Best Time to Drive from Simi Valley to Santa Ana

Right now (7:48 pm PDT): about 72 minutes via I-5 South and SR-118 East, usually 69 at this time.

Only 8% 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 Simi Valley 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	70	86	95	91	87	91	89	90	87	103	117	117	108	95	76	69	67
Tue	65	93	104	102	104	90	87	86	89	110	125	128	115	101	83	71	66
Wed	65	91	107	105	109	89	86	85	91	104	110	112	107	98	83	75	67
Thu	66	93	104	103	105	93	90	95	94	119	125	127	122	103	80	76	67
Fri	66	86	95	97	90	87	86	97	113	124	123	122	121	99	85	79	70
Sat	67	69	71	78	83	84	86	87	93	98	98	92	91	86	83	79	68
Sun	66	66	67	67	70	76	82	87	89	90	88	87	85	87	82	80	69

About this drive

On weekdays the 73-mile drive from Simi Valley to Santa Ana (via I-5 South and SR-118 East) usually takes as little as 65 minutes and up to 131 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 95 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (99 minutes).

About 70 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 central Simi Valley (3rd Street) 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 Simi Valley to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 65 minutes then, versus up to 131 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Simi Valley to Santa Ana?

The 73-mile drive usually takes 65 to 131 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 95 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Simi Valley to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 131 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (31 miles) · SR-118 East in Los Angeles (21 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles)

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

More drives

Santa Ana to Simi Valley (return trip) · Simi Valley to Los Angeles · Simi Valley to Santa Monica · Simi Valley to Pasadena · Simi Valley to Long Beach · Simi Valley to West Covina · Simi Valley to Burbank · Simi Valley to Glendale · Simi Valley to Santa Clarita · Simi Valley to Van Nuys · Simi Valley to Torrance · Simi Valley to LAX

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	86	95	91	87	91	89	90	87	103	117	117	108	95	76	69	67
Tue	65	93	104	102	104	90	87	86	89	110	125	128	115	101	83	71	66
Wed	65	91	107	105	109	89	86	85	91	104	110	112	107	98	83	75	67
Thu	66	93	104	103	105	93	90	95	94	119	125	127	122	103	80	76	67
Fri	66	86	95	97	90	87	86	97	113	124	123	122	121	99	85	79	70
Sat	67	69	71	78	83	84	86	87	93	98	98	92	91	86	83	79	68
Sun	66	66	67	67	70	76	82	87	89	90	88	87	85	87	82	80	69

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	86	95	91	87	91	89	90	87	103	117	117	108	95	76	69	67
Tue	65	93	104	102	104	90	87	86	89	110	125	128	115	101	83	71	66
Wed	65	91	107	105	109	89	86	85	91	104	110	112	107	98	83	75	67
Thu	66	93	104	103	105	93	90	95	94	119	125	127	122	103	80	76	67
Fri	66	86	95	97	90	87	86	97	113	124	123	122	121	99	85	79	70
Sat	67	69	71	78	83	84	86	87	93	98	98	92	91	86	83	79	68
Sun	66	66	67	67	70	76	82	87	89	90	88	87	85	87	82	80	69

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	86	95	91	87	91	89	90	87	103	117	117	108	95	76	69	67
Tue	65	93	104	102	104	90	87	86	89	110	125	128	115	101	83	71	66
Wed	65	91	107	105	109	89	86	85	91	104	110	112	107	98	83	75	67
Thu	66	93	104	103	105	93	90	95	94	119	125	127	122	103	80	76	67
Fri	66	86	95	97	90	87	86	97	113	124	123	122	121	99	85	79	70
Sat	67	69	71	78	83	84	86	87	93	98	98	92	91	86	83	79	68
Sun	66	66	67	67	70	76	82	87	89	90	88	87	85	87	82	80	69