Best Time to Drive from Simi Valley to SNA

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 94 minutes via I-5 South and SR-118 East, usually 101 at this time.

Only 6% 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 SNA 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	75	96	106	103	95	97	95	96	93	109	123	124	115	101	82	75	72
Tue	71	106	118	115	114	98	92	92	97	115	134	136	123	108	89	77	71
Wed	71	98	117	116	117	95	91	90	95	104	113	116	106	99	87	80	72
Thu	72	102	115	110	112	100	96	100	99	122	130	133	126	109	86	81	72
Fri	71	94	103	101	95	92	93	102	118	129	128	129	127	105	91	83	74
Sat	72	74	77	82	86	90	91	94	97	101	100	96	97	92	89	84	74
Sun	71	71	72	73	76	82	89	93	95	96	95	94	93	94	89	85	74

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Simi Valley to SNA (via I-5 South and SR-118 East) usually takes as little as 71 minutes and up to 140 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 101 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (102 minutes).

About 78 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 6 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 John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA) (Paularino Avenue) 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 SNA?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 71 minutes then, versus up to 140 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Simi Valley to SNA?

The 80-mile drive usually takes 71 to 140 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 101 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Simi Valley to SNA?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 140 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (31 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (22 miles) · SR-118 East in Los Angeles (21 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (4 miles)

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

Simi Valley to SNA over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

SNA 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	75	96	106	103	95	97	95	96	93	109	123	124	115	101	82	75	72
Tue	71	106	118	115	114	98	92	92	97	115	134	136	123	108	89	77	71
Wed	71	98	117	116	117	95	91	90	95	104	113	116	106	99	87	80	72
Thu	72	102	115	110	112	100	96	100	99	122	130	133	126	109	86	81	72
Fri	71	94	103	101	95	92	93	102	118	129	128	129	127	105	91	83	74
Sat	72	74	77	82	86	90	91	94	97	101	100	96	97	92	89	84	74
Sun	71	71	72	73	76	82	89	93	95	96	95	94	93	94	89	85	74

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	75	96	106	103	95	97	95	96	93	109	123	124	115	101	82	75	72
Tue	71	106	118	115	114	98	92	92	97	115	134	136	123	108	89	77	71
Wed	71	98	117	116	117	95	91	90	95	104	113	116	106	99	87	80	72
Thu	72	102	115	110	112	100	96	100	99	122	130	133	126	109	86	81	72
Fri	71	94	103	101	95	92	93	102	118	129	128	129	127	105	91	83	74
Sat	72	74	77	82	86	90	91	94	97	101	100	96	97	92	89	84	74
Sun	71	71	72	73	76	82	89	93	95	96	95	94	93	94	89	85	74

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	75	96	106	103	95	97	95	96	93	109	123	124	115	101	82	75	72
Tue	71	106	118	115	114	98	92	92	97	115	134	136	123	108	89	77	71
Wed	71	98	117	116	117	95	91	90	95	104	113	116	106	99	87	80	72
Thu	72	102	115	110	112	100	96	100	99	122	130	133	126	109	86	81	72
Fri	71	94	103	101	95	92	93	102	118	129	128	129	127	105	91	83	74
Sat	72	74	77	82	86	90	91	94	97	101	100	96	97	92	89	84	74
Sun	71	71	72	73	76	82	89	93	95	96	95	94	93	94	89	85	74