Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Van Nuys

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 66 minutes via I-5 North, usually 78 at this time.

Only 23% 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 Van Nuys 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	48	71	87	91	90	80	79	78	82	96	103	105	91	80	66	51	48
Tue	47	71	84	93	94	85	73	77	83	101	103	105	91	84	69	53	48
Wed	47	67	79	85	93	82	80	76	80	91	102	106	91	86	73	58	49
Thu	47	67	82	87	88	80	76	79	88	102	109	109	94	83	76	66	50
Fri	47	63	74	82	80	78	80	87	102	107	108	106	99	89	80	66	50
Sat	48	49	50	56	63	77	80	87	93	93	92	94	90	88	84	69	52
Sun	49	49	49	49	51	63	73	81	86	92	95	85	86	83	78	68	53

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 109 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 86 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Sundays (95 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 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 109 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 109 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 86 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Van Nuys?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 109 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

Santa Ana to Van Nuys over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	71	87	91	90	80	79	78	82	96	103	105	91	80	66	51	48
Tue	47	71	84	93	94	85	73	77	83	101	103	105	91	84	69	53	48
Wed	47	67	79	85	93	82	80	76	80	91	102	106	91	86	73	58	49
Thu	47	67	82	87	88	80	76	79	88	102	109	109	94	83	76	66	50
Fri	47	63	74	82	80	78	80	87	102	107	108	106	99	89	80	66	50
Sat	48	49	50	56	63	77	80	87	93	93	92	94	90	88	84	69	52
Sun	49	49	49	49	51	63	73	81	86	92	95	85	86	83	78	68	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	71	87	91	90	80	79	78	82	96	103	105	91	80	66	51	48
Tue	47	71	84	93	94	85	73	77	83	101	103	105	91	84	69	53	48
Wed	47	67	79	85	93	82	80	76	80	91	102	106	91	86	73	58	49
Thu	47	67	82	87	88	80	76	79	88	102	109	109	94	83	76	66	50
Fri	47	63	74	82	80	78	80	87	102	107	108	106	99	89	80	66	50
Sat	48	49	50	56	63	77	80	87	93	93	92	94	90	88	84	69	52
Sun	49	49	49	49	51	63	73	81	86	92	95	85	86	83	78	68	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	71	87	91	90	80	79	78	82	96	103	105	91	80	66	51	48
Tue	47	71	84	93	94	85	73	77	83	101	103	105	91	84	69	53	48
Wed	47	67	79	85	93	82	80	76	80	91	102	106	91	86	73	58	49
Thu	47	67	82	87	88	80	76	79	88	102	109	109	94	83	76	66	50
Fri	47	63	74	82	80	78	80	87	102	107	108	106	99	89	80	66	50
Sat	48	49	50	56	63	77	80	87	93	93	92	94	90	88	84	69	52
Sun	49	49	49	49	51	63	73	81	86	92	95	85	86	83	78	68	53