Best Time to Drive from Whittier to SNA

Right now (8:49 pm PDT): about 32 minutes via I-5 South and SR-55 South, usually 31 at this time.

Only 51% 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 Whittier to SNA 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	33	48	53	44	35	35	33	34	34	39	37	38	33	31	31	31
Tue	30	36	58	70	47	40	36	35	35	35	39	44	49	40	33	32	31
Wed	30	36	54	61	48	38	35	35	35	34	40	45	52	41	33	32	31
Thu	30	34	54	58	46	41	35	36	37	35	48	57	56	38	32	31	31
Fri	30	34	41	39	35	34	36	34	38	42	51	49	55	51	38	32	31
Sat	31	31	32	31	32	32	33	33	33	35	36	37	43	34	31	31	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	32	33	33	33	33	32	33	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 28-mile drive from Whittier to SNA (via I-5 South and SR-55 South) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 70 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (43 minutes).

About 21 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (12 to 34 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Whittier (Painter Avenue) 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 Whittier to SNA?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 70 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Whittier to SNA?

The 28-mile drive usually takes 30 to 70 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Whittier to SNA?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 70 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (17 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (4 miles)

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

More drives

SNA to Whittier (return trip) · Whittier to Santa Monica · Whittier to Long Beach · Whittier to West Covina · Whittier to Burbank · Whittier to Santa Clarita · Whittier to Van Nuys · Whittier to Torrance · Whittier to LAX · Whittier to Culver City · Whittier to Thousand Oaks · Whittier to Oxnard

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	33	48	53	44	35	35	33	34	34	39	37	38	33	31	31	31
Tue	30	36	58	70	47	40	36	35	35	35	39	44	49	40	33	32	31
Wed	30	36	54	61	48	38	35	35	35	34	40	45	52	41	33	32	31
Thu	30	34	54	58	46	41	35	36	37	35	48	57	56	38	32	31	31
Fri	30	34	41	39	35	34	36	34	38	42	51	49	55	51	38	32	31
Sat	31	31	32	31	32	32	33	33	33	35	36	37	43	34	31	31	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	32	33	33	33	33	32	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	33	48	53	44	35	35	33	34	34	39	37	38	33	31	31	31
Tue	30	36	58	70	47	40	36	35	35	35	39	44	49	40	33	32	31
Wed	30	36	54	61	48	38	35	35	35	34	40	45	52	41	33	32	31
Thu	30	34	54	58	46	41	35	36	37	35	48	57	56	38	32	31	31
Fri	30	34	41	39	35	34	36	34	38	42	51	49	55	51	38	32	31
Sat	31	31	32	31	32	32	33	33	33	35	36	37	43	34	31	31	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	32	33	33	33	33	32	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	33	48	53	44	35	35	33	34	34	39	37	38	33	31	31	31
Tue	30	36	58	70	47	40	36	35	35	35	39	44	49	40	33	32	31
Wed	30	36	54	61	48	38	35	35	35	34	40	45	52	41	33	32	31
Thu	30	34	54	58	46	41	35	36	37	35	48	57	56	38	32	31	31
Fri	30	34	41	39	35	34	36	34	38	42	51	49	55	51	38	32	31
Sat	31	31	32	31	32	32	33	33	33	35	36	37	43	34	31	31	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	32	33	33	33	33	32	33	31