Origin
Foothill Ranch, CA
Morning in Foothill Ranch on Sunday
Local time
9:12 AM
PDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Foothill Ranch, CA to Santa Ana, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
24m
Distance
15.5 mi
25 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Foothill Ranch, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Foothill Ranch to Santa Ana is 15.5 miles and takes about 24 minutes via Irvine Boulevard/Foothill Transportation Corridor/East 1st Street, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Pacific Coast region of California, offering a straightforward local connection. Given its short distance and duration, it's ideal for a same-day trip, allowing for easy scheduling. You'll primarily navigate local roads with a brief highway segment, making it a practical option for quick errands or connecting between these two Southern California communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Irvine Boulevard | 5.1 mi | 8m |
| Foothill Transportation Corridor | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| East 1st Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Alton Parkway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Eastern Transportation Corridor | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Red Hill Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Newport Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Irvine Boulevard
— 5.1 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Foothill Ranch, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Flores
372 ft
·
21 sec
·
Flores
2
Turn left onto Santa Maria
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
Santa Maria
3
At end of road, turn left onto Alton Parkway
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Alton Parkway
4
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
Toward CA 241 Toll North
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto CA 241 Toll
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Foothill Transportation Corridor
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
1.1 mi
·
1 min
Exit 27
Toward CA 133 South: Laguna Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on CA 133 Toll
0.6 mi
·
38 sec
·
Eastern Transportation Corridor
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 12
Toward Irvine Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto Irvine Boulevard
5.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Irvine Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
10
Turn left onto Red Hill Avenue
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
Red Hill Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Turn right onto Bryan Avenue
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Bryan Avenue
Use the right lane.
12
Continue on East Main Street
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
East Main Street
13
Turn left onto Newport Avenue
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
Newport Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
15
Merge onto I 5
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
Exit 103C
Toward First Street, Fourth Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
Toward First Street
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
18
Turn straight onto Mabury Street
288 ft
·
9 sec
·
Mabury Street
Use the straight lane.
19
Turn right onto East 1st Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East 1st Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
20
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 3.9 and 13.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
3.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward CA 133 South: Laguna Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 27
Toward CA 133 South: Laguna Beach
7
5.6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward Irvine Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 12
Toward Irvine Boulevard
6
11 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
Red Hill Avenue
Turn left onto Red Hill Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
13.7 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward First Street, Fourth Street
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.
Exit 103C
Toward First Street, Fourth Street
8
13.9 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight left at fork toward First Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward First Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.56 one way
$7.13 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $3.67 | $7.34 |
| premium | $6.18 | $3.77 | $7.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.42 | $6.84 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.63 | $0.74 |
| Efficient EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.36 | $0.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.17 | $0.99 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Morning in Santa Ana on Sunday
Local time
9:12 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
19 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
24m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is best described as a turn-heavy local drive, with only 11% of the journey on highways. You'll experience a mix of street driving and a short stint on the Foothill Transportation Corridor. The longest continuous stretch without a significant turn or change in road character is 5.1 miles along Irvine Boulevard. Expect frequent intersections and traffic signals as you make your way across the urban landscape. This isn't a route for cruising; it requires active navigation through city streets.
Only 11% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.1 mi on Irvine Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 15.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles (Red Hill Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Foothill Ranch, CA
Full guide →Arriving in Santa Ana, CA
Full guide →Santa Ana is a city in Orange County, Southern California and is the county seat of that county.
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 24m. Total distance: 15.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.1 miles on Irvine Boulevard. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 3.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles (Red Hill Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
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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