Best Time to Drive from Van Nuys to Santa Ana

Right now (3:35 pm PST): about 84 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 102 at this time.

Only 23% 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 Van Nuys 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	49	55	69	66	56	55	59	60	64	67	89	100	95	81	61	52	48
Tue	47	56	77	75	58	56	57	58	61	73	97	112	103	88	70	55	47
Wed	46	54	78	74	61	55	57	57	59	68	75	87	80	72	65	56	48
Thu	46	54	76	73	59	59	62	63	67	78	98	110	103	89	64	55	49
Fri	47	52	66	66	59	57	59	62	71	91	106	103	107	86	67	59	48
Sat	48	48	49	52	55	57	60	62	65	69	73	70	71	63	58	57	50
Sun	47	47	47	48	50	54	57	63	63	66	63	63	62	60	60	60	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 49-mile drive from Van Nuys to Santa Ana (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 112 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 64 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (73 minutes).

About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (9 to 18 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Van Nuys (Haynes Street) 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 Van Nuys to Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 46 minutes then, versus up to 112 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Van Nuys to Santa Ana?

The 49-mile drive usually takes 46 to 112 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 64 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Van Nuys to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 112 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles) · SR-170 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)

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

Van Nuys to Santa Ana over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Santa Ana to Van Nuys (return trip) · Van Nuys to Los Angeles · Van Nuys to Santa Monica · Van Nuys to Pasadena · Van Nuys to Long Beach · Van Nuys to West Covina · Van Nuys to Glendale · Van Nuys to Santa Clarita · Van Nuys to Torrance · Van Nuys to LAX · Van Nuys to Culver City · Van Nuys to El Monte

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	55	69	66	56	55	59	60	64	67	89	100	95	81	61	52	48
Tue	47	56	77	75	58	56	57	58	61	73	97	112	103	88	70	55	47
Wed	46	54	78	74	61	55	57	57	59	68	75	87	80	72	65	56	48
Thu	46	54	76	73	59	59	62	63	67	78	98	110	103	89	64	55	49
Fri	47	52	66	66	59	57	59	62	71	91	106	103	107	86	67	59	48
Sat	48	48	49	52	55	57	60	62	65	69	73	70	71	63	58	57	50
Sun	47	47	47	48	50	54	57	63	63	66	63	63	62	60	60	60	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	55	69	66	56	55	59	60	64	67	89	100	95	81	61	52	48
Tue	47	56	77	75	58	56	57	58	61	73	97	112	103	88	70	55	47
Wed	46	54	78	74	61	55	57	57	59	68	75	87	80	72	65	56	48
Thu	46	54	76	73	59	59	62	63	67	78	98	110	103	89	64	55	49
Fri	47	52	66	66	59	57	59	62	71	91	106	103	107	86	67	59	48
Sat	48	48	49	52	55	57	60	62	65	69	73	70	71	63	58	57	50
Sun	47	47	47	48	50	54	57	63	63	66	63	63	62	60	60	60	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	55	69	66	56	55	59	60	64	67	89	100	95	81	61	52	48
Tue	47	56	77	75	58	56	57	58	61	73	97	112	103	88	70	55	47
Wed	46	54	78	74	61	55	57	57	59	68	75	87	80	72	65	56	48
Thu	46	54	76	73	59	59	62	63	67	78	98	110	103	89	64	55	49
Fri	47	52	66	66	59	57	59	62	71	91	106	103	107	86	67	59	48
Sat	48	48	49	52	55	57	60	62	65	69	73	70	71	63	58	57	50
Sun	47	47	47	48	50	54	57	63	63	66	63	63	62	60	60	60	51