Origin
Santa Ana, CA
Late night in Santa Ana on Tuesday
Local time
2:27 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Santa Ana, CA to Carson, 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
36m
Distance
28.4 mi
46 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Carson, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Santa Ana to Carson is 28.4 miles and takes about 36 minutes via the San Diego Freeway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within California's Pacific Coast region, primarily utilizing major freeways. It's a straightforward drive that's ideal for a quick commute or a brief leg of a larger journey. Given its short distance, you'll likely find yourself arriving at your destination with plenty of time to spare.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 13.4 mi | 15m |
| Garden Grove Freeway | 10.2 mi | 11m |
| North Broadway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Carson Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West Carson Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Santa Clara Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 13.4 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Ana, CA and Carson, 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
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
6
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 106
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
414 ft
·
8 sec
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Use the slight left lane.
8
Merge onto CA 22
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Garden Grove Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on CA 22; I 405
13 mi
·
15 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 34
Toward Carson Street, Avalon Boulevard South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
214 ft
·
5 sec
Toward Carson Street West, Avalon Boulevard South
Use the right lane.
12
Turn right onto East Carson Street
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
East Carson Street
Use the right lane.
13
Continue on West Carson Street
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
West Carson Street
Use the left lane.
14
Continue on West Carson Street
333 ft
·
14 sec
·
West Carson Street
Use the left lane.
15
Arrive at destination
West Carson Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 26.7 — 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.
7
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the exit toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 106
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
7
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
8
26.5 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward Carson Street, Avalon Boulevard South
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 34
Toward Carson Street, Avalon Boulevard South
9
26.7 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Carson Street West, Avalon Boulevard South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward Carson Street West, Avalon Boulevard Sou...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.53 one way
$13.06 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $6.73 | $13.45 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.91 | $13.81 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.27 | $12.54 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.98 | $1.36 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.98 | $1.82 |
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
Carson, CA
Late night in Carson on Tuesday
Local time
2:27 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°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
15 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
36m 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 route is predominantly highway, with 84% of the drive on freeways. You'll encounter a significant stretch of 13.4 miles on the San Diego Freeway before transitioning to surface roads like North Broadway. Expect frequent exits and entrances as you navigate these busy corridors, especially as you approach more urbanized areas.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.4 mi on San Diego Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and Garden Grove Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North Broadway.
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 11 decision points packed into just 28.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
Between Santa Ana, CA and Carson, CA, road signs point toward Avalon Boulevard South and Carson Street West.
Avalon Boulevard South
26.5 mi in
|
~32m
Carson Street West
26.7 mi in
|
~33m
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
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 36m. Total distance: 28.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.4 miles on San Diego 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 Carson, 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 2.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles: 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 Carson, 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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