Best Time to Drive from Thousand Oaks to Santa Ana

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 84 minutes via US-101 South and I-5 South, usually 80 at this time.

Only 4% 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	69	74	84	79	75	78	80	87	86	113	138	132	126	104	85	71	65
Tue	65	80	91	82	75	77	81	82	87	116	140	135	128	109	92	74	65
Wed	64	80	94	84	76	75	77	80	87	102	119	129	130	105	89	78	65
Thu	65	82	92	83	77	80	83	87	87	126	150	153	139	111	92	80	66
Fri	65	74	86	81	80	79	82	95	110	147	151	152	141	117	91	77	67
Sat	64	65	67	72	74	77	85	85	98	100	104	92	90	82	79	77	66
Sun	64	64	64	66	69	72	77	80	82	85	94	92	90	83	79	77	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 159 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 94 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (104 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 159 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 159 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 94 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Thousand Oaks to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 159 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

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	69	74	84	79	75	78	80	87	86	113	138	132	126	104	85	71	65
Tue	65	80	91	82	75	77	81	82	87	116	140	135	128	109	92	74	65
Wed	64	80	94	84	76	75	77	80	87	102	119	129	130	105	89	78	65
Thu	65	82	92	83	77	80	83	87	87	126	150	153	139	111	92	80	66
Fri	65	74	86	81	80	79	82	95	110	147	151	152	141	117	91	77	67
Sat	64	65	67	72	74	77	85	85	98	100	104	92	90	82	79	77	66
Sun	64	64	64	66	69	72	77	80	82	85	94	92	90	83	79	77	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	69	74	84	79	75	78	80	87	86	113	138	132	126	104	85	71	65
Tue	65	80	91	82	75	77	81	82	87	116	140	135	128	109	92	74	65
Wed	64	80	94	84	76	75	77	80	87	102	119	129	130	105	89	78	65
Thu	65	82	92	83	77	80	83	87	87	126	150	153	139	111	92	80	66
Fri	65	74	86	81	80	79	82	95	110	147	151	152	141	117	91	77	67
Sat	64	65	67	72	74	77	85	85	98	100	104	92	90	82	79	77	66
Sun	64	64	64	66	69	72	77	80	82	85	94	92	90	83	79	77	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	69	74	84	79	75	78	80	87	86	113	138	132	126	104	85	71	65
Tue	65	80	91	82	75	77	81	82	87	116	140	135	128	109	92	74	65
Wed	64	80	94	84	76	75	77	80	87	102	119	129	130	105	89	78	65
Thu	65	82	92	83	77	80	83	87	87	126	150	153	139	111	92	80	66
Fri	65	74	86	81	80	79	82	95	110	147	151	152	141	117	91	77	67
Sat	64	65	67	72	74	77	85	85	98	100	104	92	90	82	79	77	66
Sun	64	64	64	66	69	72	77	80	82	85	94	92	90	83	79	77	67