Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
26.4 mi
43 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pomona, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Pomona to Santa Ana is 26.4 miles and takes about 34 minutes via Orange Freeway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward drive connects two points within the Pacific Coast region of California. Expect a quick trip that's more about efficient travel between two points than a leisurely scenic journey. It’s a short hop, perfect for when you need to get from one Southern California city to another without a major time commitment.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Orange Freeway | 18.4 mi | 21m |
| West Mission Boulevard | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| North Broadway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Pomona Freeway | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| West Temple Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Pomona, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
Start on South Main Street
Turn right onto West Mission Boulevard
Turn right onto West Temple Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto CA 57
Merge onto CA 60; CA 57
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 57
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto North Broadway
Turn left onto West 5th Street
Turn right onto North Main Street
Turn right onto West 1st Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 24.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto West Mission Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward CA 57 South, CA 60 West
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57 / Orange Freeway toward CA 57 South, CA 60 Alt West: Santa Ana, Brea Canyon Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
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
Regular Gas
$6.07 one way
$12.14 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $6.25 | $12.51 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.42 | $12.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.83 | $11.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.70 | $1.69 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Pomona on Tuesday
Local time
3:42 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Partly Cloudy
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 19 at 2:47AM PDT until April 20 at 6:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR
Destination
Late night in Santa Ana on Tuesday
Local time
3:42 AM
PDT
Current temp
57°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 19 at 2:47AM PDT until April 20 at 6:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This drive has a highway-focused profile, with 74% of the journey on freeways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 18.4 miles on the Orange Freeway, offering a consistent pace. The route primarily utilizes major roadways like the Orange Freeway, West Mission Boulevard, and North Broadway, indicating a mix of high-speed travel and potentially some brief local road navigation. While not overly complex, the character leans towards efficient transit rather than winding exploration.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Orange Freeway and West Mission Boulevard. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Mission Boulevard.
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 15 decision points packed into just 26.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Mission Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7 miles (CA 57 / Orange Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Pomona, CA and Santa Ana, CA, road signs point toward Main Street North and Broadway.
Main Street North
Broadway
Founded 1888
Pomona is in the San Gabriel Valley, near Los Angeles, California. Named after the Roman goddess of fruit, in the 1920s it was indeed known as "the Queen of the Citrus Belt." However, its origins preceded that epoch as an allotment given to two ranchers, Ricardo Véjar and Ygnacio Palomares, in the 1830s, when the territory was still part of Mexico. After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and becoming part of the USA, it eventually became absorbed into the megalopolis of southern California, with perhaps its main standout nowadays being the site of the LA County Fair, or the location of Cal Polytechnic U.
Top landmarks
Founded 1869
Santa Ana is a city in Orange County, Southern California and is the county seat of that county.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 26.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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