Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to Santa Ana

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 39 minutes via I-5 South, usually 38 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 Los Angeles 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	31	36	46	48	37	34	39	39	43	40	63	76	71	64	45	34	31
Tue	29	34	52	55	39	34	36	39	39	46	64	78	79	67	53	38	30
Wed	29	33	56	56	42	35	36	38	39	48	55	66	65	58	50	38	30
Thu	29	33	53	55	41	38	42	43	48	48	72	76	78	70	52	36	33
Fri	29	32	44	49	42	38	38	40	47	63	72	75	75	68	47	40	32
Sat	30	31	31	33	35	35	39	40	42	47	51	51	44	41	37	37	33
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	35	35	40	41	44	44	41	41	39	39	38	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Los Angeles to Santa Ana (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 83 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 42 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (51 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 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 Downtown LA (City Hall) (West 1st Street) 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 Los Angeles to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 83 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Los Angeles to Santa Ana?

The 32-mile drive usually takes 29 to 83 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 42 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 83 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 (2 miles)

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

More drives

Santa Ana to Los Angeles (return trip) · Los Angeles to Santa Monica · Los Angeles to Long Beach · Los Angeles to West Covina · Los Angeles to Burbank · Los Angeles to Glendale · Los Angeles to Santa Clarita · Los Angeles to Van Nuys · Los Angeles to Torrance · Los Angeles to Hollywood · Los Angeles to Culver City · Los Angeles to El Monte

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	36	46	48	37	34	39	39	43	40	63	76	71	64	45	34	31
Tue	29	34	52	55	39	34	36	39	39	46	64	78	79	67	53	38	30
Wed	29	33	56	56	42	35	36	38	39	48	55	66	65	58	50	38	30
Thu	29	33	53	55	41	38	42	43	48	48	72	76	78	70	52	36	33
Fri	29	32	44	49	42	38	38	40	47	63	72	75	75	68	47	40	32
Sat	30	31	31	33	35	35	39	40	42	47	51	51	44	41	37	37	33
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	35	35	40	41	44	44	41	41	39	39	38	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	36	46	48	37	34	39	39	43	40	63	76	71	64	45	34	31
Tue	29	34	52	55	39	34	36	39	39	46	64	78	79	67	53	38	30
Wed	29	33	56	56	42	35	36	38	39	48	55	66	65	58	50	38	30
Thu	29	33	53	55	41	38	42	43	48	48	72	76	78	70	52	36	33
Fri	29	32	44	49	42	38	38	40	47	63	72	75	75	68	47	40	32
Sat	30	31	31	33	35	35	39	40	42	47	51	51	44	41	37	37	33
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	35	35	40	41	44	44	41	41	39	39	38	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	36	46	48	37	34	39	39	43	40	63	76	71	64	45	34	31
Tue	29	34	52	55	39	34	36	39	39	46	64	78	79	67	53	38	30
Wed	29	33	56	56	42	35	36	38	39	48	55	66	65	58	50	38	30
Thu	29	33	53	55	41	38	42	43	48	48	72	76	78	70	52	36	33
Fri	29	32	44	49	42	38	38	40	47	63	72	75	75	68	47	40	32
Sat	30	31	31	33	35	35	39	40	42	47	51	51	44	41	37	37	33
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	35	35	40	41	44	44	41	41	39	39	38	33