Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Van Nuys

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 68 minutes via I-5 North, usually 71 at this time.

Only 9% 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 52-mile drive from Santa Ana to Van Nuys (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 108 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 73 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Sundays (82 minutes).

About 47 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 23 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 Van Nuys (Haynes 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 Van Nuys?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 108 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Ana to Van Nuys?

The 52-mile drive usually takes 47 to 108 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 73 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Van Nuys?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 108 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (19 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (18 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

Van Nuys 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 Torrance · Santa Ana to LAX · Santa Ana to Hollywood

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