Origin
Sierra Madre, CA
Morning in Sierra Madre on Sunday
Local time
8:57 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sierra Madre, CA to Santa Ana, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
52m
Distance
42.4 mi
68 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sierra Madre, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 42.4-mile drive from Sierra Madre, CA, to Santa Ana, CA, is designed for a single day, taking about 52 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate the Santa Ana Freeway, San Gabriel River Freeway, and Foothill Freeway, with a substantial 87% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost is a budget-friendly $10, and with no recommended stops, this route is perfect for a quick transit between the Pacific Coast regions of Southern California. It's a practical option for getting from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 16.8 mi | 19m |
| San Gabriel River Freeway | 15.4 mi | 17m |
| Foothill Freeway | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| North Broadway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| South Baldwin Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Foothill Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Baldwin Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 16.8 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sierra Madre, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on South Baldwin Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Baldwin Avenue
2
Turn left onto Foothill Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Foothill Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Turn right onto North Baldwin Avenue
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
North Baldwin Avenue
Use the right lane.
4
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 210 East: San Bernardino
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 210
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Foothill Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 36A
Toward I 605 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 605
15 mi
·
17 min
·
San Gabriel River Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 11
Toward I 5 South, I 5 North: Santa Ana, Los Angeles
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana, Florence Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Use the slight left lane.
11
Merge onto I 5
17 mi
·
19 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
57 sec
Toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Main Street North, Broadway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto North Broadway
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto West 5th Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
West 5th Street
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the right lane.
18
Turn right onto West 1st Street
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 1st Street
Use the right lane.
19
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.2 miles from Sierra Madre, 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 175 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 40.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
North Baldwin Avenue
Turn right onto North Baldwin Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
22.3 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward I 5 South, I 5 North: Santa Ana, Los Angeles
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 11
Toward I 5 South, I 5 North: Santa Ana, Los Ang...
9
22.4 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Santa Ana, Florence Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana, Florence Avenue
8
22.6 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
8
40.5 mi into trip
|
~49m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Main Street North, Broadway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Main Street North, Broadway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.75 one way
$19.49 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $10.04 | $20.08 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.31 | $20.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.36 | $18.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.45 | $2.04 |
| Efficient EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.71 | $1.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17 | 0 | $5.94 | $2.71 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Santa Ana, CA
Morning in Santa Ana on Sunday
Local time
8:57 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
52m 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience on this trip, with 87% of the 42.4 miles spent on freeways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 16.8 miles along the Santa Ana Freeway. This route is characterized by its consistent highway profile, meaning you'll largely be in a flow of traffic on major arteries. While it's not a route known for its winding roads or dramatic landscape changes, its efficiency is its main appeal.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.8 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 San Gabriel River Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near North Baldwin Avenue.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 17 decision points packed into just 42.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 52m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (North Baldwin Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 22.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Sierra Madre, CA and Santa Ana, CA, road signs point toward Los Angeles and Broadway.
Los Angeles
22.3 mi in
|
~27m
Broadway
39.7 mi in
|
~48m
About the Cities
Arriving in Santa Ana, CA
Full guide →Santa Ana is a city in Orange County, Southern California and is the county seat of that county.
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 52m. Total distance: 42.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.8 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 Santa Ana, 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 1 miles (North Baldwin Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 22.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, CA
More trips to Santa Ana, CA
Explore more options from Sierra Madre, CA or browse trips ending in Santa Ana, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.