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Trip from Santa Ana, CA to Coto De Caza, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

36m

Distance

23.6 mi

38 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Fair

4 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 33m ★
6 AM
0h 36m
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.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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county seat and city of Orange County, California, United States

Santa Ana, CA

Wikimedia Commons

census-designated place in Orange County, California

Coto De Caza, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Santa Ana to Coto De Caza is 23.6 miles and takes about 36 minutes via Foothill Transportation Corridor, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within California's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward trip between two Southern California locales. It's a quick connection, ideal for a quick errand or a transition between areas without a significant time commitment. You'll primarily be on surface roads, so expect a more local feel than a pure highway cruise.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Foothill Transportation Corridor 8.8 mi 10m
Irvine Boulevard 5.7 mi 9m
West 1st Street 3.2 mi 6m
Coto de Caza Drive 2.2 mi 4m
Antonio Parkway 0.9 mi 1m
Eastern Transportation Corridor 0.8 mi <1m
Via Roble 0.3 mi 1m
Newport Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Foothill Transportation Corridor — 8.8 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Santa Ana, CA and Coto De Caza, CA.

1

Start on West 1st Street

260 ft · 10 sec · West 1st Street
2

Continue on West 1st Street

3.1 mi · 6 min · West 1st Street
Use the left lane.
3

Turn left onto Newport Avenue

0.3 mi · 34 sec · Newport Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
4

Turn right onto Irvine Boulevard

5.7 mi · 9 min · Irvine Boulevard
Use the right lane.
5

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Toward CA 133 Toll North Use the straight / right lanes.
6

Merge onto CA 133 Toll

0.8 mi · 52 sec · Eastern Transportation Corridor
7

Keep slight right at fork

0.7 mi · 49 sec
Exit 14A Toward CA 241 South: Santa Margarita Use the slight right lane.
8

Merge onto CA 241 Toll

8.8 mi · 10 min · Foothill Transportation Corridor
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 26 sec
Exit 18 Toward Antonio Parkway Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn left onto Antonio Parkway

0.9 mi · 1 min · Antonio Parkway
11

Turn right onto Coto de Caza Drive

1.5 mi · 2 min · Coto de Caza Drive
Use the right lane.
12

Turn right onto Via Roble

0.3 mi · 1 min · Via Roble
13

At end of road, turn left onto Via Colinas

0.2 mi · 48 sec · Via Colinas
14

Turn right onto Coto de Caza Drive

0.7 mi · 1 min · Coto de Caza Drive
15

Turn right onto Via Barcaza

144 ft · 6 sec · Via Barcaza
16

Arrive at destination

Via Barcaza

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 3.4 and 21 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
3.4 mi into trip | ~6m in | Irvine Boulevard

Turn right onto Irvine Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
9.2 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the ramp toward CA 133 Toll North

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward CA 133 Toll North
8
10.2 mi into trip | ~17m in

Keep slight right at fork toward CA 241 South: Santa Margarita

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 14A Toward CA 241 South: Santa Margarita
7
19.7 mi into trip | ~28m 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
21 mi into trip | ~30m in | Coto de Caza Drive

Turn right onto Coto de Caza Drive

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.35 one way

$10.70 round trip

$5.76/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.96 $5.53 $11.07
premium $6.09 $5.66 $11.32
diesel $5.40 $5.02 $10.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.1 0 $2.48 $1.13
Efficient EV 5.9 0 $2.07 $0.94
EV Truck/SUV 9.4 0 $3.30 $1.51

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 26, 2026

Origin

Santa Ana, CA

Night in Santa Ana on Saturday

Local time

11:13 PM

PDT

Current temp

56°F

Rain Showers Likely

W 5 to 10 mph 70% 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

Destination

Coto De Caza, CA

Night in Coto De Caza on Saturday

Local time

11:13 PM

PDT

Current temp

54°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

2 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

36m 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 features a highway share of 40%, meaning you'll spend a good portion of the 36 minutes on arterial roads. The longest stretch on the Foothill Transportation Corridor is 8.8 miles, offering a sustained period of smoother travel before transitioning to local streets. You'll notice the shift from the corridor to Irvine Boulevard and then West 1st Street, indicating a move through more developed, surface-road environments with increased intersections and traffic signals.

Only 4% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.8 mi on Foothill Transportation Corridor.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 3.4 miles in near Irvine Boulevard.

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 13 decision points packed into just 23.6 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 3.4 miles (Irvine Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Coto De Caza, 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 36m. Total distance: 23.6 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.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.8 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 Coto De Caza, 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 3.4 miles (Irvine Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.2 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 Coto De Caza, 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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