Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Mead Valley

Right now (3:21 pm PST): about 71 minutes via SR-91 East, usually 66 at this time.

Only 16% 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 Mead Valley 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	55	51	59	61	57	54	57	58	62	72	78	87	89	66	55	53	48
Tue	57	52	73	70	61	56	56	58	63	78	91	90	89	67	56	54	49
Wed	51	55	69	67	61	58	58	61	67	73	86	91	93	69	58	54	49
Thu	58	54	68	73	74	61	65	66	74	80	91	97	97	79	59	52	49
Fri	52	51	65	74	66	61	69	69	77	86	92	101	97	83	58	54	49
Sat	48	49	50	50	53	55	59	61	64	65	62	65	61	59	57	52	48
Sun	48	48	49	49	49	50	55	56	61	65	60	54	53	53	54	52	48

About this drive

On weekdays the 46-mile drive from Santa Ana to Mead Valley (via SR-91 East) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 101 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 67 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (67 minutes).

About 31 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 15 miles surface streets (21 to 51 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 Mead Valley 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 Mead Valley?

On weekdays, leave after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 101 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Ana to Mead Valley?

The 46-mile drive usually takes 48 to 101 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 67 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Mead Valley?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 101 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 East in Orange County (24 miles) · SR-57 North in Orange County (5 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (2 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

More drives

Mead Valley 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	55	51	59	61	57	54	57	58	62	72	78	87	89	66	55	53	48
Tue	57	52	73	70	61	56	56	58	63	78	91	90	89	67	56	54	49
Wed	51	55	69	67	61	58	58	61	67	73	86	91	93	69	58	54	49
Thu	58	54	68	73	74	61	65	66	74	80	91	97	97	79	59	52	49
Fri	52	51	65	74	66	61	69	69	77	86	92	101	97	83	58	54	49
Sat	48	49	50	50	53	55	59	61	64	65	62	65	61	59	57	52	48
Sun	48	48	49	49	49	50	55	56	61	65	60	54	53	53	54	52	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	51	59	61	57	54	57	58	62	72	78	87	89	66	55	53	48
Tue	57	52	73	70	61	56	56	58	63	78	91	90	89	67	56	54	49
Wed	51	55	69	67	61	58	58	61	67	73	86	91	93	69	58	54	49
Thu	58	54	68	73	74	61	65	66	74	80	91	97	97	79	59	52	49
Fri	52	51	65	74	66	61	69	69	77	86	92	101	97	83	58	54	49
Sat	48	49	50	50	53	55	59	61	64	65	62	65	61	59	57	52	48
Sun	48	48	49	49	49	50	55	56	61	65	60	54	53	53	54	52	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	51	59	61	57	54	57	58	62	72	78	87	89	66	55	53	48
Tue	57	52	73	70	61	56	56	58	63	78	91	90	89	67	56	54	49
Wed	51	55	69	67	61	58	58	61	67	73	86	91	93	69	58	54	49
Thu	58	54	68	73	74	61	65	66	74	80	91	97	97	79	59	52	49
Fri	52	51	65	74	66	61	69	69	77	86	92	101	97	83	58	54	49
Sat	48	49	50	50	53	55	59	61	64	65	62	65	61	59	57	52	48
Sun	48	48	49	49	49	50	55	56	61	65	60	54	53	53	54	52	48