Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Castaic

Right now (7:20 pm PDT): about 77 minutes via I-5 North, usually 81 at this time.

Only 25% 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 Castaic 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	64	76	86	90	90	85	83	83	88	85	90	92	90	83	75	70	66
Tue	63	77	86	93	90	85	80	80	78	81	89	102	101	88	81	71	67
Wed	63	75	82	86	88	83	80	78	79	81	90	94	96	87	78	70	64
Thu	63	76	89	93	91	85	84	83	82	88	105	110	101	91	82	74	66
Fri	64	76	81	84	88	89	89	92	93	92	101	99	97	93	84	77	66
Sat	65	66	68	69	75	91	96	89	92	88	86	87	83	81	82	75	67
Sun	64	64	65	65	66	75	92	107	109	114	95	87	83	84	82	77	66

About this drive

On weekdays the 73-mile drive from Santa Ana to Castaic (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 63 minutes and up to 112 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 84 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (114 minutes).

About 70 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 4 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 Castaic 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 Castaic?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 63 minutes then, versus up to 112 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 73-mile drive usually takes 63 to 112 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 84 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Castaic?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 112 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (50 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (20 miles)

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

More drives

Castaic 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	64	76	86	90	90	85	83	83	88	85	90	92	90	83	75	70	66
Tue	63	77	86	93	90	85	80	80	78	81	89	102	101	88	81	71	67
Wed	63	75	82	86	88	83	80	78	79	81	90	94	96	87	78	70	64
Thu	63	76	89	93	91	85	84	83	82	88	105	110	101	91	82	74	66
Fri	64	76	81	84	88	89	89	92	93	92	101	99	97	93	84	77	66
Sat	65	66	68	69	75	91	96	89	92	88	86	87	83	81	82	75	67
Sun	64	64	65	65	66	75	92	107	109	114	95	87	83	84	82	77	66

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	64	76	86	90	90	85	83	83	88	85	90	92	90	83	75	70	66
Tue	63	77	86	93	90	85	80	80	78	81	89	102	101	88	81	71	67
Wed	63	75	82	86	88	83	80	78	79	81	90	94	96	87	78	70	64
Thu	63	76	89	93	91	85	84	83	82	88	105	110	101	91	82	74	66
Fri	64	76	81	84	88	89	89	92	93	92	101	99	97	93	84	77	66
Sat	65	66	68	69	75	91	96	89	92	88	86	87	83	81	82	75	67
Sun	64	64	65	65	66	75	92	107	109	114	95	87	83	84	82	77	66

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	64	76	86	90	90	85	83	83	88	85	90	92	90	83	75	70	66
Tue	63	77	86	93	90	85	80	80	78	81	89	102	101	88	81	71	67
Wed	63	75	82	86	88	83	80	78	79	81	90	94	96	87	78	70	64
Thu	63	76	89	93	91	85	84	83	82	88	105	110	101	91	82	74	66
Fri	64	76	81	84	88	89	89	92	93	92	101	99	97	93	84	77	66
Sat	65	66	68	69	75	91	96	89	92	88	86	87	83	81	82	75	67
Sun	64	64	65	65	66	75	92	107	109	114	95	87	83	84	82	77	66