Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Sherman Oaks

Right now (7:36 pm PST): about 57 minutes via I-5 North, usually 57 at this time.

Only 32% 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 Sherman Oaks 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	44	65	81	85	83	72	70	69	71	79	88	89	78	67	57	47	45
Tue	44	66	79	89	86	77	66	69	71	85	92	90	78	70	61	49	45
Wed	44	63	76	80	86	75	72	69	71	80	89	90	80	72	64	52	46
Thu	44	62	78	84	82	73	69	71	76	86	94	93	80	69	67	59	46
Fri	44	58	68	76	73	70	69	78	86	92	93	90	83	79	72	61	47
Sat	45	46	47	52	57	71	73	77	84	82	83	85	80	79	76	64	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	58	66	73	77	79	81	74	74	74	70	63	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from Santa Ana to Sherman Oaks (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 94 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 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 74 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (86 minutes).

About 48 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 7 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 Sherman Oaks 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 Sherman Oaks?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 94 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Ana to Sherman Oaks?

The 51-mile drive usually takes 44 to 94 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 74 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Sherman Oaks?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 94 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (20 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (19 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (6 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (3 miles)

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

More drives

Sherman Oaks 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	44	65	81	85	83	72	70	69	71	79	88	89	78	67	57	47	45
Tue	44	66	79	89	86	77	66	69	71	85	92	90	78	70	61	49	45
Wed	44	63	76	80	86	75	72	69	71	80	89	90	80	72	64	52	46
Thu	44	62	78	84	82	73	69	71	76	86	94	93	80	69	67	59	46
Fri	44	58	68	76	73	70	69	78	86	92	93	90	83	79	72	61	47
Sat	45	46	47	52	57	71	73	77	84	82	83	85	80	79	76	64	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	58	66	73	77	79	81	74	74	74	70	63	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	65	81	85	83	72	70	69	71	79	88	89	78	67	57	47	45
Tue	44	66	79	89	86	77	66	69	71	85	92	90	78	70	61	49	45
Wed	44	63	76	80	86	75	72	69	71	80	89	90	80	72	64	52	46
Thu	44	62	78	84	82	73	69	71	76	86	94	93	80	69	67	59	46
Fri	44	58	68	76	73	70	69	78	86	92	93	90	83	79	72	61	47
Sat	45	46	47	52	57	71	73	77	84	82	83	85	80	79	76	64	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	58	66	73	77	79	81	74	74	74	70	63	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	65	81	85	83	72	70	69	71	79	88	89	78	67	57	47	45
Tue	44	66	79	89	86	77	66	69	71	85	92	90	78	70	61	49	45
Wed	44	63	76	80	86	75	72	69	71	80	89	90	80	72	64	52	46
Thu	44	62	78	84	82	73	69	71	76	86	94	93	80	69	67	59	46
Fri	44	58	68	76	73	70	69	78	86	92	93	90	83	79	72	61	47
Sat	45	46	47	52	57	71	73	77	84	82	83	85	80	79	76	64	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	58	66	73	77	79	81	74	74	74	70	63	49