Best Time to Drive from Thousand Oaks to Santa Ana

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 87 minutes via US-101 South and I-5 South, usually 84 at this time.

Only 17% 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 Thousand Oaks 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	68	75	84	79	75	77	79	84	84	106	140	134	128	103	85	71	65
Tue	64	82	93	84	74	78	80	81	88	114	143	139	132	112	93	74	65
Wed	64	78	93	83	76	75	76	78	84	95	115	122	122	100	88	78	65
Thu	64	81	91	83	75	79	81	85	86	119	143	153	139	111	92	79	66
Fri	64	74	82	79	78	77	81	94	107	142	150	152	137	118	92	78	66
Sat	64	65	67	72	74	78	83	85	92	94	96	91	90	84	80	78	67
Sun	64	64	65	66	69	74	78	81	83	87	95	95	95	87	82	79	67

About this drive

On weekdays the 71-mile drive from Thousand Oaks to Santa Ana (via US-101 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 64 minutes and up to 154 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 91 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (100 minutes).

About 68 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Thousand Oaks to central Santa Ana (Main Street) 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 Thousand Oaks to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 64 minutes then, versus up to 154 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Thousand Oaks to Santa Ana?

The 71-mile drive usually takes 64 to 154 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 91 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Thousand Oaks to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 154 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (41 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles)

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

Thousand Oaks to Santa Ana over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Santa Ana to Thousand Oaks (return trip) · Thousand Oaks to Los Angeles · Thousand Oaks to Santa Monica · Thousand Oaks to Pasadena · Thousand Oaks to Long Beach · Thousand Oaks to West Covina · Thousand Oaks to Burbank · Thousand Oaks to Glendale · Thousand Oaks to Santa Clarita · Thousand Oaks to Van Nuys · Thousand Oaks to Torrance · Thousand Oaks 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	68	75	84	79	75	77	79	84	84	106	140	134	128	103	85	71	65
Tue	64	82	93	84	74	78	80	81	88	114	143	139	132	112	93	74	65
Wed	64	78	93	83	76	75	76	78	84	95	115	122	122	100	88	78	65
Thu	64	81	91	83	75	79	81	85	86	119	143	153	139	111	92	79	66
Fri	64	74	82	79	78	77	81	94	107	142	150	152	137	118	92	78	66
Sat	64	65	67	72	74	78	83	85	92	94	96	91	90	84	80	78	67
Sun	64	64	65	66	69	74	78	81	83	87	95	95	95	87	82	79	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	68	75	84	79	75	77	79	84	84	106	140	134	128	103	85	71	65
Tue	64	82	93	84	74	78	80	81	88	114	143	139	132	112	93	74	65
Wed	64	78	93	83	76	75	76	78	84	95	115	122	122	100	88	78	65
Thu	64	81	91	83	75	79	81	85	86	119	143	153	139	111	92	79	66
Fri	64	74	82	79	78	77	81	94	107	142	150	152	137	118	92	78	66
Sat	64	65	67	72	74	78	83	85	92	94	96	91	90	84	80	78	67
Sun	64	64	65	66	69	74	78	81	83	87	95	95	95	87	82	79	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	68	75	84	79	75	77	79	84	84	106	140	134	128	103	85	71	65
Tue	64	82	93	84	74	78	80	81	88	114	143	139	132	112	93	74	65
Wed	64	78	93	83	76	75	76	78	84	95	115	122	122	100	88	78	65
Thu	64	81	91	83	75	79	81	85	86	119	143	153	139	111	92	79	66
Fri	64	74	82	79	78	77	81	94	107	142	150	152	137	118	92	78	66
Sat	64	65	67	72	74	78	83	85	92	94	96	91	90	84	80	78	67
Sun	64	64	65	66	69	74	78	81	83	87	95	95	95	87	82	79	67