Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Simi Valley

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 87 minutes via I-5 North and SR-118 West, usually 92 at this time.

Only 5% 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 Simi 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	67	83	95	100	100	93	90	89	91	92	100	108	99	88	79	71	68
Tue	67	85	93	101	101	95	87	87	88	91	100	113	102	91	82	72	68
Wed	66	81	89	95	100	93	91	87	87	89	107	116	106	95	84	74	68
Thu	67	82	91	96	99	92	90	89	90	92	106	118	109	94	86	78	69
Fri	67	81	87	93	92	89	89	89	92	95	104	102	100	96	88	79	69
Sat	67	68	70	72	78	85	87	86	91	90	91	91	91	92	92	80	71
Sun	68	68	67	68	69	75	82	87	88	91	94	92	93	95	90	81	71

About this drive

On weekdays the 74-mile drive from Santa Ana to Simi Valley (via I-5 North and SR-118 West) usually takes as little as 66 minutes and up to 118 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 89 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (95 minutes).

About 70 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 central Simi Valley (3rd 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 Simi Valley?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 66 minutes then, versus up to 118 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 74-mile drive usually takes 66 to 118 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 89 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Simi Valley?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 118 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (31 miles) · SR-118 West in Los Angeles (20 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (19 miles)

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

Santa Ana to Simi Valley over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Simi 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	67	83	95	100	100	93	90	89	91	92	100	108	99	88	79	71	68
Tue	67	85	93	101	101	95	87	87	88	91	100	113	102	91	82	72	68
Wed	66	81	89	95	100	93	91	87	87	89	107	116	106	95	84	74	68
Thu	67	82	91	96	99	92	90	89	90	92	106	118	109	94	86	78	69
Fri	67	81	87	93	92	89	89	89	92	95	104	102	100	96	88	79	69
Sat	67	68	70	72	78	85	87	86	91	90	91	91	91	92	92	80	71
Sun	68	68	67	68	69	75	82	87	88	91	94	92	93	95	90	81	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	83	95	100	100	93	90	89	91	92	100	108	99	88	79	71	68
Tue	67	85	93	101	101	95	87	87	88	91	100	113	102	91	82	72	68
Wed	66	81	89	95	100	93	91	87	87	89	107	116	106	95	84	74	68
Thu	67	82	91	96	99	92	90	89	90	92	106	118	109	94	86	78	69
Fri	67	81	87	93	92	89	89	89	92	95	104	102	100	96	88	79	69
Sat	67	68	70	72	78	85	87	86	91	90	91	91	91	92	92	80	71
Sun	68	68	67	68	69	75	82	87	88	91	94	92	93	95	90	81	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	83	95	100	100	93	90	89	91	92	100	108	99	88	79	71	68
Tue	67	85	93	101	101	95	87	87	88	91	100	113	102	91	82	72	68
Wed	66	81	89	95	100	93	91	87	87	89	107	116	106	95	84	74	68
Thu	67	82	91	96	99	92	90	89	90	92	106	118	109	94	86	78	69
Fri	67	81	87	93	92	89	89	89	92	95	104	102	100	96	88	79	69
Sat	67	68	70	72	78	85	87	86	91	90	91	91	91	92	92	80	71
Sun	68	68	67	68	69	75	82	87	88	91	94	92	93	95	90	81	71