Best Time to Drive from SNA to Hollywood

Right now (5:50 pm PST): about 77 minutes via I-5 North, usually 64 at this time.

Only 35% 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 SNA to Hollywood 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	41	50	55	61	55	49	49	49	49	53	57	60	61	58	47	43	41
Tue	41	52	60	64	55	52	49	49	51	55	60	63	66	64	54	44	42
Wed	41	49	56	60	54	50	49	49	51	54	61	66	67	65	52	45	42
Thu	41	50	57	61	53	52	50	49	50	54	64	70	67	63	54	46	42
Fri	41	49	49	51	50	50	51	53	56	64	70	71	71	64	52	46	42
Sat	41	42	44	44	46	48	51	52	51	50	53	55	54	50	48	46	43
Sun	41	42	41	42	43	45	48	49	48	49	49	48	49	51	50	48	43

About this drive

On weekdays the 45-mile drive from SNA to Hollywood (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 75 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 51 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (59 minutes).

About 42 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA) (Paularino Avenue) to central Hollywood (North Cahuenga Boulevard) 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 SNA to Hollywood?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 75 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from SNA to Hollywood?

The 45-mile drive usually takes 41 to 75 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 51 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from SNA to Hollywood?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 75 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (5 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (5 miles)

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

SNA to Hollywood over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Hollywood to SNA (return trip) · SNA to Los Angeles · SNA to Santa Monica · SNA to Pasadena · SNA to Long Beach · SNA to West Covina · SNA to Burbank · SNA to Glendale · SNA to Santa Clarita · SNA to Van Nuys · SNA to Torrance · SNA 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	41	50	55	61	55	49	49	49	49	53	57	60	61	58	47	43	41
Tue	41	52	60	64	55	52	49	49	51	55	60	63	66	64	54	44	42
Wed	41	49	56	60	54	50	49	49	51	54	61	66	67	65	52	45	42
Thu	41	50	57	61	53	52	50	49	50	54	64	70	67	63	54	46	42
Fri	41	49	49	51	50	50	51	53	56	64	70	71	71	64	52	46	42
Sat	41	42	44	44	46	48	51	52	51	50	53	55	54	50	48	46	43
Sun	41	42	41	42	43	45	48	49	48	49	49	48	49	51	50	48	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	50	55	61	55	49	49	49	49	53	57	60	61	58	47	43	41
Tue	41	52	60	64	55	52	49	49	51	55	60	63	66	64	54	44	42
Wed	41	49	56	60	54	50	49	49	51	54	61	66	67	65	52	45	42
Thu	41	50	57	61	53	52	50	49	50	54	64	70	67	63	54	46	42
Fri	41	49	49	51	50	50	51	53	56	64	70	71	71	64	52	46	42
Sat	41	42	44	44	46	48	51	52	51	50	53	55	54	50	48	46	43
Sun	41	42	41	42	43	45	48	49	48	49	49	48	49	51	50	48	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	50	55	61	55	49	49	49	49	53	57	60	61	58	47	43	41
Tue	41	52	60	64	55	52	49	49	51	55	60	63	66	64	54	44	42
Wed	41	49	56	60	54	50	49	49	51	54	61	66	67	65	52	45	42
Thu	41	50	57	61	53	52	50	49	50	54	64	70	67	63	54	46	42
Fri	41	49	49	51	50	50	51	53	56	64	70	71	71	64	52	46	42
Sat	41	42	44	44	46	48	51	52	51	50	53	55	54	50	48	46	43
Sun	41	42	41	42	43	45	48	49	48	49	49	48	49	51	50	48	43