Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Glendale

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 52 minutes via I-5 North, usually 57 at this time.

Only 8% 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 Glendale 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	36	51	60	65	64	56	54	53	55	56	59	61	58	52	44	38	37
Tue	36	51	61	69	65	60	54	54	53	56	61	64	63	55	48	39	37
Wed	36	49	57	63	66	58	55	52	52	55	60	65	63	58	49	41	38
Thu	36	48	59	63	63	55	55	54	54	57	61	66	65	57	52	45	38
Fri	36	48	55	60	57	56	54	56	58	60	66	64	65	61	53	46	38
Sat	37	38	39	40	48	54	59	56	58	58	58	59	57	56	56	48	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	44	50	54	56	57	60	55	54	54	51	47	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Santa Ana to Glendale (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 36 minutes and up to 69 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Sundays (60 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 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 (Main Street) to central Glendale (South Brand Boulevard) 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 Glendale?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 36 minutes then, versus up to 69 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 36 to 69 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Glendale?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 69 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (19 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (17 miles)

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

More drives

Glendale 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 Santa Clarita · Santa Ana to Van Nuys · Santa Ana to Torrance · Santa Ana to LAX · Santa Ana 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	36	51	60	65	64	56	54	53	55	56	59	61	58	52	44	38	37
Tue	36	51	61	69	65	60	54	54	53	56	61	64	63	55	48	39	37
Wed	36	49	57	63	66	58	55	52	52	55	60	65	63	58	49	41	38
Thu	36	48	59	63	63	55	55	54	54	57	61	66	65	57	52	45	38
Fri	36	48	55	60	57	56	54	56	58	60	66	64	65	61	53	46	38
Sat	37	38	39	40	48	54	59	56	58	58	58	59	57	56	56	48	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	44	50	54	56	57	60	55	54	54	51	47	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	51	60	65	64	56	54	53	55	56	59	61	58	52	44	38	37
Tue	36	51	61	69	65	60	54	54	53	56	61	64	63	55	48	39	37
Wed	36	49	57	63	66	58	55	52	52	55	60	65	63	58	49	41	38
Thu	36	48	59	63	63	55	55	54	54	57	61	66	65	57	52	45	38
Fri	36	48	55	60	57	56	54	56	58	60	66	64	65	61	53	46	38
Sat	37	38	39	40	48	54	59	56	58	58	58	59	57	56	56	48	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	44	50	54	56	57	60	55	54	54	51	47	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	51	60	65	64	56	54	53	55	56	59	61	58	52	44	38	37
Tue	36	51	61	69	65	60	54	54	53	56	61	64	63	55	48	39	37
Wed	36	49	57	63	66	58	55	52	52	55	60	65	63	58	49	41	38
Thu	36	48	59	63	63	55	55	54	54	57	61	66	65	57	52	45	38
Fri	36	48	55	60	57	56	54	56	58	60	66	64	65	61	53	46	38
Sat	37	38	39	40	48	54	59	56	58	58	58	59	57	56	56	48	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	44	50	54	56	57	60	55	54	54	51	47	40