Best Time to Drive from Monterey Park to Santa Ana

Right now (6:18 pm PDT): about 51 minutes via I-5 South, usually 50 at this time.

None 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 Monterey Park 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	47	50	38	34	37	37	41	38	57	62	60	54	42	33	31
Tue	30	37	54	58	42	35	35	37	37	42	54	63	64	58	48	37	31
Wed	30	36	55	58	44	36	36	37	38	46	48	54	54	52	45	36	31
Thu	30	35	51	55	43	38	41	41	45	43	57	60	62	59	46	35	31
Fri	30	34	43	47	41	37	37	37	45	52	58	61	61	58	45	39	31
Sat	31	31	32	32	35	34	36	38	39	45	49	47	42	38	35	35	33
Sun	30	31	30	31	32	33	34	36	38	39	40	38	37	37	36	36	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 31-mile drive from Monterey Park to Santa Ana (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (9 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Monterey Park to central Santa Ana 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 Monterey Park to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Monterey Park to Santa Ana?

The 31-mile drive usually takes 30 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Monterey Park to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 66 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (15 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (10 miles)

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

More drives

Santa Ana to Monterey Park (return trip) · Monterey Park to Los Angeles · Monterey Park to South Whittier · Monterey Park to Culver City · Monterey Park to Long Beach · Monterey Park to Anaheim · Monterey Park to Riverside

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	47	50	38	34	37	37	41	38	57	62	60	54	42	33	31
Tue	30	37	54	58	42	35	35	37	37	42	54	63	64	58	48	37	31
Wed	30	36	55	58	44	36	36	37	38	46	48	54	54	52	45	36	31
Thu	30	35	51	55	43	38	41	41	45	43	57	60	62	59	46	35	31
Fri	30	34	43	47	41	37	37	37	45	52	58	61	61	58	45	39	31
Sat	31	31	32	32	35	34	36	38	39	45	49	47	42	38	35	35	33
Sun	30	31	30	31	32	33	34	36	38	39	40	38	37	37	36	36	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	36	47	50	38	34	37	37	41	38	57	62	60	54	42	33	31
Tue	30	37	54	58	42	35	35	37	37	42	54	63	64	58	48	37	31
Wed	30	36	55	58	44	36	36	37	38	46	48	54	54	52	45	36	31
Thu	30	35	51	55	43	38	41	41	45	43	57	60	62	59	46	35	31
Fri	30	34	43	47	41	37	37	37	45	52	58	61	61	58	45	39	31
Sat	31	31	32	32	35	34	36	38	39	45	49	47	42	38	35	35	33
Sun	30	31	30	31	32	33	34	36	38	39	40	38	37	37	36	36	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	36	47	50	38	34	37	37	41	38	57	62	60	54	42	33	31
Tue	30	37	54	58	42	35	35	37	37	42	54	63	64	58	48	37	31
Wed	30	36	55	58	44	36	36	37	38	46	48	54	54	52	45	36	31
Thu	30	35	51	55	43	38	41	41	45	43	57	60	62	59	46	35	31
Fri	30	34	43	47	41	37	37	37	45	52	58	61	61	58	45	39	31
Sat	31	31	32	32	35	34	36	38	39	45	49	47	42	38	35	35	33
Sun	30	31	30	31	32	33	34	36	38	39	40	38	37	37	36	36	32