Best Time to Drive from SNA to Santa Clarita

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 93 minutes via I-5 North, usually 93 at this time.

Only 29% 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 Santa Clarita 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	66	86	94	98	98	91	89	89	90	99	106	111	99	92	75	70	66
Tue	65	85	93	104	102	96	90	88	90	97	110	118	102	93	81	70	67
Wed	65	83	90	96	102	94	90	87	91	97	111	120	109	104	88	74	67
Thu	67	83	92	97	97	89	91	88	90	99	114	121	107	94	92	76	68
Fri	65	82	86	93	91	89	88	94	98	101	111	109	106	95	86	77	67
Sat	65	68	69	72	82	88	93	89	93	93	94	95	92	92	90	78	69
Sun	66	66	66	66	69	76	83	87	90	92	98	89	90	91	89	81	69

About this drive

On weekdays the 72-mile drive from SNA to Santa Clarita (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 65 minutes and up to 121 minutes, when leaving around 4 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 92 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Sundays (98 minutes).

About 67 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 11 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 Santa Clarita (Newhall 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 SNA to Santa Clarita?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 65 minutes then, versus up to 121 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from SNA to Santa Clarita?

The 72-mile drive usually takes 65 to 121 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 92 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from SNA to Santa Clarita?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 121 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (40 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (22 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

More drives

Santa Clarita 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 Van Nuys · SNA to Torrance · SNA to LAX · SNA to Hollywood

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	86	94	98	98	91	89	89	90	99	106	111	99	92	75	70	66
Tue	65	85	93	104	102	96	90	88	90	97	110	118	102	93	81	70	67
Wed	65	83	90	96	102	94	90	87	91	97	111	120	109	104	88	74	67
Thu	67	83	92	97	97	89	91	88	90	99	114	121	107	94	92	76	68
Fri	65	82	86	93	91	89	88	94	98	101	111	109	106	95	86	77	67
Sat	65	68	69	72	82	88	93	89	93	93	94	95	92	92	90	78	69
Sun	66	66	66	66	69	76	83	87	90	92	98	89	90	91	89	81	69

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	86	94	98	98	91	89	89	90	99	106	111	99	92	75	70	66
Tue	65	85	93	104	102	96	90	88	90	97	110	118	102	93	81	70	67
Wed	65	83	90	96	102	94	90	87	91	97	111	120	109	104	88	74	67
Thu	67	83	92	97	97	89	91	88	90	99	114	121	107	94	92	76	68
Fri	65	82	86	93	91	89	88	94	98	101	111	109	106	95	86	77	67
Sat	65	68	69	72	82	88	93	89	93	93	94	95	92	92	90	78	69
Sun	66	66	66	66	69	76	83	87	90	92	98	89	90	91	89	81	69

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	86	94	98	98	91	89	89	90	99	106	111	99	92	75	70	66
Tue	65	85	93	104	102	96	90	88	90	97	110	118	102	93	81	70	67
Wed	65	83	90	96	102	94	90	87	91	97	111	120	109	104	88	74	67
Thu	67	83	92	97	97	89	91	88	90	99	114	121	107	94	92	76	68
Fri	65	82	86	93	91	89	88	94	98	101	111	109	106	95	86	77	67
Sat	65	68	69	72	82	88	93	89	93	93	94	95	92	92	90	78	69
Sun	66	66	66	66	69	76	83	87	90	92	98	89	90	91	89	81	69