Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Riverside

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 42 minutes via SR-91 East, usually 42 at this time.

Only 27% 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 Riverside 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	36	37	43	44	42	41	41	42	46	46	53	56	58	50	43	41	37
Tue	36	38	46	47	44	41	42	42	43	49	57	61	61	53	45	42	38
Wed	37	39	46	48	45	42	41	43	44	48	53	59	58	52	46	42	38
Thu	37	39	46	46	44	42	42	42	45	48	56	61	62	53	47	42	38
Fri	36	38	42	44	41	42	42	45	50	56	65	64	62	54	46	42	38
Sat	37	37	38	39	40	40	41	41	41	42	44	45	44	44	41	41	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	39	39	40	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	39	41	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Santa Ana to Riverside (via SR-91 East) usually takes as little as 36 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 8 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 Riverside 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 Riverside?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 36 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 36 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Riverside?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 66 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 East in Orange County (27 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (7 miles) · SR-91 East in Inland Empire (3 miles)

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

More drives

Riverside 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	36	37	43	44	42	41	41	42	46	46	53	56	58	50	43	41	37
Tue	36	38	46	47	44	41	42	42	43	49	57	61	61	53	45	42	38
Wed	37	39	46	48	45	42	41	43	44	48	53	59	58	52	46	42	38
Thu	37	39	46	46	44	42	42	42	45	48	56	61	62	53	47	42	38
Fri	36	38	42	44	41	42	42	45	50	56	65	64	62	54	46	42	38
Sat	37	37	38	39	40	40	41	41	41	42	44	45	44	44	41	41	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	39	39	40	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	39	41	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	37	43	44	42	41	41	42	46	46	53	56	58	50	43	41	37
Tue	36	38	46	47	44	41	42	42	43	49	57	61	61	53	45	42	38
Wed	37	39	46	48	45	42	41	43	44	48	53	59	58	52	46	42	38
Thu	37	39	46	46	44	42	42	42	45	48	56	61	62	53	47	42	38
Fri	36	38	42	44	41	42	42	45	50	56	65	64	62	54	46	42	38
Sat	37	37	38	39	40	40	41	41	41	42	44	45	44	44	41	41	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	39	39	40	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	39	41	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	37	43	44	42	41	41	42	46	46	53	56	58	50	43	41	37
Tue	36	38	46	47	44	41	42	42	43	49	57	61	61	53	45	42	38
Wed	37	39	46	48	45	42	41	43	44	48	53	59	58	52	46	42	38
Thu	37	39	46	46	44	42	42	42	45	48	56	61	62	53	47	42	38
Fri	36	38	42	44	41	42	42	45	50	56	65	64	62	54	46	42	38
Sat	37	37	38	39	40	40	41	41	41	42	44	45	44	44	41	41	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	39	39	40	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	39	41	38