Best Time to Drive from Santa Clarita to Santa Ana

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 76 minutes via I-5 South, usually 80 at this time.

Only 10% 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 Clarita to Santa Ana 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	63	78	97	90	78	78	76	78	80	92	107	110	102	90	71	64	61
Tue	59	90	114	107	88	80	78	78	80	99	115	123	111	98	79	68	61
Wed	59	82	99	92	89	78	77	76	80	95	100	105	100	93	78	69	60
Thu	60	86	112	103	88	82	80	84	85	107	118	123	119	100	74	70	62
Fri	60	76	89	85	81	77	80	86	104	116	117	115	115	93	78	71	65
Sat	61	63	65	68	75	77	83	84	94	97	97	88	86	80	76	72	61
Sun	60	61	61	61	64	69	74	82	86	89	88	85	78	79	74	72	63

About this drive

On weekdays the 64-mile drive from Santa Clarita to Santa Ana (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 59 minutes and up to 123 minutes, when leaving around 4 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 Saturdays (97 minutes).

About 57 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (10 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Clarita (Newhall Avenue) to central Santa Ana (Main 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 Clarita to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 59 minutes then, versus up to 123 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Clarita to Santa Ana?

The 64-mile drive usually takes 59 to 123 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 86 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clarita to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 123 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (37 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles) · SR-14 South in Los Angeles (1.6 miles)

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

More drives

Santa Ana to Santa Clarita (return trip) · Santa Clarita to Los Angeles · Santa Clarita to Santa Monica · Santa Clarita to Pasadena · Santa Clarita to Long Beach · Santa Clarita to West Covina · Santa Clarita to Burbank · Santa Clarita to Glendale · Santa Clarita to Van Nuys · Santa Clarita to Torrance · Santa Clarita to LAX · Santa Clarita 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	63	78	97	90	78	78	76	78	80	92	107	110	102	90	71	64	61
Tue	59	90	114	107	88	80	78	78	80	99	115	123	111	98	79	68	61
Wed	59	82	99	92	89	78	77	76	80	95	100	105	100	93	78	69	60
Thu	60	86	112	103	88	82	80	84	85	107	118	123	119	100	74	70	62
Fri	60	76	89	85	81	77	80	86	104	116	117	115	115	93	78	71	65
Sat	61	63	65	68	75	77	83	84	94	97	97	88	86	80	76	72	61
Sun	60	61	61	61	64	69	74	82	86	89	88	85	78	79	74	72	63

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	63	78	97	90	78	78	76	78	80	92	107	110	102	90	71	64	61
Tue	59	90	114	107	88	80	78	78	80	99	115	123	111	98	79	68	61
Wed	59	82	99	92	89	78	77	76	80	95	100	105	100	93	78	69	60
Thu	60	86	112	103	88	82	80	84	85	107	118	123	119	100	74	70	62
Fri	60	76	89	85	81	77	80	86	104	116	117	115	115	93	78	71	65
Sat	61	63	65	68	75	77	83	84	94	97	97	88	86	80	76	72	61
Sun	60	61	61	61	64	69	74	82	86	89	88	85	78	79	74	72	63

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	63	78	97	90	78	78	76	78	80	92	107	110	102	90	71	64	61
Tue	59	90	114	107	88	80	78	78	80	99	115	123	111	98	79	68	61
Wed	59	82	99	92	89	78	77	76	80	95	100	105	100	93	78	69	60
Thu	60	86	112	103	88	82	80	84	85	107	118	123	119	100	74	70	62
Fri	60	76	89	85	81	77	80	86	104	116	117	115	115	93	78	71	65
Sat	61	63	65	68	75	77	83	84	94	97	97	88	86	80	76	72	61
Sun	60	61	61	61	64	69	74	82	86	89	88	85	78	79	74	72	63