Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Santa Ana

Right now (3:03 pm PDT): about 86 minutes via I-5 South and I-10 East, usually 105 at this time.

Only 24% 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 Monica 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	43	50	64	64	50	50	57	54	60	68	93	104	99	84	56	46	42
Tue	41	50	74	70	52	50	54	57	60	67	99	112	103	93	65	51	42
Wed	41	49	78	71	55	48	52	56	59	76	88	97	93	86	67	52	42
Thu	41	48	74	69	54	54	60	64	68	81	102	111	107	94	63	49	45
Fri	42	46	64	64	57	54	56	61	73	94	105	105	108	87	61	52	45
Sat	42	43	44	48	51	51	59	58	62	68	71	68	60	56	51	53	45
Sun	42	42	42	43	43	52	51	60	61	66	62	60	58	53	55	52	45

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 112 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 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (71 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 112 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 112 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 112 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

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	50	64	64	50	50	57	54	60	68	93	104	99	84	56	46	42
Tue	41	50	74	70	52	50	54	57	60	67	99	112	103	93	65	51	42
Wed	41	49	78	71	55	48	52	56	59	76	88	97	93	86	67	52	42
Thu	41	48	74	69	54	54	60	64	68	81	102	111	107	94	63	49	45
Fri	42	46	64	64	57	54	56	61	73	94	105	105	108	87	61	52	45
Sat	42	43	44	48	51	51	59	58	62	68	71	68	60	56	51	53	45
Sun	42	42	42	43	43	52	51	60	61	66	62	60	58	53	55	52	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	50	64	64	50	50	57	54	60	68	93	104	99	84	56	46	42
Tue	41	50	74	70	52	50	54	57	60	67	99	112	103	93	65	51	42
Wed	41	49	78	71	55	48	52	56	59	76	88	97	93	86	67	52	42
Thu	41	48	74	69	54	54	60	64	68	81	102	111	107	94	63	49	45
Fri	42	46	64	64	57	54	56	61	73	94	105	105	108	87	61	52	45
Sat	42	43	44	48	51	51	59	58	62	68	71	68	60	56	51	53	45
Sun	42	42	42	43	43	52	51	60	61	66	62	60	58	53	55	52	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	50	64	64	50	50	57	54	60	68	93	104	99	84	56	46	42
Tue	41	50	74	70	52	50	54	57	60	67	99	112	103	93	65	51	42
Wed	41	49	78	71	55	48	52	56	59	76	88	97	93	86	67	52	42
Thu	41	48	74	69	54	54	60	64	68	81	102	111	107	94	63	49	45
Fri	42	46	64	64	57	54	56	61	73	94	105	105	108	87	61	52	45
Sat	42	43	44	48	51	51	59	58	62	68	71	68	60	56	51	53	45
Sun	42	42	42	43	43	52	51	60	61	66	62	60	58	53	55	52	45