Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Hollywood

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 49 minutes via I-5 North, usually 45 at this time.

Only 5% 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 Hollywood 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	47	52	56	51	44	43	42	42	43	46	46	49	44	38	37	36
Tue	36	47	56	60	51	47	44	42	43	44	45	49	52	48	41	37	36
Wed	36	47	54	57	51	46	44	43	42	41	48	50	52	48	41	38	36
Thu	36	45	53	58	50	46	45	43	43	44	50	57	57	49	43	39	37
Fri	36	45	45	48	46	44	45	45	47	51	59	58	59	56	44	39	37
Sat	36	37	39	39	41	44	48	48	45	46	48	51	50	43	41	40	37
Sun	36	36	36	37	38	40	43	44	43	44	43	43	43	44	43	44	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from Santa Ana to Hollywood (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 36 minutes and up to 63 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am 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 44 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (51 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 16 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 Hollywood (North Cahuenga 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 Hollywood?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 36 minutes then, versus up to 63 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 38-mile drive usually takes 36 to 63 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 44 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Hollywood?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 63 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (19 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (5 miles)

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

More drives

Hollywood 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	37	47	52	56	51	44	43	42	42	43	46	46	49	44	38	37	36
Tue	36	47	56	60	51	47	44	42	43	44	45	49	52	48	41	37	36
Wed	36	47	54	57	51	46	44	43	42	41	48	50	52	48	41	38	36
Thu	36	45	53	58	50	46	45	43	43	44	50	57	57	49	43	39	37
Fri	36	45	45	48	46	44	45	45	47	51	59	58	59	56	44	39	37
Sat	36	37	39	39	41	44	48	48	45	46	48	51	50	43	41	40	37
Sun	36	36	36	37	38	40	43	44	43	44	43	43	43	44	43	44	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	47	52	56	51	44	43	42	42	43	46	46	49	44	38	37	36
Tue	36	47	56	60	51	47	44	42	43	44	45	49	52	48	41	37	36
Wed	36	47	54	57	51	46	44	43	42	41	48	50	52	48	41	38	36
Thu	36	45	53	58	50	46	45	43	43	44	50	57	57	49	43	39	37
Fri	36	45	45	48	46	44	45	45	47	51	59	58	59	56	44	39	37
Sat	36	37	39	39	41	44	48	48	45	46	48	51	50	43	41	40	37
Sun	36	36	36	37	38	40	43	44	43	44	43	43	43	44	43	44	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	47	52	56	51	44	43	42	42	43	46	46	49	44	38	37	36
Tue	36	47	56	60	51	47	44	42	43	44	45	49	52	48	41	37	36
Wed	36	47	54	57	51	46	44	43	42	41	48	50	52	48	41	38	36
Thu	36	45	53	58	50	46	45	43	43	44	50	57	57	49	43	39	37
Fri	36	45	45	48	46	44	45	45	47	51	59	58	59	56	44	39	37
Sat	36	37	39	39	41	44	48	48	45	46	48	51	50	43	41	40	37
Sun	36	36	36	37	38	40	43	44	43	44	43	43	43	44	43	44	38