Origin
Brentwood, CA
Morning in Brentwood on Saturday
Local time
11:26 AM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from Brentwood, CA to Santa Ana, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
6h 10m
Distance
377.6 mi
608 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$87
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
5h 58m
★
6 AM
6h 11m
8 AM
6h 36m
10 AM
6h 20m
12 PM
6h 17m
3 PM
6h 21m
5 PM
6h 35m
8 PM
6h 3m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Brentwood, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Brentwood, CA to Santa Ana, CA covers 377.6 miles and takes about 6h 10m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Oak Street, Brentwood Boulevard, Byron Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $86.79 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
188.8 miles from Brentwood, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 5m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Street | — | — |
| Brentwood Boulevard | — | — |
| Byron Highway | — | — |
| Byron-Bethany Road | — | — |
| Byron Road | — | — |
| Mountain House Parkway | — | — |
| International Parkway | — | — |
| William Elton Brown Freeway | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Oak Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Brentwood, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Brentwood Boulevard
66 ft
·
9 sec
·
Brentwood Boulevard
2
Turn left onto Oak Street
98 ft
·
10 sec
·
Oak Street
3
Turn left
305 ft
·
24 sec
4
Turn right onto Brentwood Boulevard
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Brentwood Boulevard
5
Continue on Byron Highway
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Byron Highway
6
Turn right onto Byron Highway
6.7 mi
·
10 min
·
Byron Highway
7
Continue on Byron-Bethany Road
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Byron-Bethany Road
8
Continue on Byron Road
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Byron Road
9
Turn right onto Mountain House Parkway
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Mountain House Parkway
10
Continue on International Parkway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
International Parkway
11
Continue on Mountain House Parkway
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Mountain House Parkway
12
Take the ramp left
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
13
Merge slight left onto William Elton Brown Freeway
8.1 mi
·
8 min
·
William Elton Brown Freeway
14
Keep slight left to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
5.9 mi
·
6 min
·
William Elton Brown Freeway
15
Merge slight left onto Westside Freeway
224 mi
·
4 hr
·
Westside Freeway
16
Keep slight right
58 mi
·
1 hr 6 min
17
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Golden State Freeway
18
Keep slight right to continue on I 405 South
0.3 mi
·
18 sec
·
I 405 South
19
Keep slight left
25 mi
·
29 min
20
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Golden State Freeway
21
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
26 mi
·
30 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
22
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
23
Take the exit slight right toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
0.8 mi
·
57 sec
·
Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
24
Keep slight right to continue on Main Street North, Broadway
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
·
Main Street North, Broadway
25
Turn straight onto North Broadway
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
North Broadway
26
Turn left onto West 17th Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
West 17th Street
27
Turn right onto North Main Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
North Main Street
28
Turn right onto West 1st Street
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 1st Street
29
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 188.8 miles from Brentwood, CA, or about 3h 5m into the drive.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 83 miles or 1h 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 188.8 miles or 3h 5m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 11m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Santa Ana, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Brentwood, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Brentwood, CA
This is one driving day of about 377.6 miles and 6h 10m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 83 miles from Brentwood, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
189 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 83 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 188.8 miles from Brentwood, 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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$86.79 one way
$173.58 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
132 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $89.43 | $178.87 |
| premium | $6.18 | $91.83 | $183.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $83.37 | $166.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$87
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$112–$137
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 132.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $40 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 113.3 | 1 | $39.65 | $18.12 |
| Efficient EV | 94.4 | 1 | $33.04 | $15.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 151 | 1 | $52.86 | $24.17 |
Gas CO2
132 kg
EV CO2
44 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Saturday
Local time
11:26 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Road read
6h 10m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
377.6 mi in 6h 10m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: Oak Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 10m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Brentwood, CA to Santa Ana, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
About the Cities
Starting in Brentwood, CA
Full guide →Founded 1837
Brentwood is an affluent, suburban city in eastern Contra Costa County, California with a popular downtown for visitors coming from the Sacramento Valley to the county. It serves as one of the eastern gateways to the East Bay, along with Livermore. Many in the city are commuters.
Top landmarks
- • Stone House of John Marsh — historic stone house in Contra Costa County, California
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 6h 10m. Total distance: 377.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 10m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
It helps. This is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. 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.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Brentwood, CA to Santa Ana, CA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.2 hours each way, a round trip means 12.4 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Santa Ana, CA before the return drive.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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