Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
33.9 mi
55 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Alhambra, CA
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Santa Ana, CA to Alhambra, CA covers 33.9 miles and takes about 43m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Santa Ana Freeway, Long Beach Freeway, North Broadway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.6 miles on Santa Ana Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.79 one way before food or hotel costs.
Alhambra is a city in the San Gabriel Valley. There is a large ethnic Chinese population (both from Taiwan and Mainland China), though not as much as in neighboring cities like Monterey Park.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 33.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
This is a 43m highway drive covering 33.9 miles, with most of the trip on Santa Ana Freeway and Long Beach Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 24.6 miles on Santa Ana Freeway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and Long Beach 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.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 33.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn right onto North Broadway
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 710 North: Pasadena
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto North Garfield Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 24.6 mi | 28m |
| Long Beach Freeway | 4.1 mi | 4m |
| North Broadway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Mission Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| West Valley Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Atlantic Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Fremont Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Ana, CA and Alhambra, CA.
Start on West 1st Street
Turn right onto North Broadway
Turn right onto West Santa Clara Avenue
Continue on this road
Merge onto I 5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
Take the exit
Merge onto I 710
Turn right onto West Valley Boulevard
Turn left onto South Fremont Avenue
Turn right onto East Mission Road
Turn left onto South Atlantic Boulevard
Turn right onto West Main Street
Turn left onto North Garfield Avenue
Arrive at destination
Regular Gas
$7.79 one way
$15.58 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.03 | $16.06 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.24 | $16.49 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.48 | $14.97 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.9 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 | 10.2 | 0 | $3.56 | $1.63 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.75 | $2.17 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Santa Ana on Friday
Local time
7:02 PM
PDT
Current temp
53°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Evening in Alhambra on Friday
Local time
7:02 PM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Mostly Clear
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
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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