Origin
Santa Ana, CA
Late night in Santa Ana on Tuesday
Local time
3:40 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Santa Ana, CA to Brea, 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
18m
Distance
13.2 mi
21 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 17m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Brea, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Santa Ana to Brea is a quick, straightforward journey spanning 13.2 miles. Expect to spend about 18 minutes on the road, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will primarily utilize CA 57, North Broadway, and East Imperial Highway to navigate between these two Pacific Coast locations. With a fuel cost of just $3, this is an incredibly budget-friendly commute or weekend excursion. Because the distance is so short, you have total flexibility in your departure time. It is a practical, no-nonsense route that connects two major areas of Orange County efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 57 | 8.9 mi | 10m |
| North Broadway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Imperial Highway | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| West Santa Clara Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Brea Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 57
— 8.9 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Ana, CA and Brea, CA.
1
Start on West 1st Street
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
West 1st Street
2
Turn right onto North Broadway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn right onto West Santa Clara Avenue
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
West Santa Clara Avenue
4
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
this road
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 5
0.8 mi
·
55 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit onto CA 57
8.9 mi
·
10 min
·
CA 57
Toward CA 57 North: Pomona
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 9
Toward CA 90: Imperial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn left onto CA 90
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
East Imperial Highway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
9
Turn right onto South Brea Boulevard
60 ft
·
1 sec
·
South Brea Boulevard
Use the right lane.
10
Arrive at destination
South Brea Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 13.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Broadway
Turn right onto North Broadway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
2.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
CA 57
Take the exit onto CA 57 toward CA 57 North: Pomona
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 57 North: Pomona
7
11.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward CA 90: Imperial Highway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 9
Toward CA 90: Imperial Highway
6
12 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
CA 90 / East Imperial Highway
Turn left onto CA 90 / East Imperial Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6
13.2 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
South Brea Boulevard
Turn right onto South Brea Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.03 one way
$6.07 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $3.13 | $6.25 |
| premium | $6.18 | $3.21 | $6.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.91 | $5.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4 | 0 | $1.39 | $0.63 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.15 | $0.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.85 | $0.84 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Brea, CA
Late night in Brea on Tuesday
Local time
3:40 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
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
17 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
18m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is heavily highway-focused, with 74% of the transit taking place on major thoroughfares. You will spend the bulk of your time on CA 57, which features the longest uninterrupted stretch of 8.9 miles. While the route transitions from the dense urban environment of Santa Ana toward Brea, the experience behind the wheel remains consistent and fast-paced. Do not expect winding backroads or technical terrain; instead, you get a clean, direct path that prioritizes speed over scenery. Navigating the transition from the freeway onto East Imperial Highway marks the final, simpler phase of your drive.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.9 mi on CA 57.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 57 and North Broadway. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North Broadway.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 13.2 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.1 miles (North Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (CA 57): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting 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
Arriving in Brea, CA
Full guide →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 18m. Total distance: 13.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.9 miles on CA 57. 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 Brea, 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 0.1 miles (North Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (CA 57): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.8 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 Brea, 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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