Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Santa Ana
Right now (3:50 pm PST): about 89 minutes via I-5 South and I-10 East, usually 108 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 43 | 52 | 66 | 63 | 49 | 50 | 58 | 55 | 60 | 68 | 93 | 104 | 100 | 85 | 56 | 46 | 42 |
| Tue | 41 | 50 | 76 | 72 | 52 | 50 | 54 | 56 | 60 | 69 | 97 | 114 | 106 | 95 | 68 | 50 | 42 |
| Wed | 41 | 49 | 76 | 70 | 55 | 48 | 52 | 53 | 58 | 68 | 78 | 89 | 83 | 75 | 65 | 51 | 43 |
| Thu | 41 | 48 | 73 | 69 | 53 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 66 | 80 | 101 | 108 | 106 | 94 | 64 | 49 | 45 |
| Fri | 41 | 46 | 62 | 62 | 55 | 53 | 56 | 62 | 72 | 93 | 104 | 106 | 110 | 87 | 63 | 52 | 45 |
| Sat | 42 | 43 | 44 | 47 | 51 | 52 | 58 | 59 | 62 | 66 | 67 | 64 | 60 | 58 | 53 | 51 | 46 |
| Sun | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 53 | 54 | 62 | 62 | 66 | 62 | 60 | 60 | 55 | 56 | 53 | 46 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 46-mile drive from Santa Monica to Santa Ana (via I-5 South and I-10 East) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 114 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 62 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (67 minutes).
About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Santa Monica 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 Monica to Santa Ana?
On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 114 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Santa Ana?
The 46-mile drive usually takes 41 to 114 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 62 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Santa Ana?
Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 114 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles)
Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow
Santa Monica to Santa Ana over Thanksgiving: when to leave →
More drives
Santa Ana to Santa Monica (return trip) · Santa Monica to Los Angeles · Santa Monica to Pasadena · Santa Monica to Long Beach · Santa Monica to West Covina · Santa Monica to Burbank · Santa Monica to Glendale · Santa Monica to Santa Clarita · Santa Monica to Van Nuys · Santa Monica to Torrance · Santa Monica to Culver City · Santa Monica to El Monte