Origin
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Night in Rancho Santa Margarita on Saturday
Local time
11:13 PM
PDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rancho Santa Margarita, CA to Anaheim, 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
38m
Distance
28.1 mi
45 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Anaheim, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Rancho Santa Margarita to Anaheim is 28.1 miles and takes about 38m via Foothill Transportation Corridor/Santa Ana Freeway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Pacific Coast region of California, making it a straightforward hop between two well-connected Southern California locales. You'll be navigating a mix of freeway and surface streets, so expect some urban and suburban scenery. It's a quick trip, ideal for a single day or even a quick errand.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Foothill Transportation Corridor | 8.9 mi | 10m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 7.4 mi | 8m |
| Irvine Boulevard | 6.8 mi | 11m |
| West Lincoln Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| East 4th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Eastern Transportation Corridor | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Antonio Parkway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Anaheim Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Foothill Transportation Corridor
— 8.9 mi, about 10m
Traffic on I-5
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 11 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~9,538 veh/hr typical · worst 11,467
Quietest
2 AM
~1,110 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 33 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rancho Santa Margarita, CA and Anaheim, CA.
1
Start on CA 241 Toll
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
·
Foothill Transportation Corridor
2
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 18
Toward Antonio Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Turn left onto Antonio Parkway
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Antonio Parkway
4
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
28 sec
Toward CA 241 Toll North
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto CA 241 Toll
8.4 mi
·
9 min
·
Foothill Transportation Corridor
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
1.1 mi
·
1 min
Exit 27
Toward CA 133 South: Laguna Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on CA 133 Toll
0.6 mi
·
38 sec
·
Eastern Transportation Corridor
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 12
Toward Irvine Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto Irvine Boulevard
6.8 mi
·
11 min
·
Irvine Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on East 4th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 4th Street
11
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
Toward I 5 North
Use the right lane.
12
Merge onto I 5
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
5.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 111
Toward Lincoln Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn right onto West Lincoln Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West Lincoln Avenue
Use the right lane.
16
Turn right onto South Anaheim Boulevard
370 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Anaheim Boulevard
17
Turn right
200 ft
·
14 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 26.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.5 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the exit toward Antonio Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 18
Toward Antonio Parkway
6
0.9 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Turn left toward CA 241 Toll North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward CA 241 Toll North
7
9.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward CA 133 South: Laguna Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 27
Toward CA 133 South: Laguna Beach
7
11.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward Irvine Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 12
Toward Irvine Boulevard
7
26.7 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward Lincoln Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 111
Toward Lincoln Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.37 one way
$12.74 round trip
$5.76/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $6.59 | $13.18 |
| premium | $6.09 | $6.74 | $13.48 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $5.98 | $11.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.95 | $1.35 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.93 | $1.80 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Anaheim, CA
Night in Anaheim on Saturday
Local time
11:13 PM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Rain Showers Likely
W 5 to 10 mph
68% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 6:51PM PDT until April 27 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 1:57PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
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
19 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
38m 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 route is mostly surface roads, with about 27% on highways. You'll encounter the longest stretch of continuous highway, 8.9 miles on the Foothill Transportation Corridor. After that, you'll transition to surface streets, primarily using Irvine Boulevard. Be prepared for urban merging and a higher density of traffic signals as you approach Anaheim.
Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.9 mi on Foothill Transportation Corridor.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in.
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 13 decision points packed into just 28.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 9.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Full guide →Founded 2000
Arriving in Anaheim, CA
Full guide →Founded 1857
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. It is best known for being the home of Disneyland. Its second claim to fame is hosting the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks and Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels.
Top landmarks
- • Disneyland — American theme park in California owned by The Walt Disney Company
- • Disney California Adventure — theme park in California, part of Disneyland Resort
- • Soarin' — flight motion simulator attraction at Disney parks
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 38m. Total distance: 28.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.9 miles on Foothill Transportation Corridor. 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 Anaheim, 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 0.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 9.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Anaheim, 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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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Return Trip
Anaheim, CA to Rancho Santa Margarita, CAPlan the drive back the other way.
25.8 mi
36m
Continue From Anaheim, CA
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