Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Compton

Right now (7:03 pm PDT): about 28 minutes via SR-91 West and I-5 North, usually 28 at this time.

Only 38% 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 Compton 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	26	28	35	40	37	31	31	31	31	33	40	42	47	39	28	27	26
Tue	26	29	41	42	40	35	33	33	33	34	42	46	51	42	31	27	26
Wed	26	28	36	40	38	35	32	33	34	36	42	49	56	47	33	27	26
Thu	26	29	39	41	41	34	34	34	33	38	42	48	53	47	32	28	26
Fri	26	28	32	37	38	33	34	32	36	40	47	51	53	49	33	27	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	28	30	30	32	35	34	34	35	35	33	29	28	27
Sun	26	26	27	27	27	29	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	30	30	27

About this drive

On weekdays the 27-mile drive from Santa Ana to Compton (via SR-91 West and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 56 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (36 minutes).

About 24 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 11 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 Compton 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 Compton?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 56 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 27-mile drive usually takes 26 to 56 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Compton?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 56 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (10 miles) · SR-91 West in Orange County (8 miles) · SR-91 West in Los Angeles (6 miles)

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

More drives

Compton 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	26	28	35	40	37	31	31	31	31	33	40	42	47	39	28	27	26
Tue	26	29	41	42	40	35	33	33	33	34	42	46	51	42	31	27	26
Wed	26	28	36	40	38	35	32	33	34	36	42	49	56	47	33	27	26
Thu	26	29	39	41	41	34	34	34	33	38	42	48	53	47	32	28	26
Fri	26	28	32	37	38	33	34	32	36	40	47	51	53	49	33	27	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	28	30	30	32	35	34	34	35	35	33	29	28	27
Sun	26	26	27	27	27	29	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	30	30	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	28	35	40	37	31	31	31	31	33	40	42	47	39	28	27	26
Tue	26	29	41	42	40	35	33	33	33	34	42	46	51	42	31	27	26
Wed	26	28	36	40	38	35	32	33	34	36	42	49	56	47	33	27	26
Thu	26	29	39	41	41	34	34	34	33	38	42	48	53	47	32	28	26
Fri	26	28	32	37	38	33	34	32	36	40	47	51	53	49	33	27	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	28	30	30	32	35	34	34	35	35	33	29	28	27
Sun	26	26	27	27	27	29	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	30	30	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	28	35	40	37	31	31	31	31	33	40	42	47	39	28	27	26
Tue	26	29	41	42	40	35	33	33	33	34	42	46	51	42	31	27	26
Wed	26	28	36	40	38	35	32	33	34	36	42	49	56	47	33	27	26
Thu	26	29	39	41	41	34	34	34	33	38	42	48	53	47	32	28	26
Fri	26	28	32	37	38	33	34	32	36	40	47	51	53	49	33	27	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	28	30	30	32	35	34	34	35	35	33	29	28	27
Sun	26	26	27	27	27	29	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	30	30	27