Best Time to Drive from Mission Viejo to Santa Ana

Right now (3:03 pm PDT): about 21 minutes via I-5 North, usually 23 at this time.

Only 34% 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 16-mile drive from Mission Viejo to Santa Ana (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 16 minutes and up to 25 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 21 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 7 pm on Sundays (22 minutes).

About 14 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Mission Viejo (Chrisanta Drive) 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 Mission Viejo to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 16 minutes then, versus up to 25 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Mission Viejo to Santa Ana?

The 16-mile drive usually takes 16 to 25 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 21 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mission Viejo to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 25 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Ana to Mission Viejo (return trip) · Mission Viejo to Los Angeles · Mission Viejo to Santa Monica · Mission Viejo to Pasadena · Mission Viejo to Long Beach · Mission Viejo to West Covina · Mission Viejo to Burbank · Mission Viejo to Glendale · Mission Viejo to Van Nuys · Mission Viejo to Torrance · Mission Viejo to LAX · Mission Viejo to Hollywood

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