48	52	57	63	60	56	49	44	45	39
Sun	36	37	36	38	39	42	43	48	49	51	51	50	49	47	46	47	39