Best Time to Drive from San Bernardino to Santa Ana

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 56 minutes via SR-91 West, usually 57 at this time.

Only 35% 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 San Bernardino 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	50	68	79	82	68	58	57	56	56	59	66	64	67	58	49	50	48
Tue	50	72	87	89	76	61	56	56	56	60	66	66	69	61	51	49	47
Wed	49	68	83	94	73	59	56	55	56	59	64	66	72	63	51	48	47
Thu	49	67	76	80	68	57	58	57	59	59	65	66	71	62	50	49	48
Fri	48	63	67	69	62	56	58	58	61	61	64	64	64	58	53	49	47
Sat	47	49	50	51	51	52	53	54	56	55	55	55	53	52	50	49	47
Sun	47	47	48	49	50	52	54	53	55	54	54	53	52	53	51	51	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from San Bernardino to Santa Ana (via SR-91 West) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 94 minutes, when leaving around 8 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 58 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (56 minutes).

About 48 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 San Bernardino (West 5th 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 San Bernardino to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 94 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Bernardino to Santa Ana?

The 51-mile drive usually takes 47 to 94 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 58 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Bernardino to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 94 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 West in Orange County (28 miles) · I-215 South in Inland Empire (9 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (6 miles) · SR-91 West in Inland Empire (4 miles)

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

San Bernardino to Santa Ana over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Santa Ana to San Bernardino (return trip) · San Bernardino to Los Angeles · San Bernardino to Santa Monica · San Bernardino to Pasadena · San Bernardino to Long Beach · San Bernardino to West Covina · San Bernardino to Burbank · San Bernardino to Glendale · San Bernardino to Van Nuys · San Bernardino to Torrance · San Bernardino to LAX · San Bernardino 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	50	68	79	82	68	58	57	56	56	59	66	64	67	58	49	50	48
Tue	50	72	87	89	76	61	56	56	56	60	66	66	69	61	51	49	47
Wed	49	68	83	94	73	59	56	55	56	59	64	66	72	63	51	48	47
Thu	49	67	76	80	68	57	58	57	59	59	65	66	71	62	50	49	48
Fri	48	63	67	69	62	56	58	58	61	61	64	64	64	58	53	49	47
Sat	47	49	50	51	51	52	53	54	56	55	55	55	53	52	50	49	47
Sun	47	47	48	49	50	52	54	53	55	54	54	53	52	53	51	51	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	68	79	82	68	58	57	56	56	59	66	64	67	58	49	50	48
Tue	50	72	87	89	76	61	56	56	56	60	66	66	69	61	51	49	47
Wed	49	68	83	94	73	59	56	55	56	59	64	66	72	63	51	48	47
Thu	49	67	76	80	68	57	58	57	59	59	65	66	71	62	50	49	48
Fri	48	63	67	69	62	56	58	58	61	61	64	64	64	58	53	49	47
Sat	47	49	50	51	51	52	53	54	56	55	55	55	53	52	50	49	47
Sun	47	47	48	49	50	52	54	53	55	54	54	53	52	53	51	51	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	68	79	82	68	58	57	56	56	59	66	64	67	58	49	50	48
Tue	50	72	87	89	76	61	56	56	56	60	66	66	69	61	51	49	47
Wed	49	68	83	94	73	59	56	55	56	59	64	66	72	63	51	48	47
Thu	49	67	76	80	68	57	58	57	59	59	65	66	71	62	50	49	48
Fri	48	63	67	69	62	56	58	58	61	61	64	64	64	58	53	49	47
Sat	47	49	50	51	51	52	53	54	56	55	55	55	53	52	50	49	47
Sun	47	47	48	49	50	52	54	53	55	54	54	53	52	53	51	51	47