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county seat and city of Orange County, California, United States
North America > United States of America > California > Southern California > Orange County (California) > Inland Cities (Orange County) > Santa Ana (California)

Santa Ana is a city in Orange County, Southern California and is the county seat of that county.

Get in

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Map
Map of Santa Ana (California)

By plane

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1 John Wayne Airport (SNA  IATA) is the closest airport to Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm in Anaheim and one of five commercial airports in the greater Los Angeles area. It's located 13.5 mi (21.5 km or 18 minutes in light traffic) southeast of Disneyland and 18.5 mi (29.6 km) from Knott's Berry Farm. The airport is southeast of the junction between SR-55 & I-405 (Exit #8 from I-405 or Exit #6/6B from SR-55) and 6.5 mi (10.4 km) from I-5 (Exit #103) along SR-55. Nonstop air service is available from all regions of the United States including intrastate flights from all major airports in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento in northern California; from Mexico and from Canada. Nonstop flights are available with:

  • Terminal A: American, Air Canada, Breeze Airways, Delta/Delta Connection and Westjet
  • Terminal B: United/United Express, Alaska/Horizon
  • Terminal C: Allegiant, Frontier, Spirit, Southwest, all international arrivals (except from cities with US immigration & customs pre-clearance)
  • 2 JSX have their own private terminal at 19301 Campus Dr Suite #152, further south of the main terminal.

Instead of three separate terminal buildings, the terminal is a single long building spanning north to south and is divided into three segments with "Terminal A" at the north end and "Terminal C" in the south end of the building.

Taxis from the airport to Disneyland are estimated at $49 one-way; $26 to the historic district in downtown Santa Ana or $23 to the Tustin Metrolink Station (nearest Metrolink Station). There are numerous shuttle and private bus companies that offer regularly scheduled transportation to the Disneyland Resorts or anywhere on request, some of which may offer a group discount. Orange County Transport Authority (OCTA) only go west towards Huntington Beach through Fountain Valley on Rt #76 and southeast towards San Juan Capistrano on Rt #212 on limited schedules. Check schedules before using this option. The i Irvine Shuttle Rt 'A'/ 400A connects the airport to the Tustin Metrolink (nearest Metrolink Station) along Von Karmen Ave for connections to additional OCTA buses and Metrolink trains. Unless you plan to spend your entire stay in a single location (Disneyland/Disney Resorts, OC Convention Center, etc) it is recommended to rent a car, rather than to rely on public transportation to get around in Orange County and the greater Los Angeles area.

The next nearest airports are Los Angeles International Airport (LAX IATA) (49 mi/78 km) and Long Beach (LGB IATA)(20mi/32km), both of which are off of the I-405 corridor from Santa Ana. The other is in Ontario (ONT IATA) which is 50 mi/80 km northeast towards the Inland Empire. If you are transiting through the area, between the airports, it is recommended to pay the extra money for a taxi, Uber or Lyft, rather than try to use public transportation and risk missing your flight. Shared ride vans may make multiple stops along the way to pick up and drop off people, which can take longer, too.

By car

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  • From Interstate 5 (I-5) / Santa Ana Freeway Santa Ana is accessed between its intersection with SR-55 at Exit 103A/B and its intersection with SR-22 at Exit 106 (from northbound lanes) or Exit 107A/B (from southbound lanes). Downtown can be accessed at "Grand Ave/Santa Ana Blvd" from Exit 104 A/B or at "First St" from Exit 103A (northbound lanes only) and at "Fourth St" from Exit 104 (southbound lanes only).
  • (I-405) San Diego Freeway serves as an auxiliary to I-5 along the southside of Santa Ana which is accessed between exit 9 (Bristol St & CA-55) and 12 ("Euclid St").
  • State Route (SR) 55 connects to SR-91 in Anaheim Hills, NE of Anaheim to Costa Mesa with exits into Santa Ana and the airport between I-405 (Exits 6-6B) and I-5 (Exits 9A/9B). From Riverside go southwest along SR-91 through Corona to get to SR-55. Locally CA-55 divides Santa Ana from Irvine with 5 exits to access Santa Ana/Irvine.
  • SR-57 goes into Santa Ana from Pomona in the San Gabriel Valley, east of Los Angeles and can be a short towards Orange County from San Gabriel Valley without going through downtown Los Angeles.
  • SR-22 connects CA-57 at its junction with I-5 (Exit 106 of I-5), across Westminster and Garden Grove Dr to Valley View Dr at I-405 (Exit 21 of I-405).

By train or bus

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3 Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, or SARTC, is Santa Ana's central train and bus station. The station is located at 1000 E Anita Blvd, in downtown Santa Ana.

