Best Time to Drive from Hollywood to SNA

Right now (2:48 pm PDT): about 61 minutes via I-5 South, usually 68 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 SNA 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	42	49	65	61	51	48	52	52	56	54	77	91	85	74	54	45	42
Tue	41	51	72	72	54	51	51	53	52	61	82	99	93	79	63	50	42
Wed	40	50	75	71	56	51	51	52	53	62	71	83	81	72	61	49	41
Thu	40	48	71	72	54	53	56	55	61	64	89	102	95	82	60	48	43
Fri	40	47	63	61	55	52	52	55	62	77	93	93	91	80	60	51	43
Sat	41	42	43	45	49	49	54	54	58	62	68	65	61	54	49	50	44
Sun	41	41	41	42	44	48	48	53	54	56	56	56	54	52	51	52	44

About this drive

On weekdays the 45-mile drive from Hollywood to SNA (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 40 minutes and up to 102 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 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (68 minutes).

About 42 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 12 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 John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA) (Paularino Avenue) 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 SNA?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 40 minutes then, versus up to 102 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Hollywood to SNA?

The 45-mile drive usually takes 40 to 102 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Hollywood to SNA?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 102 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (7 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (4 miles)

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

More drives

SNA 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	42	49	65	61	51	48	52	52	56	54	77	91	85	74	54	45	42
Tue	41	51	72	72	54	51	51	53	52	61	82	99	93	79	63	50	42
Wed	40	50	75	71	56	51	51	52	53	62	71	83	81	72	61	49	41
Thu	40	48	71	72	54	53	56	55	61	64	89	102	95	82	60	48	43
Fri	40	47	63	61	55	52	52	55	62	77	93	93	91	80	60	51	43
Sat	41	42	43	45	49	49	54	54	58	62	68	65	61	54	49	50	44
Sun	41	41	41	42	44	48	48	53	54	56	56	56	54	52	51	52	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	49	65	61	51	48	52	52	56	54	77	91	85	74	54	45	42
Tue	41	51	72	72	54	51	51	53	52	61	82	99	93	79	63	50	42
Wed	40	50	75	71	56	51	51	52	53	62	71	83	81	72	61	49	41
Thu	40	48	71	72	54	53	56	55	61	64	89	102	95	82	60	48	43
Fri	40	47	63	61	55	52	52	55	62	77	93	93	91	80	60	51	43
Sat	41	42	43	45	49	49	54	54	58	62	68	65	61	54	49	50	44
Sun	41	41	41	42	44	48	48	53	54	56	56	56	54	52	51	52	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	49	65	61	51	48	52	52	56	54	77	91	85	74	54	45	42
Tue	41	51	72	72	54	51	51	53	52	61	82	99	93	79	63	50	42
Wed	40	50	75	71	56	51	51	52	53	62	71	83	81	72	61	49	41
Thu	40	48	71	72	54	53	56	55	61	64	89	102	95	82	60	48	43
Fri	40	47	63	61	55	52	52	55	62	77	93	93	91	80	60	51	43
Sat	41	42	43	45	49	49	54	54	58	62	68	65	61	54	49	50	44
Sun	41	41	41	42	44	48	48	53	54	56	56	56	54	52	51	52	44