Origin
Los Angeles, CA
Morning in Los Angeles on Tuesday
Local time
6:54 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Los Angeles, 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
40m
Distance
32.3 mi
52 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 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Los Angeles, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Los Angeles to Santa Ana, you are looking at a straightforward 32.3-mile trip. This drive typically takes about 40 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. You will rely primarily on the Santa Ana Freeway, eventually transitioning into North Broadway and North Main Street to reach your destination. With a modest fuel budget of $4, this route is highly efficient for those staying within the Pacific Coast region. Since the entire trip is quite short, there is no need to plan for overnight stays or complex logistics. It is a functional, no-nonsense connection between these two Southern California points.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 29.1 mi | 34m |
| North Broadway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| North Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Aliso Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 29.1 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Los Angeles, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on West 1st Street
69 ft
·
9 sec
·
West 1st Street
2
Turn left onto North Main Street
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto East Aliso Street
338 ft
·
13 sec
·
East Aliso Street
Use the right lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward US 101 South, I 10 East, I 5 South
5
Merge onto US 101
29 mi
·
34 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
57 sec
Toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Main Street North, Broadway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn straight onto North Broadway
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
Use the left lane.
10
Turn left onto West 5th Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
West 5th Street
Use the left lane.
11
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the right lane.
12
Turn right onto West 1st Street
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 1st Street
Use the right lane.
13
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 30.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Main Street
Turn left onto North Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Aliso Street
Turn right onto East Aliso Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
29.3 mi into trip
|
~35m 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
29.6 mi into trip
|
~35m 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
30.4 mi into trip
|
~36m 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
$7.42 one way
$14.85 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.65 | $15.30 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.86 | $15.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.13 | $14.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.39 | $1.55 |
| Efficient EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.83 | $1.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.52 | $2.07 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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 Tuesday
Local time
6:54 AM
PDT
Current temp
81°F
Sunny
S 0 to 10 mph
0% chance
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
26 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
40m 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?
Expect a classic highway-focused experience, as 90% of this journey is spent on major transit arteries. You will settle in for a long, uninterrupted stretch of 29.1 miles on the Santa Ana Freeway, which dictates the pace of your travel. The drive maintains a consistent, fast-paced personality before transitioning into local surface streets for the final leg of the journey. Because it is largely highway-based, the route feels like a standard metropolitan commute rather than a leisurely scenic tour. You should be prepared for the typical rhythm of heavy-traffic infrastructure as you move between these urban centers.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29.1 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 early in the drive near North Main Street.
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 11 decision points packed into just 32.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (East Aliso Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 29.3 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Los Angeles, CA and Santa Ana, CA, road signs point toward Broadway and Main Street North.
Broadway
29.6 mi in
|
~35m
Main Street North
30.4 mi in
|
~36m
About the Cities
Starting in Los Angeles, CA
Full guide →“Tinseltown” · Founded 1781
Frank Lloyd Wright is said to have quipped, "Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles," a quote that has since been repeated both by those who love and hate L.A. The "City of Angels" is home to people who hail from all parts of the globe and an important center of culture, business, media, and international trade. However, it's most famous for being a major center of the world's television, motion picture, and music industry, which forms the base of the city's status and lures visitors for its show business history and celebrity culture. Visitors are also drawn to Los Angeles for its Mediterranean climate and numerous beaches, which gave birth to California's famed surf culture.
Top landmarks
- • Hollywood Walk of Fame — more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks...
- • Hollywood Sign — sign reading "HOLLYWOOD" located in Los Angeles, California, United States
- • Getty Center — campus of the Getty Museum and other programs of the Getty Trust in Los Angeles
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 40m. Total distance: 32.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 29.1 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: near the start (North Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (East Aliso Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 29.3 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana 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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