Origin
Santa Ana, CA
Late night in Santa Ana on Tuesday
Local time
3:50 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Santa Ana, CA to Van Nuys, 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
1h 4m
Distance
51.5 mi
83 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 59m
★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 15m
10 AM
1h 8m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 14m
8 PM
1h 1m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Van Nuys, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Santa Ana to Van Nuys is 51.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 4 minutes via the Santa Ana Freeway, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within California, connecting two points in the Pacific Coast region. Expect a predominantly highway experience for most of this relatively short trip. It's a straightforward connection, ideal for a quick transit between these Southern California cities, without extensive planning needed for a single-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 26.9 mi | 31m |
| Golden State Freeway | 10.7 mi | 12m |
| Ventura Freeway | 9.3 mi | 10m |
| Van Nuys Boulevard | 2 mi | 4m |
| North Broadway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| West Santa Clara Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Victory Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 26.9 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Ana, CA and Van Nuys, 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
8.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
18 mi
·
20 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
Toward CA 134 West: Ventura Freeway, Ventura
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto CA 134
0.6 mi
·
38 sec
·
Ventura Freeway
10
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 134
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Ventura Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 134
0.8 mi
·
52 sec
·
Ventura Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 134
6.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Ventura Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 17
Toward Van Nuys Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto Van Nuys Boulevard
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Van Nuys Boulevard
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
15
Turn left onto Victory Boulevard
73 ft
·
1 sec
·
Victory Boulevard
Use the left lane.
16
Arrive at destination
Victory Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.7 miles from Santa Ana, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 49.3 — 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
11 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
28.9 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
39.7 mi into trip
|
~47m in
Take the exit toward CA 134 West: Ventura Freeway, Ventura
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.
Toward CA 134 West: Ventura Freeway, Ventura
7
49.3 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Take the exit toward Van Nuys Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 17
Toward Van Nuys Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.84 one way
$23.67 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $12.20 | $24.40 |
| premium | $6.18 | $12.52 | $25.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.37 | $22.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 18 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.5 | 0 | $5.41 | $2.47 |
| Efficient EV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.51 | $2.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.6 | 0 | $7.21 | $3.30 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Van Nuys, CA
Late night in Van Nuys on Tuesday
Local time
3:50 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°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
19 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
1h 4m 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 drive is 91% highway, meaning you'll spend nearly all of your time on freeways. The longest continuous stretch on a single highway is 26.9 miles on the Santa Ana Freeway. You'll transition from freeway to surface roads toward the end of your trip. Expect frequent exits and merges as you navigate through urban and suburban areas.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.9 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and Golden State 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
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.5 miles you will encounter 14 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 11 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.9 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): 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.
On the drive from Santa Ana, CA to Van Nuys, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Ventura along the way.
Ventura
39.7 mi in
|
~47m
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 Van Nuys, CA
Full guide →Van Nuys is a prominent neighborhood in the middle of the San Fernando Valley, a part of the city of Los Angeles in Southern California. Although there are few tourist attractions here, Van Nuys serves as a civic and commercial center for the Valley.
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 1h 4m. Total distance: 51.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 4m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.9 miles on Santa Ana 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 Van Nuys, 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 11 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.9 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): 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 Van Nuys, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Van Nuys, CA
More trips to Van Nuys, CA
Explore more options from Santa Ana, CA or browse trips ending in Van Nuys, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.