Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to South Gate

Right now (7:17 pm PDT): about 34 minutes via I-5 North, usually 32 at this time.

Only 45% 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 South Gate 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	31	32	36	38	39	34	33	33	34	34	39	38	39	38	33	32	31
Tue	31	32	37	40	37	34	34	35	34	34	37	42	45	39	35	32	31
Wed	31	32	37	38	39	35	35	36	35	34	39	43	45	41	35	33	31
Thu	31	32	37	37	36	36	35	34	35	35	39	46	45	40	36	33	31
Fri	31	32	34	35	35	34	34	34	36	38	45	44	48	46	36	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	38	34	33	33	31
Sun	31	32	32	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	33	33	34	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Santa Ana to South Gate (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 48 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

About 21 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (13 to 19 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 South Gate 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 South Gate?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 48 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Ana to South Gate?

The 29-mile drive usually takes 31 to 48 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to South Gate?

Leaving around 5 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 48 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (20 miles)

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

More drives

South Gate 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	31	32	36	38	39	34	33	33	34	34	39	38	39	38	33	32	31
Tue	31	32	37	40	37	34	34	35	34	34	37	42	45	39	35	32	31
Wed	31	32	37	38	39	35	35	36	35	34	39	43	45	41	35	33	31
Thu	31	32	37	37	36	36	35	34	35	35	39	46	45	40	36	33	31
Fri	31	32	34	35	35	34	34	34	36	38	45	44	48	46	36	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	38	34	33	33	31
Sun	31	32	32	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	33	33	34	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	36	38	39	34	33	33	34	34	39	38	39	38	33	32	31
Tue	31	32	37	40	37	34	34	35	34	34	37	42	45	39	35	32	31
Wed	31	32	37	38	39	35	35	36	35	34	39	43	45	41	35	33	31
Thu	31	32	37	37	36	36	35	34	35	35	39	46	45	40	36	33	31
Fri	31	32	34	35	35	34	34	34	36	38	45	44	48	46	36	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	38	34	33	33	31
Sun	31	32	32	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	33	33	34	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	36	38	39	34	33	33	34	34	39	38	39	38	33	32	31
Tue	31	32	37	40	37	34	34	35	34	34	37	42	45	39	35	32	31
Wed	31	32	37	38	39	35	35	36	35	34	39	43	45	41	35	33	31
Thu	31	32	37	37	36	36	35	34	35	35	39	46	45	40	36	33	31
Fri	31	32	34	35	35	34	34	34	36	38	45	44	48	46	36	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	38	34	33	33	31
Sun	31	32	32	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	33	33	34	32