Origin
Van Nuys, CA
Late night in Van Nuys on Tuesday
Local time
3:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Van Nuys, CA to Santa Ana, 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 3m
Distance
48.3 mi
78 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 59m
★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 14m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
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.
Van Nuys, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Van Nuys to Santa Ana covers approximately 48.3 miles across the Pacific Coast region of Southern California. You can expect the journey to take about 1 hour and 18 minutes under normal conditions, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. Navigating this route involves a blend of CA 170 South, the Hollywood Freeway, and the Santa Ana Freeway. With a fuel cost estimate of $7, the trip is quite budget-friendly for a quick transition between these two hubs. Because you remain within the same region, the drive offers a consistent coastal atmosphere throughout the transit.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 29.6 mi | 35m |
| Hollywood Freeway | 13 mi | 17m |
| Victory Boulevard | 2.6 mi | 5m |
| North Broadway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 29.6 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Van Nuys, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Victory Boulevard
2.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Victory Boulevard
2
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward CA 170 South: Los Angeles, Hollywood Freeway
3
Merge onto CA 170
13 mi
·
17 min
·
Hollywood Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Continue on US 101
29 mi
·
35 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
57 sec
Toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Main Street North, Broadway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn straight onto North Broadway
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
Use the left lane.
9
Turn left onto West 5th Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
West 5th Street
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right onto West 1st Street
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 1st Street
Use the right lane.
12
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 24.1 miles from Van Nuys, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 45.3 and 48.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
45.3 mi into trip
|
~58m 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.
7
45.5 mi into trip
|
~59m 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
46.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 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
6
47.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
|
West 5th Street
Turn left onto West 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
48.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
|
North Main Street
Turn right onto North Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.10 one way
$22.20 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.44 | $22.88 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.75 | $23.49 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.66 | $21.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.07 | $2.32 |
| Efficient EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.93 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.3 | 0 | $6.76 | $3.09 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Late night in Santa Ana on Tuesday
Local time
3:35 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 3m 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 48.3-mile journey functions primarily as a turn-heavy local drive rather than a wide-open highway cruise. You will not encounter any significant highway-only stretches, as the route is defined by navigating transitions between major freeways. The road character is consistent, lacking a long uninterrupted stretch like the 0 miles noted on CA 170 South. Expect a high-engagement driving experience that demands your attention as you shift between the Hollywood and Santa Ana freeways. It is a practical, utilitarian path that gets you from point A to point B through the dense urban landscape.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29.6 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and Hollywood Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 45.3 miles in near I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.3 miles you will encounter 9 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 45.3 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 45.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 46.4 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.
On the drive from Van Nuys, CA to Santa Ana, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Broadway along the way.
Broadway
45.5 mi in
|
~59m
About the Cities
Starting 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.
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 3m. Total distance: 48.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 29.6 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 45.3 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 45.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 46.4 miles: 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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