Origin
Valencia, CA
Afternoon in Valencia on Saturday
Local time
4:45 PM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Valencia, CA to Santa Ana, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 25, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 23m
Distance
68.7 mi
111 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$16
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 17m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Valencia, CA
Wikii Heiwa
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Valencia, CA to Santa Ana, CA is 68.7 miles and takes about 1h 23m via the Santa Ana Freeway, with a fuel budget near $16 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within California's Pacific Coast region, primarily utilizing major freeways to connect these two Southern California cities. It's a straightforward drive, ideal if you're looking for efficiency and don't need to make many stops. Plan for it to be mostly highway driving, so consider traffic patterns during peak hours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 26 mi | 30m |
| I 5 Truck | 25 mi | 29m |
| Golden State Freeway | 13.4 mi | 15m |
| The Old Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| North Broadway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Thornton Lane | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 26 mi, about 30m
Traffic on I-5
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 113 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~5,928 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~1,015 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 10 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Valencia, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on this road
333 ft
·
26 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
75 ft
·
7 sec
3
Turn right onto Thornton Lane
159 ft
·
9 sec
·
Thornton Lane
4
Turn right onto The Old Road
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
The Old Road
5
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto I 5; CA 126
8.0 mi
·
9 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
0.3 mi
·
17 sec
·
I 5 Truck
Exit 158
Toward I 405 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck
25 mi
·
29 min
·
I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Toward CA 60 East, I 5 South: Pomona, Soto Street, Santa Ana
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
11
Merge onto I 5
26 mi
·
30 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
34 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 34.3 miles from Valencia, 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 1.5 and 66.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
8
13.7 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
I 5 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward I 405 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 158
Toward I 405 South
8
38.7 mi into trip
|
~46m in
|
I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway toward CA 60 East, I 5 South: Pomona, Soto Street, Santa Ana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward CA 60 East, I 5 South: Pomona, Soto Stre...
7
65.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
Take the exit toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
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 Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
8
66.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m 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
$15.57 one way
$31.14 round trip
$5.76/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $16.11 | $32.22 |
| premium | $6.09 | $16.48 | $32.95 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $14.61 | $29.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$16
Estimated CO2 emission: 24 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.6 | 0 | $7.21 | $3.30 |
| Efficient EV | 17.2 | 0 | $6.01 | $2.75 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.5 | 0 | $9.62 | $4.40 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Afternoon in Santa Ana on Saturday
Local time
4:45 PM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Chance Rain Showers
SW 10 mph
49% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 1:57PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 25 at 12:10PM PDT until April 26 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS San Diego CA
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
18 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 23m 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?
You'll spend 94% of this 68.7-mile drive on the highway, with the longest continuous stretch being 26 miles on the Santa Ana Freeway. Expect the highway portion to conclude around mile 64, transitioning to surface streets for the final few miles into Santa Ana. The high percentage of freeway driving means you'll encounter numerous exits and interchanges, typical of the urban and suburban landscapes of Southern California.
94% 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: 26 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 I 5 Truck. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in.
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 68.7 miles you will encounter 17 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 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.7 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 38.7 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 1h 23m. Total distance: 68.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26 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 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.7 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 38.7 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
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, EIA for fuel prices, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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