Origin
Moreno Valley, CA
Late night in Moreno Valley on Tuesday
Local time
1:13 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Moreno Valley, 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
1h 2m
Distance
49.6 mi
80 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Moreno Valley, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Moreno Valley to Santa Ana covers a compact 49.6-mile distance, typically taking about 1 hour and 2 minutes of driving time. Because this route is a straightforward highway-focused trip, you can easily complete it in a single day without needing an overnight stay. Expect to spend approximately $11 on fuel for the journey. Both your starting point and destination are nestled within the Pacific Coast region, meaning the climate and environment remain consistent throughout your travel. This trip is best viewed as a practical connection between two Southern California hubs rather than a leisurely sightseeing excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 91 | 16.7 mi | 19m |
| Riverside Freeway | 13.4 mi | 15m |
| Costa Mesa Freeway | 6.9 mi | 7m |
| Escondido Freeway | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| Moreno Valley Freeway | 3 mi | 3m |
| East 1st Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East 4th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Sunnymead Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 91
— 16.7 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Moreno Valley, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Webster Avenue
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Webster Avenue
2
Turn right onto Indian Street
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Indian Street
3
Turn left onto CA 60 Business
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Sunnymead Boulevard
4
Turn right onto Heacock Street
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Heacock Street
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward CA 60 West: Riverside
6
Merge onto CA 60
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Moreno Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 215; CA 60
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Escondido Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
1.5 mi
·
3 min
Exit 34B
Toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto CA 91
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 50
Toward Main Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on CA 91
17 mi
·
19 min
·
CA 91
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
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.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 11B
Toward Fourth Street, Irvine Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto East 4th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 4th Street
15
Turn left onto Mabury Street
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Mabury Street
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto East 1st Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East 1st Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
17
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.8 miles from Moreno Valley, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 8.4 and 48 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
8.4 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
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 34B
Toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
7
23.3 mi into trip
|
~30m 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
40.2 mi into trip
|
~50m 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
47.1 mi into trip
|
~57m 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
48 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
Mabury Street
Turn left onto Mabury Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.40 one way
$22.80 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.75 | $23.50 |
| premium | $6.18 | $12.06 | $24.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.95 | $21.90 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.21 | $2.38 |
| Efficient EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.34 | $1.98 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.8 | 0 | $6.94 | $3.17 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
1:13 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers
W 5 mph
15% 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
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
1h 2m 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?
You will spend nearly 89% of your time on highways, making this a classic high-speed transit route rather than a winding scenic backroad. Your journey relies heavily on CA 91 and the Riverside Freeway, eventually transitioning onto the Costa Mesa Freeway to reach your destination. While the drive is efficient, be prepared for a consistent flow of traffic as you navigate these major corridors. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 16.7-mile segment on CA 91. Overall, the experience is defined by steady, highway-paced driving that prioritizes directness over technical maneuvers or rural detours.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 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?
9/10
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 around 8.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 49.6 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 40.2 miles (CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
1,632 ft
113 ft
Total Climb
11 ft
Total Descent
1,530 ft
Highest Point
1,632 ft
Elevation Range
1,519 ft
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.
On the drive from Moreno Valley, CA to Santa Ana, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Beach Cities along the way.
Beach Cities
8.4 mi in
|
~11m
About the Cities
Starting in Moreno Valley, CA
Full guide →Founded 1984
Moreno Valley is a city in Riverside County in Southern California.
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 1h 2m. Total distance: 49.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). 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: at 8.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 40.2 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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