Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Los Angeles

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 39 minutes via I-5 North, usually 37 at this time.

Only 6% 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 Los Angeles 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	30	37	41	45	42	36	36	35	35	36	39	39	41	38	32	32	30
Tue	30	37	44	48	42	38	36	35	36	36	39	42	45	40	35	32	31
Wed	30	36	42	45	42	37	36	36	35	35	40	44	45	41	35	32	31
Thu	30	36	42	46	41	38	37	36	35	36	41	45	45	40	36	33	31
Fri	30	35	37	39	38	36	36	36	38	40	46	44	47	45	36	33	31
Sat	30	31	32	33	34	36	37	36	36	35	37	37	39	35	35	34	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	32	34	35	36	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Santa Ana to Los Angeles (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 50 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (39 minutes).

About 30 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 Downtown LA (City Hall) (West 1st Street) 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 Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 50 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Ana to Los Angeles?

The 33-mile drive usually takes 30 to 50 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 50 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

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

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

More drives

Los Angeles to Santa Ana (return trip) · 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 · 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	30	37	41	45	42	36	36	35	35	36	39	39	41	38	32	32	30
Tue	30	37	44	48	42	38	36	35	36	36	39	42	45	40	35	32	31
Wed	30	36	42	45	42	37	36	36	35	35	40	44	45	41	35	32	31
Thu	30	36	42	46	41	38	37	36	35	36	41	45	45	40	36	33	31
Fri	30	35	37	39	38	36	36	36	38	40	46	44	47	45	36	33	31
Sat	30	31	32	33	34	36	37	36	36	35	37	37	39	35	35	34	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	32	34	35	36	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	37	41	45	42	36	36	35	35	36	39	39	41	38	32	32	30
Tue	30	37	44	48	42	38	36	35	36	36	39	42	45	40	35	32	31
Wed	30	36	42	45	42	37	36	36	35	35	40	44	45	41	35	32	31
Thu	30	36	42	46	41	38	37	36	35	36	41	45	45	40	36	33	31
Fri	30	35	37	39	38	36	36	36	38	40	46	44	47	45	36	33	31
Sat	30	31	32	33	34	36	37	36	36	35	37	37	39	35	35	34	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	32	34	35	36	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	37	41	45	42	36	36	35	35	36	39	39	41	38	32	32	30
Tue	30	37	44	48	42	38	36	35	36	36	39	42	45	40	35	32	31
Wed	30	36	42	45	42	37	36	36	35	35	40	44	45	41	35	32	31
Thu	30	36	42	46	41	38	37	36	35	36	41	45	45	40	36	33	31
Fri	30	35	37	39	38	36	36	36	38	40	46	44	47	45	36	33	31
Sat	30	31	32	33	34	36	37	36	36	35	37	37	39	35	35	34	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	32	34	35	36	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	32