Origin
Highgrove, CA
Late night in Highgrove on Tuesday
Local time
5:15 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Highgrove, 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
52m
Distance
43 mi
69 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 48m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 1m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Highgrove, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Highgrove, CA to Santa Ana, CA is 43 miles and takes about 52 minutes via CA 91, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused journey within California's Pacific Coast region. Expect a quick trip that's ideal for a single day, allowing you to reach your destination with plenty of time to spare. Given the short duration and minimal cost, this route offers a convenient way to travel between these two Southern California locations without significant planning. It's a practical choice for a quick commute or a short hop.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 91 | 16.7 mi | 19m |
| Riverside Freeway | 15.8 mi | 18m |
| Costa Mesa Freeway | 6.9 mi | 7m |
| East 1st Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Center Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East 4th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Mabury Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Stephens Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 91
— 16.7 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Highgrove, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Transit Avenue
44 ft
·
5 sec
·
Transit Avenue
2
Turn right onto Center Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Center Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto Stephens Avenue
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Stephens Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
5
Merge onto I 215
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Riverside Freeway
6
Continue on CA 91
15 mi
·
17 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Exit 34B
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 50
Toward Main Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on CA 91
17 mi
·
19 min
·
CA 91
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55
6.9 mi
·
7 min
·
Costa Mesa Freeway
Exit 34
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 11B
Toward Fourth Street, Irvine Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto East 4th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 4th Street
12
Turn left onto Mabury Street
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Mabury Street
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto East 1st Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East 1st Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
14
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 43 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.5 miles from Highgrove, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 41.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Center Street
Turn right onto Center Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
16.7 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward Main Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 50
Toward Main Street
8
33.6 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 34
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
8
40.5 mi into trip
|
~47m in
Take the exit toward Fourth Street, Irvine Boulevard
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 11B
Toward Fourth Street, Irvine Boulevard
6
41.4 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
Mabury Street
Turn left onto Mabury Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.88 one way
$19.77 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $10.18 | $20.37 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.46 | $20.91 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.49 | $18.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 15 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.52 | $2.06 |
| Efficient EV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.76 | $1.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.2 | 0 | $6.02 | $2.75 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
5:15 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
17 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
52m 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 drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 91% of the journey utilizing major freeways like the CA 91 and Costa Mesa Freeway. You'll experience a consistent pace for much of the trip, punctuated by a longest stretch of 16.7 miles on the CA 91. The Riverside Freeway will guide a significant portion of your travel. While largely a high-speed experience, be prepared for potential traffic typical of Southern California commutes. The character remains highway-centric from start to finish.
91% 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: 16.7 mi on CA 91.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 91 and Riverside Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Center Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 43 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 52m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Center Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.6 miles (CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Highgrove, CA
Full guide →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 52m. Total distance: 43 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.7 miles on CA 91. 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: near the start (Center Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.6 miles (CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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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