Best Time to Drive from SNA to Whittier

Right now (9:35 pm PST): about 31 minutes via I-5 North and SR-55 North, usually 30 at this time.

None 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 Whittier 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	30	30	34	39	39	34	34	34	35	39	45	46	48	44	35	32	30
Tue	30	31	38	44	39	36	34	35	37	40	47	55	57	50	43	33	31
Wed	30	31	35	40	41	34	34	35	38	40	52	59	61	55	40	33	31
Thu	30	31	37	38	35	35	34	35	36	40	52	62	60	50	42	33	31
Fri	30	31	32	33	33	34	35	36	42	48	58	59	65	57	39	33	31
Sat	30	31	31	31	31	32	33	33	33	34	37	38	41	36	33	33	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	34	33	34	33	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 28-mile drive from SNA to Whittier (via I-5 North and SR-55 North) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (42 minutes).

About 21 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (12 to 32 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 Whittier (Painter 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 Whittier?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 28-mile drive usually takes 30 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from SNA to Whittier?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 66 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (17 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

Whittier 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	30	30	34	39	39	34	34	34	35	39	45	46	48	44	35	32	30
Tue	30	31	38	44	39	36	34	35	37	40	47	55	57	50	43	33	31
Wed	30	31	35	40	41	34	34	35	38	40	52	59	61	55	40	33	31
Thu	30	31	37	38	35	35	34	35	36	40	52	62	60	50	42	33	31
Fri	30	31	32	33	33	34	35	36	42	48	58	59	65	57	39	33	31
Sat	30	31	31	31	31	32	33	33	33	34	37	38	41	36	33	33	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	34	33	34	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	34	39	39	34	34	34	35	39	45	46	48	44	35	32	30
Tue	30	31	38	44	39	36	34	35	37	40	47	55	57	50	43	33	31
Wed	30	31	35	40	41	34	34	35	38	40	52	59	61	55	40	33	31
Thu	30	31	37	38	35	35	34	35	36	40	52	62	60	50	42	33	31
Fri	30	31	32	33	33	34	35	36	42	48	58	59	65	57	39	33	31
Sat	30	31	31	31	31	32	33	33	33	34	37	38	41	36	33	33	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	34	33	34	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	34	39	39	34	34	34	35	39	45	46	48	44	35	32	30
Tue	30	31	38	44	39	36	34	35	37	40	47	55	57	50	43	33	31
Wed	30	31	35	40	41	34	34	35	38	40	52	59	61	55	40	33	31
Thu	30	31	37	38	35	35	34	35	36	40	52	62	60	50	42	33	31
Fri	30	31	32	33	33	34	35	36	42	48	58	59	65	57	39	33	31
Sat	30	31	31	31	31	32	33	33	33	34	37	38	41	36	33	33	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	34	33	34	33	31