Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Glendale

Right now (5:48 am PDT): about 41 minutes via I-5 North, usually 49 at this time.

Only 29% 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	37	48	61	66	59	51	48	48	48	51	57	58	58	51	41	38	37
Tue	37	50	65	69	61	53	48	47	47	50	57	61	62	55	44	39	37
Wed	37	49	64	67	62	54	48	47	48	51	58	62	61	56	45	39	37
Thu	37	49	65	67	62	55	50	49	49	53	58	64	62	56	46	40	37
Fri	37	46	57	60	57	54	53	53	55	59	65	65	64	58	47	41	38
Sat	37	38	39	40	44	47	51	54	55	55	55	54	52	49	45	42	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	43	46	49	52	53	53	50	48	46	45	44	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Santa Ana to Glendale (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 69 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (56 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 10 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 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 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 37 to 69 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Glendale?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays 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	37	48	61	66	59	51	48	48	48	51	57	58	58	51	41	38	37
Tue	37	50	65	69	61	53	48	47	47	50	57	61	62	55	44	39	37
Wed	37	49	64	67	62	54	48	47	48	51	58	62	61	56	45	39	37
Thu	37	49	65	67	62	55	50	49	49	53	58	64	62	56	46	40	37
Fri	37	46	57	60	57	54	53	53	55	59	65	65	64	58	47	41	38
Sat	37	38	39	40	44	47	51	54	55	55	55	54	52	49	45	42	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	43	46	49	52	53	53	50	48	46	45	44	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	48	61	66	59	51	48	48	48	51	57	58	58	51	41	38	37
Tue	37	50	65	69	61	53	48	47	47	50	57	61	62	55	44	39	37
Wed	37	49	64	67	62	54	48	47	48	51	58	62	61	56	45	39	37
Thu	37	49	65	67	62	55	50	49	49	53	58	64	62	56	46	40	37
Fri	37	46	57	60	57	54	53	53	55	59	65	65	64	58	47	41	38
Sat	37	38	39	40	44	47	51	54	55	55	55	54	52	49	45	42	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	43	46	49	52	53	53	50	48	46	45	44	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	48	61	66	59	51	48	48	48	51	57	58	58	51	41	38	37
Tue	37	50	65	69	61	53	48	47	47	50	57	61	62	55	44	39	37
Wed	37	49	64	67	62	54	48	47	48	51	58	62	61	56	45	39	37
Thu	37	49	65	67	62	55	50	49	49	53	58	64	62	56	46	40	37
Fri	37	46	57	60	57	54	53	53	55	59	65	65	64	58	47	41	38
Sat	37	38	39	40	44	47	51	54	55	55	55	54	52	49	45	42	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	43	46	49	52	53	53	50	48	46	45	44	39