Origin
Ladera Heights, CA
Late night in Ladera Heights on Tuesday
Local time
5:53 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ladera 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 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
52m
Distance
41.6 mi
67 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 48m
★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 1m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ladera Heights, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 41.6-mile drive from Ladera Heights, CA to Santa Ana, CA is designed for a single day, taking just about 52 minutes to complete. You'll spend most of your time on the San Diego Freeway and the Garden Grove Freeway, with a portion on South La Cienega Boulevard. The route is predominantly highway-focused, making it an efficient and straightforward trip. With an estimated fuel cost of around $10, it's an economical option. Both your origin and destination are within the Pacific Coast region, so you won't be transitioning between vastly different landscapes on this relatively short journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 26.5 mi | 30m |
| Garden Grove Freeway | 10.1 mi | 11m |
| South La Cienega Boulevard | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| North Broadway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Bedford Avenue | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| West Slauson Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 26.5 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ladera Heights, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Bedford Avenue
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Bedford Avenue
2
At end of road, turn left onto West 57th Street
319 ft
·
15 sec
·
West 57th Street
3
Turn right onto South Sherbourne Drive
402 ft
·
23 sec
·
South Sherbourne Drive
4
At end of road, turn left onto West Slauson Avenue
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
West Slauson Avenue
5
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Toward South La Cienega Boulevard
6
Turn straight onto South La Cienega Boulevard
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
South La Cienega Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
Toward I 405 South: San Diego Freeway, Long Beach
Use the slight left lane.
8
Merge onto I 405
24 mi
·
27 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 22
9.8 mi
·
11 min
·
Garden Grove Freeway
Exit 21
Toward CA 22 East: Garden Grove
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Take the exit onto CA 22
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
·
Garden Grove Freeway
Exit 14C
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
17 sec
Exit 14C; 105B
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana, Broadway, Main Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
Toward Broadway, Main Street
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Main Street North, Broadway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto North Broadway
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto West 5th Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
West 5th Street
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the right lane.
18
Turn right onto West 1st Street
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 1st Street
Use the right lane.
19
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 41.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.8 miles from Ladera Heights, 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 175 decision points cluster between mile 28.9 and 39.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
28.9 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
CA 22 / Garden Grove Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 22 / Garden Grove Freeway toward CA 22 East: Garden Grove
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 21
Toward CA 22 East: Garden Grove
7
38.7 mi into trip
|
~47m in
|
CA 22 / Garden Grove Freeway
Take the exit onto CA 22 / Garden Grove Freeway toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 14C
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
10
39 mi into trip
|
~47m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 5 South: Santa Ana, Broadway, Main Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 14C; 105B
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana, Broadway, Main Str...
8
39.2 mi into trip
|
~47m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Broadway, Main Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Broadway, Main Street
8
39.7 mi into trip
|
~48m 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
$9.56 one way
$19.12 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $9.85 | $19.71 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.12 | $20.23 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.18 | $18.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.37 | $2.00 |
| Efficient EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.64 | $1.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.6 | 0 | $5.82 | $2.66 |
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
5:53 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
15 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?
Expect a highway-focused profile for this trip, with 88% of the drive taking place on freeways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 26.5 miles on the San Diego Freeway. This means you'll largely be on high-speed, multi-lane roads designed for efficient travel. While there's a brief segment on South La Cienega Boulevard, the majority of your time will be spent cruising on these major arteries, offering a consistent driving experience.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.5 mi on San Diego Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and Garden Grove Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 28.9 miles in near CA 22 / Garden Grove Freeway.
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 17 decision points packed into just 41.6 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: at 28.9 miles (CA 22 / Garden Grove Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 38.7 miles (CA 22 / Garden Grove Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 39 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 Ladera Heights, CA and Santa Ana, CA, road signs point toward Long Beach and Broadway.
Long Beach
2.2 mi in
|
~5m
Broadway
39 mi in
|
~47m
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 52m. Total distance: 41.6 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 (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.5 miles on San Diego 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 28.9 miles (CA 22 / Garden Grove Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 38.7 miles (CA 22 / Garden Grove Freeway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 39 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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