Origin
South Pasadena, CA
Afternoon in South Pasadena on Saturday
Local time
12:24 PM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Pasadena, 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
45m
Distance
34.3 mi
55 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Pasadena, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Ana, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from South Pasadena, CA to Santa Ana, CA covers 34.3 miles and takes about 45m 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, Fremont Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23.7 miles on Santa Ana Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.88 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 23.7 mi | 27m |
| Long Beach Freeway | 4 mi | 4m |
| Fremont Avenue | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| North Broadway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Fair Oaks Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Valley Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 23.7 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Pasadena, CA and Santa Ana, CA.
1
Start on Fair Oaks Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Fair Oaks Avenue
2
Turn slight right
440 ft
·
18 sec
3
Turn straight onto Huntington Drive
289 ft
·
12 sec
·
Huntington Drive
4
Turn left onto Fremont Avenue
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Fremont Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto West Valley Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Valley Boulevard
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto I 710
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Long Beach Freeway
Use the left lane.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 18
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Use the slight left lane.
8
Merge onto I 5
23 mi
·
27 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
57 sec
Toward Broadway, Main Street, Santa Ana
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Main Street North, Broadway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn straight onto North Broadway
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left onto West 5th Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
West 5th Street
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the right lane.
15
Turn right onto West 1st Street
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 1st Street
Use the right lane.
16
Arrive at destination
West 1st Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.1 miles from South Pasadena, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 7.4 and 33.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
7.4 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 18
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
6
31.3 mi into trip
|
~40m 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
31.5 mi into trip
|
~40m 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
32.3 mi into trip
|
~41m 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
33.9 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
West 5th Street
Turn left onto West 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.88 one way
$15.77 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.12 | $16.25 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.34 | $16.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.57 | $15.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 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 | 10.3 | 0 | $3.60 | $1.65 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.80 | $2.20 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Santa Ana, CA
Afternoon in Santa Ana on Saturday
Local time
12:24 PM
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
45m 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?
34.3 mi in 45m, mostly highway — 23.7 mi of that is on Santa Ana Freeway.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.7 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 7.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 34.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.3 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 South Pasadena, CA and Santa Ana, CA, road signs point toward Broadway and Main Street North.
Broadway
31.5 mi in
|
~40m
Main Street North
32.3 mi in
|
~41m
About the Cities
Starting in South Pasadena, CA
Full guide →South Pasadena is a small city in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern 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 45m. Total distance: 34.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.7 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 7.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.3 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 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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