Origin
Boyle Heights, CA
Evening in Boyle Heights on Saturday
Local time
6:21 PM
PDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Boyle Heights, CA to Santa Ana, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
29.8 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Boyle Heights, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Boyle Heights, CA to Santa Ana, CA is 29.8 miles and takes about 38m via Santa Ana Freeway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Pacific Coast region, primarily traversing Southern California's urban landscape. It's a straightforward connection between two points in Los Angeles County and Orange County, ideal for a quick trip or as part of a larger journey. Consider this route when you need to get from the Boyle Heights area to Santa Ana efficiently, as it's designed for consistent travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 25.8 mi | 30m |
| North Broadway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Whittier Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Lorena Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Euclid Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Beswick Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 25.8 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Boyle Heights, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Euclid Avenue
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
Euclid Avenue
2
Turn left onto Whittier Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
·
Whittier Boulevard
3
Turn right onto South Lorena Street
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
South Lorena Street
4
Turn right onto Beswick Street
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
·
Beswick Street
5
Take the ramp
400 ft
·
11 sec
Toward I 5 South
6
Merge onto I 5
26 mi
·
29 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
57 sec
Toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Main Street North, Broadway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn straight onto North Broadway
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
Use the left lane.
11
Turn left onto West 5th Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
West 5th Street
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the right lane.
13
Turn right onto West 1st Street
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 1st Street
Use the right lane.
14
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 29.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 South
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward I 5 South
6
26.8 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
27 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
8
27.8 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Main Street North, Broadway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Main Street North, Broadway
6
29.4 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
West 5th Street
Turn left onto West 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.75 one way
$13.51 round trip
$5.76/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $6.99 | $13.98 |
| premium | $6.09 | $7.15 | $14.29 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $6.34 | $12.68 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.13 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Santa Ana, CA
Evening in Santa Ana on Saturday
Local time
6:21 PM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Chance Rain Showers
SW 10 mph
49% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 1:57PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 12:10PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS San Diego CA
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
8 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
38m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is predominantly on the highway, with 87% of the 29.8 miles covered on freeways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 25.8 miles on the Santa Ana Freeway, indicating a long period of consistent cruising. The remaining portion will involve surface streets like North Broadway and Whittier Boulevard, likely featuring more frequent intersections and traffic signals as you transition out of the freeway environment.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.8 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and North Broadway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 29.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 26.8 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Boyle Heights, CA and Santa Ana, CA, road signs point toward Broadway and Main Street North.
Broadway
27 mi in
|
~33m
Main Street North
27.8 mi in
|
~34m
About the Cities
Arriving in Santa Ana, CA
Full guide →Founded 1869
Santa Ana is a city in Orange County, Southern California and is the county seat of that county.
Top landmarks
- • Yost Theater — historic movie theater and hotel building in Santa Ana, California, later used b...
- • Santa Ana Fire Station Headquarters No. 1 — fire station in Santa Ana, United States of America
- • Rankin's — historic building in Santa Ana, California, United States
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 29.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.8 miles on Santa Ana Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Santa Ana, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 26.8 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Santa Ana, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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