Best Time to Drive from Northridge to Santa Ana

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 78 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 74 at this time.

Only 4% 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 Northridge 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	55	63	74	70	63	62	65	70	71	83	106	109	103	88	74	59	54
Tue	52	65	80	77	65	64	66	68	70	88	113	114	105	91	81	65	53
Wed	52	64	84	78	67	64	65	67	69	83	95	107	108	88	75	66	53
Thu	53	65	80	78	66	68	71	72	75	92	117	128	118	95	76	66	55
Fri	53	60	72	71	67	65	68	75	84	113	121	122	120	99	76	66	55
Sat	53	54	55	58	62	62	69	69	79	82	87	78	77	69	65	65	55
Sun	53	53	53	54	57	61	63	67	68	71	75	77	73	70	66	66	56

About this drive

On weekdays the 57-mile drive from Northridge to Santa Ana (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 52 minutes and up to 128 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 75 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (87 minutes).

About 51 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (8 to 17 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Northridge 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 Northridge to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 52 minutes then, versus up to 128 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 57-mile drive usually takes 52 to 128 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 75 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 128 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (15 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (4 miles)

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

More drives

Santa Ana to Northridge (return trip) · Northridge to Los Angeles · Northridge to Rancho Cucamonga · Northridge to Long Beach · Northridge to Anaheim · Northridge 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	55	63	74	70	63	62	65	70	71	83	106	109	103	88	74	59	54
Tue	52	65	80	77	65	64	66	68	70	88	113	114	105	91	81	65	53
Wed	52	64	84	78	67	64	65	67	69	83	95	107	108	88	75	66	53
Thu	53	65	80	78	66	68	71	72	75	92	117	128	118	95	76	66	55
Fri	53	60	72	71	67	65	68	75	84	113	121	122	120	99	76	66	55
Sat	53	54	55	58	62	62	69	69	79	82	87	78	77	69	65	65	55
Sun	53	53	53	54	57	61	63	67	68	71	75	77	73	70	66	66	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	63	74	70	63	62	65	70	71	83	106	109	103	88	74	59	54
Tue	52	65	80	77	65	64	66	68	70	88	113	114	105	91	81	65	53
Wed	52	64	84	78	67	64	65	67	69	83	95	107	108	88	75	66	53
Thu	53	65	80	78	66	68	71	72	75	92	117	128	118	95	76	66	55
Fri	53	60	72	71	67	65	68	75	84	113	121	122	120	99	76	66	55
Sat	53	54	55	58	62	62	69	69	79	82	87	78	77	69	65	65	55
Sun	53	53	53	54	57	61	63	67	68	71	75	77	73	70	66	66	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	63	74	70	63	62	65	70	71	83	106	109	103	88	74	59	54
Tue	52	65	80	77	65	64	66	68	70	88	113	114	105	91	81	65	53
Wed	52	64	84	78	67	64	65	67	69	83	95	107	108	88	75	66	53
Thu	53	65	80	78	66	68	71	72	75	92	117	128	118	95	76	66	55
Fri	53	60	72	71	67	65	68	75	84	113	121	122	120	99	76	66	55
Sat	53	54	55	58	62	62	69	69	79	82	87	78	77	69	65	65	55
Sun	53	53	53	54	57	61	63	67	68	71	75	77	73	70	66	66	56