Origin
North Hollywood, CA
Evening in North Hollywood on Saturday
Local time
6:22 PM
PDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Hollywood, CA to Santa Ana, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
44.6 mi
72 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 53m
★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Hollywood, CA
Abhishek Navlakha
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
North Hollywood, CA to Santa Ana, CA is 44.6 miles and takes about 58m via Santa Ana Freeway/Hollywood Freeway/North Broadway, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within California, connecting two points in the Pacific Coast region. It's a straightforward drive primarily on freeways, making it a quick and efficient way to travel between these two Southern California cities. Given its short duration, it's well-suited for a same-day trip, allowing you to maximize your time at your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 29.6 mi | 35m |
| Hollywood Freeway | 11.2 mi | 15m |
| North Broadway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Tujunga Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Magnolia Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Lankershim Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 29.6 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Hollywood, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Tujunga Avenue
238 ft
·
11 sec
·
Tujunga Avenue
2
Turn left
111 ft
·
14 sec
3
Turn left onto Lankershim Boulevard
260 ft
·
8 sec
·
Lankershim Boulevard
4
Turn slight right onto Tujunga Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Tujunga Avenue
5
Turn right onto Magnolia Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Magnolia Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward CA 170 South: Los Angeles
7
Merge onto CA 170
11 mi
·
15 min
·
Hollywood Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on US 101
29 mi
·
35 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
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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.3 miles from North Hollywood, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 44.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward CA 170 South: Los Angeles
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward CA 170 South: Los Angeles
6
41.6 mi into trip
|
~52m 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
41.8 mi into trip
|
~53m 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
42.6 mi into trip
|
~54m 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
6
44.2 mi into trip
|
~57m in
|
West 5th Street
Turn left onto West 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.11 one way
$20.22 round trip
$5.76/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $10.46 | $20.92 |
| premium | $6.09 | $10.70 | $21.39 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $9.49 | $18.97 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.68 | $2.14 |
| Efficient EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.90 | $1.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.24 | $2.85 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Evening in Santa Ana on Saturday
Local time
6:22 PM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Chance Rain Showers
SW 10 mph
49% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 1:57PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 12:10PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS San Diego CA
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
13 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
58m 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?
This drive is 91% highway, meaning you'll be on freeways for the vast majority of the 44.6 miles. The longest continuous stretch on a freeway is 29.6 miles, primarily on the Santa Ana Freeway. You'll experience a lot of urban merging and dense exits characteristic of Southern California freeway travel. Expect to transition from the Hollywood Freeway onto surface roads like North Broadway as you approach your destination.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29.6 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 Hollywood Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in.
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 12 decision points packed into just 44.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 41.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
On the drive from North Hollywood, CA to Santa Ana, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Broadway along the way.
Broadway
41.8 mi in
|
~53m
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 58m. Total distance: 44.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m 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 29.6 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 0.9 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 41.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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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