Best Time to Drive from South Gate to Santa Ana

Right now (7:17 pm PDT): about 32 minutes via SR-91 East and I-5 South, usually 33 at this time.

Only 39% 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 South Gate 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	30	31	42	46	39	35	35	36	36	37	40	39	40	37	34	33	30
Tue	29	33	45	49	42	35	34	36	36	37	39	41	42	36	33	32	30
Wed	29	34	47	49	42	36	36	35	35	39	41	42	43	38	33	32	30
Thu	29	33	45	47	43	36	37	37	36	37	39	41	40	37	34	32	30
Fri	29	32	40	39	37	36	35	36	36	40	43	42	40	38	34	32	30
Sat	30	31	31	32	33	32	33	33	34	36	37	37	36	33	32	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	32	33	32	32	33	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 31-mile drive from South Gate to Santa Ana (via SR-91 East and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 49 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 12 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central South Gate to central Santa Ana 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 South Gate to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 49 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from South Gate to Santa Ana?

The 31-mile drive usually takes 29 to 49 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from South Gate to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 49 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (9 miles) · SR-91 East in Orange County (8 miles) · SR-91 East in Los Angeles (5 miles) · I-710 South in Los Angeles (4 miles)

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

More drives

Santa Ana to South Gate (return trip) · South Gate to Los Angeles · South Gate to Long Beach · South Gate to Anaheim · South Gate to Riverside

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	31	42	46	39	35	35	36	36	37	40	39	40	37	34	33	30
Tue	29	33	45	49	42	35	34	36	36	37	39	41	42	36	33	32	30
Wed	29	34	47	49	42	36	36	35	35	39	41	42	43	38	33	32	30
Thu	29	33	45	47	43	36	37	37	36	37	39	41	40	37	34	32	30
Fri	29	32	40	39	37	36	35	36	36	40	43	42	40	38	34	32	30
Sat	30	31	31	32	33	32	33	33	34	36	37	37	36	33	32	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	32	33	32	32	33	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	31	42	46	39	35	35	36	36	37	40	39	40	37	34	33	30
Tue	29	33	45	49	42	35	34	36	36	37	39	41	42	36	33	32	30
Wed	29	34	47	49	42	36	36	35	35	39	41	42	43	38	33	32	30
Thu	29	33	45	47	43	36	37	37	36	37	39	41	40	37	34	32	30
Fri	29	32	40	39	37	36	35	36	36	40	43	42	40	38	34	32	30
Sat	30	31	31	32	33	32	33	33	34	36	37	37	36	33	32	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	32	33	32	32	33	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	31	42	46	39	35	35	36	36	37	40	39	40	37	34	33	30
Tue	29	33	45	49	42	35	34	36	36	37	39	41	42	36	33	32	30
Wed	29	34	47	49	42	36	36	35	35	39	41	42	43	38	33	32	30
Thu	29	33	45	47	43	36	37	37	36	37	39	41	40	37	34	32	30
Fri	29	32	40	39	37	36	35	36	36	40	43	42	40	38	34	32	30
Sat	30	31	31	32	33	32	33	33	34	36	37	37	36	33	32	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	32	33	32	32	33	30