Origin
Hawaiian Gardens, CA
Late night in Hawaiian Gardens on Tuesday
Local time
3:24 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hawaiian Gardens, CA to Santa Ana, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
17.7 mi
28 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 24m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hawaiian Gardens, CA
Jess Loiterton
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Hawaiian Gardens to Santa Ana is 17.7 miles and takes about 25 minutes via Santa Ana Freeway and Artesia Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within California's Pacific Coast region, connecting two Southern California communities. Given the minimal travel time, it's an easy, straightforward drive perfect for a quick errand or connecting to other local destinations. You won't encounter significant changes in scenery or terrain, making it a predictable and efficient option.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 7.6 mi | 8m |
| Artesia Freeway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Lincoln Avenue | 2 mi | 3m |
| Valley View Street | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| North Broadway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Carson Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 7.6 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hawaiian Gardens, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Carson Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Carson Street
2
Continue on Lincoln Avenue
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Lincoln Avenue
3
Turn left onto Valley View Street
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Valley View Street
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward CA 91 East: Riverside
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto CA 91
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Artesia Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 24
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana Freeway, Santa Ana
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 5
7.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
57 sec
Toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Main Street North, Broadway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn straight onto North Broadway
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left onto West 5th Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
West 5th Street
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the right lane.
15
Turn right onto West 1st Street
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 1st Street
Use the right lane.
16
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 4.2 and 15.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
4.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp toward CA 91 East: Riverside
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward CA 91 East: Riverside
7
6.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 24
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
8
6.9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Santa Ana Freeway, Santa Ana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana Freeway, Santa Ana
7
14.9 mi into trip
|
~21m 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
15.7 mi into trip
|
~21m 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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.07 one way
$8.14 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.19 | $8.38 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.30 | $8.61 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.91 | $7.82 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.55 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Late night in Santa Ana on Tuesday
Local time
3:24 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
25m 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 a mix of highway and surface roads, with 54% of the drive on freeways. You'll experience a stretch of 7.6 miles on the Santa Ana Freeway, which is the longest continuous highway segment. The transition from freeway to surface streets will occur as you approach your destination in Santa Ana. Expect typical urban traffic patterns with merging and exiting involved.
54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.6 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 13 decision points packed into just 17.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Hawaiian Gardens, CA and Santa Ana, CA, road signs point toward Broadway and Main Street North.
Broadway
14.9 mi in
|
~21m
Main Street North
15.7 mi in
|
~21m
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 25m. Total distance: 17.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.6 miles on Santa Ana Freeway. 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 4.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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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