Best Time to Drive from Van Nuys to SNA

Right now (9:35 pm PST): about 53 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 53 at this time.

Only 3% 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 55-mile drive from Van Nuys to SNA (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 51 minutes and up to 119 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 70 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (79 minutes).

About 51 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 14 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 John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA) (Paularino 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 Van Nuys to SNA?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 51 minutes then, versus up to 119 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Van Nuys to SNA?

The 55-mile drive usually takes 51 to 119 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 70 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Van Nuys to SNA?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 119 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (22 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (4 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 SNA over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

SNA 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 →