Best Time to Drive from Riverside to Santa Ana

Right now (6:17 am PDT): about 53 minutes via SR-91 West, usually 65 at this time.

Only 22% 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 Riverside 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	41	54	63	62	52	44	43	41	41	42	44	45	46	42	39	39	38
Tue	40	57	69	67	58	47	43	42	42	43	45	47	49	45	39	38	38
Wed	41	58	71	67	60	47	43	42	42	43	45	47	50	46	40	38	37
Thu	40	56	62	59	54	46	43	43	43	43	44	47	49	45	40	38	38
Fri	38	48	50	48	46	44	42	43	44	45	45	47	49	44	41	38	37
Sat	37	38	38	38	40	41	45	46	47	45	45	45	44	41	40	38	37
Sun	37	37	38	38	38	41	43	43	43	42	42	40	39	39	39	39	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Riverside to Santa Ana (via SR-91 West) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 72 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (47 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 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 central Riverside 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 Riverside to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 72 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 37 to 72 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Riverside to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 72 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 West in Orange County (28 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (6 miles) · SR-91 West in Inland Empire (3 miles)

Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	54	63	62	52	44	43	41	41	42	44	45	46	42	39	39	38
Tue	40	57	69	67	58	47	43	42	42	43	45	47	49	45	39	38	38
Wed	41	58	71	67	60	47	43	42	42	43	45	47	50	46	40	38	37
Thu	40	56	62	59	54	46	43	43	43	43	44	47	49	45	40	38	38
Fri	38	48	50	48	46	44	42	43	44	45	45	47	49	44	41	38	37
Sat	37	38	38	38	40	41	45	46	47	45	45	45	44	41	40	38	37
Sun	37	37	38	38	38	41	43	43	43	42	42	40	39	39	39	39	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	54	63	62	52	44	43	41	41	42	44	45	46	42	39	39	38
Tue	40	57	69	67	58	47	43	42	42	43	45	47	49	45	39	38	38
Wed	41	58	71	67	60	47	43	42	42	43	45	47	50	46	40	38	37
Thu	40	56	62	59	54	46	43	43	43	43	44	47	49	45	40	38	38
Fri	38	48	50	48	46	44	42	43	44	45	45	47	49	44	41	38	37
Sat	37	38	38	38	40	41	45	46	47	45	45	45	44	41	40	38	37
Sun	37	37	38	38	38	41	43	43	43	42	42	40	39	39	39	39	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	54	63	62	52	44	43	41	41	42	44	45	46	42	39	39	38
Tue	40	57	69	67	58	47	43	42	42	43	45	47	49	45	39	38	38
Wed	41	58	71	67	60	47	43	42	42	43	45	47	50	46	40	38	37
Thu	40	56	62	59	54	46	43	43	43	43	44	47	49	45	40	38	38
Fri	38	48	50	48	46	44	42	43	44	45	45	47	49	44	41	38	37
Sat	37	38	38	38	40	41	45	46	47	45	45	45	44	41	40	38	37
Sun	37	37	38	38	38	41	43	43	43	42	42	40	39	39	39	39	37