Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Northridge

Right now (8:20 pm PST): about 56 minutes via I-5 North, usually 55 at this time.

Only 28% 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 Northridge 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	54	85	102	106	100	88	86	85	88	99	110	107	91	78	68	56	54
Tue	53	84	99	108	110	96	82	87	91	109	116	108	91	83	73	58	54
Wed	53	80	95	98	107	93	90	87	89	101	110	109	93	86	76	62	55
Thu	53	77	96	105	100	90	85	88	98	110	117	112	94	81	81	69	55
Fri	53	71	85	94	90	87	86	98	110	114	114	109	99	96	88	72	57
Sat	54	55	57	63	71	89	91	100	107	104	107	107	101	99	93	75	58
Sun	54	54	54	55	58	73	84	94	98	98	102	92	92	92	86	76	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 59-mile drive from Santa Ana to Northridge (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 53 minutes and up to 117 minutes, when leaving around 3 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 94 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (110 minutes).

About 54 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 13 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 Northridge 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 Northridge?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 53 minutes then, versus up to 117 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 59-mile drive usually takes 53 to 117 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 94 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Northridge?

Leaving around 3 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 117 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (20 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (19 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (9 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (6 miles)

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

More drives

Northridge 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	54	85	102	106	100	88	86	85	88	99	110	107	91	78	68	56	54
Tue	53	84	99	108	110	96	82	87	91	109	116	108	91	83	73	58	54
Wed	53	80	95	98	107	93	90	87	89	101	110	109	93	86	76	62	55
Thu	53	77	96	105	100	90	85	88	98	110	117	112	94	81	81	69	55
Fri	53	71	85	94	90	87	86	98	110	114	114	109	99	96	88	72	57
Sat	54	55	57	63	71	89	91	100	107	104	107	107	101	99	93	75	58
Sun	54	54	54	55	58	73	84	94	98	98	102	92	92	92	86	76	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	85	102	106	100	88	86	85	88	99	110	107	91	78	68	56	54
Tue	53	84	99	108	110	96	82	87	91	109	116	108	91	83	73	58	54
Wed	53	80	95	98	107	93	90	87	89	101	110	109	93	86	76	62	55
Thu	53	77	96	105	100	90	85	88	98	110	117	112	94	81	81	69	55
Fri	53	71	85	94	90	87	86	98	110	114	114	109	99	96	88	72	57
Sat	54	55	57	63	71	89	91	100	107	104	107	107	101	99	93	75	58
Sun	54	54	54	55	58	73	84	94	98	98	102	92	92	92	86	76	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	85	102	106	100	88	86	85	88	99	110	107	91	78	68	56	54
Tue	53	84	99	108	110	96	82	87	91	109	116	108	91	83	73	58	54
Wed	53	80	95	98	107	93	90	87	89	101	110	109	93	86	76	62	55
Thu	53	77	96	105	100	90	85	88	98	110	117	112	94	81	81	69	55
Fri	53	71	85	94	90	87	86	98	110	114	114	109	99	96	88	72	57
Sat	54	55	57	63	71	89	91	100	107	104	107	107	101	99	93	75	58
Sun	54	54	54	55	58	73	84	94	98	98	102	92	92	92	86	76	58