Best Time to Drive from Sherman Oaks to Santa Ana

Right now (7:09 pm PDT): about 68 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 55 at this time.

Only 4% 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 Sherman Oaks 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	44	49	62	59	51	49	51	52	54	56	71	83	76	68	53	46	43
Tue	42	51	66	65	52	50	51	52	52	59	78	87	83	71	59	50	43
Wed	41	50	71	65	54	50	51	52	52	60	69	77	77	67	58	50	43
Thu	42	49	67	65	53	53	55	55	58	62	81	93	83	73	55	49	44
Fri	42	47	60	59	54	51	51	54	59	72	89	83	85	72	57	51	44
Sat	43	44	44	47	49	48	52	52	56	59	67	61	59	52	49	51	44
Sun	43	43	42	44	45	48	49	53	53	55	54	55	53	52	51	52	46

About this drive

On weekdays the 47-mile drive from Sherman Oaks to Santa Ana (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 93 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (67 minutes).

About 45 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Sherman Oaks to central Santa Ana 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 Sherman Oaks to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 93 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Sherman Oaks to Santa Ana?

The 47-mile drive usually takes 41 to 93 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sherman Oaks to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 93 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (18 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (15 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles)

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

More drives

Santa Ana to Sherman Oaks (return trip) · Sherman Oaks to Los Angeles · Sherman Oaks to Long Beach · Sherman Oaks to Anaheim · Sherman Oaks to Riverside

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	49	62	59	51	49	51	52	54	56	71	83	76	68	53	46	43
Tue	42	51	66	65	52	50	51	52	52	59	78	87	83	71	59	50	43
Wed	41	50	71	65	54	50	51	52	52	60	69	77	77	67	58	50	43
Thu	42	49	67	65	53	53	55	55	58	62	81	93	83	73	55	49	44
Fri	42	47	60	59	54	51	51	54	59	72	89	83	85	72	57	51	44
Sat	43	44	44	47	49	48	52	52	56	59	67	61	59	52	49	51	44
Sun	43	43	42	44	45	48	49	53	53	55	54	55	53	52	51	52	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	49	62	59	51	49	51	52	54	56	71	83	76	68	53	46	43
Tue	42	51	66	65	52	50	51	52	52	59	78	87	83	71	59	50	43
Wed	41	50	71	65	54	50	51	52	52	60	69	77	77	67	58	50	43
Thu	42	49	67	65	53	53	55	55	58	62	81	93	83	73	55	49	44
Fri	42	47	60	59	54	51	51	54	59	72	89	83	85	72	57	51	44
Sat	43	44	44	47	49	48	52	52	56	59	67	61	59	52	49	51	44
Sun	43	43	42	44	45	48	49	53	53	55	54	55	53	52	51	52	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	49	62	59	51	49	51	52	54	56	71	83	76	68	53	46	43
Tue	42	51	66	65	52	50	51	52	52	59	78	87	83	71	59	50	43
Wed	41	50	71	65	54	50	51	52	52	60	69	77	77	67	58	50	43
Thu	42	49	67	65	53	53	55	55	58	62	81	93	83	73	55	49	44
Fri	42	47	60	59	54	51	51	54	59	72	89	83	85	72	57	51	44
Sat	43	44	44	47	49	48	52	52	56	59	67	61	59	52	49	51	44
Sun	43	43	42	44	45	48	49	53	53	55	54	55	53	52	51	52	46