Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Carson

Right now (5:47 pm PDT): about 44 minutes via I-405 North and SR-22 West, usually 38 at this time.

Only 26% 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 Santa Ana to Carson 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	28	31	36	38	36	31	33	31	32	32	34	36	38	34	30	30	29
Tue	28	32	36	38	37	32	32	33	34	32	38	42	47	38	31	30	29
Wed	28	31	36	38	39	35	33	34	33	32	37	43	46	42	32	29	29
Thu	28	32	36	36	35	34	33	34	34	33	37	44	46	40	31	29	29
Fri	28	31	35	38	37	34	34	34	34	35	42	46	46	40	33	31	29
Sat	29	30	30	31	32	31	32	33	32	34	33	35	32	32	33	31	29
Sun	29	29	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	32	29

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Santa Ana to Carson (via I-405 North and SR-22 West) usually takes as little as 28 minutes and up to 47 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (36 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Ana to central Carson 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 Santa Ana to Carson?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 28 minutes then, versus up to 47 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 32-mile drive usually takes 28 to 47 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Carson?

Leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 47 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-22 West in Orange County (10 miles) · I-405 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (6 miles) · I-110 South in Los Angeles (1.7 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (1.4 miles)

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

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	31	36	38	36	31	33	31	32	32	34	36	38	34	30	30	29
Tue	28	32	36	38	37	32	32	33	34	32	38	42	47	38	31	30	29
Wed	28	31	36	38	39	35	33	34	33	32	37	43	46	42	32	29	29
Thu	28	32	36	36	35	34	33	34	34	33	37	44	46	40	31	29	29
Fri	28	31	35	38	37	34	34	34	34	35	42	46	46	40	33	31	29
Sat	29	30	30	31	32	31	32	33	32	34	33	35	32	32	33	31	29
Sun	29	29	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	32	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	31	36	38	36	31	33	31	32	32	34	36	38	34	30	30	29
Tue	28	32	36	38	37	32	32	33	34	32	38	42	47	38	31	30	29
Wed	28	31	36	38	39	35	33	34	33	32	37	43	46	42	32	29	29
Thu	28	32	36	36	35	34	33	34	34	33	37	44	46	40	31	29	29
Fri	28	31	35	38	37	34	34	34	34	35	42	46	46	40	33	31	29
Sat	29	30	30	31	32	31	32	33	32	34	33	35	32	32	33	31	29
Sun	29	29	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	32	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	31	36	38	36	31	33	31	32	32	34	36	38	34	30	30	29
Tue	28	32	36	38	37	32	32	33	34	32	38	42	47	38	31	30	29
Wed	28	31	36	38	39	35	33	34	33	32	37	43	46	42	32	29	29
Thu	28	32	36	36	35	34	33	34	34	33	37	44	46	40	31	29	29
Fri	28	31	35	38	37	34	34	34	34	35	42	46	46	40	33	31	29
Sat	29	30	30	31	32	31	32	33	32	34	33	35	32	32	33	31	29
Sun	29	29	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	32	29