  • Amtrak. The Pacific Surfliner route serves this station, connecting Santa Ana with San Diego to the south and San Luis Obispo to the north (via Los Angeles and Santa Barbara). Amtrak runs the same route between Los Angeles and Oceanside as the MetroLink Orange County Line but only with fewer stops in between. 
  • Metrolink. Regional rail service to Anaheim is available on the Orange County Line, which runs from Los Angeles to Oceanside and on the Inland Empire-Orange County Line, which runs from San Bernardino to Oceanside. Both lines run the same route with the same stops between Oceanside and Orange. If using public transit to reach the Santa Ana John Wayne Airport get off at the Tustin Station where you transfer to the i Irvine Shuttle Rt 'A'/ 400A bus. Not here, as there are no direct bus connections from the Santa Ana Station to the airport. To reach LAX get off at Los Angeles Union Station and transfer to the LAX FlyAway bus. 
  • International Bus Lines (formerly Intercalifornias/Aeromexico Shuttle), ☏ +1 657-231-6516, toll-free: +1-888-834-9336. Bus service between Los Angeles and Tijuana or Tijuana Airport via Santa Ana and San Ysidro. 
  • Greyhound & Cruceros USA, ☏ +1 714 542-2215, toll-free: +1 800 231-2222. Travels primarily on Interstate 5 (Los Angeles, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Oceanside, and/or San Diego). I-5/405 (San Diego, Oceanside, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Long Beach). SR-55/60 (Santa Ana, Anaheim, Riverside, San Bernardino). Some variations of the above routes may be direct from Los Angeles or Long Beach to San Diego while others make fewer stops in between. Cruceros USA continues from San Diego to Tijuana. Passengers transfer in Los Angeles and/or San Bernardino to get to additional destinations in the U.S. and in Tijuana for onward connections to Mexico. (updated Aug 2017)

Get around

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The buses of the Orange County Transportation Authority can get you around Santa Ana or most places in Orange County for $4 a day.

A free trolley runs through the Downtown area on Monday and Tuesday afternoons.

  • 1 old Town Hall, 217 N Main St. Art Deco structure. Is now open as a museum for the city, registration may be required. 
  • 4th Street in Santa Ana. This street is popular with locals. It has many small businesses and a small theater. The street is located about one block from the Old Courthouse, a still operating legal centre and museum. 
  • 2 The Heritage Museum of Orange County, 3101 W Harvard St. A cultural and natural history center, highlighting historic homes and exhibits. 
  • 3 The Bowers Museum, 2002 N Main St. A cultural art museum, known for its own exhibits and for its visiting exhibits. 
  • 4 Discovery Science Center, 2500 N Main St, ☏ +1 714-542-2823. 10AM-5PM daily. A peculiar bit of architecture which hosts an ever-changing series of hands-on displays for children. Adult $19.95, child (3-14) $14.95, senior (62+) $16.95. Discovery Science Center (Q5281966) on Wikidata Discovery Cube Orange County on Wikipedia (updated Jan 2022)
  • 5 Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park, 1801 E Chestnut Ave, ☏ +1 714-836-4000. 10AM-5PM daily. 20 acres of urban jungle. By its founder's wish, it must be the home to at least 50 monkeys at all times. It has a "Fifty Monkeys Ferris Wheel", with each gondola highlighting an endangered monkey, a carousel with endangered animals, and a train ride. Santa Ana Zoo (Q7419178) on Wikidata Santa Ana Zoo on Wikipedia (updated Jan 2022)
  • Floral Park. A beautiful neighborhood with expensive houses. 

Go to MainPlace Mall. It is located near the border with Orange. It is an alternative to 4th Street. Across the street is Barnes and Noble and across from there is Santiago Park, the best park in the city. It has a beautiful bike path and a lot of squirrels. Jerome Park is home to lovely gardens and the largest community center in the city. It has its own basketball court and boxing gym.

  • Santa Ana Artist Village Art Walk, Art District, bounded by Broadway, First, Third, and Spurgeon Streets. First Sa of every month 7PM. An art walk in a district containing art galleries, restaurants, and shops. Free. 

Stuff on 4th Street or at MainPlace Mall. There are other marketplaces but these two are the best. 4th Street is a collection of jewelry and cloth shops with a few Mexican Bric-à-brac stores and food stands.

  • 1 The Den (The Gypsy Den), 125 N Broadway (located in the Artist Village), ☏ +1 714 835-8840. is very popular, especially with the youth. It serves many different types of food, including vegetarian friendly food. (updated Aug 2015)
  • The Artist Village. Home to Pangea and several other food establishments and clubs that are very popular. 
  • 2 Pop's Cafe, 112 E 9th St (located just off of Main Street), ☏ +1 714-543-2772. is very good and has excellently prices. 
  • Super Antojitos (near the Target across from the college). Offers excellent Mexican food for a great price as well as karaoke. 
  • 3 Cauldron Ice Cream, 1421 W Macarthur Blvd, Suite F, ☏ +1 657 245-3442, . noon–10PM daily. Ice cream made on the spot and flash frozen in liquid nitrogen. Get a generous scoop of ice cream served on a Hong Kong-style puffle cone – sort of like a puffy, eggy waffle – for about $7. They offer unusual flavors, which change monthly. Earl Grey Lavender is the most popular. Ask the staff to shape it into a rose for you (no extra charge). Can get crowded during peak times. $6–10. (updated Apr 2018)

Drink

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Sleep

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Cope

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Stay safe

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Dial 9-1-1 for all emergencies. Note that dialing 9-1-1 from a cell phone will connect you with the California Highway Patrol who will connect you with local agencies resulting in a delay in response. Dialing 9-1-1 from a payphone (if any still available) is a free call.

Santa Ana is generally safe, though visible signs show that crime is once again on the rise. Avoiding walking alone at night, especially in the Logan and French Park areas. Santiago Park is often used as a gang base at night, so avoid it at night.

Hospitals

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Both of these hospitals have a 24-hour emergency room.

Consulates

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Most of the foreign consulates are located along Wilshire Blvd in/around the Wilshire neighborhood and West Los Angeles, between downtown and Santa Monica in Los Angeles. The following are consulates in Orange County:

Go next

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Routes through Santa Ana
Los Angeles ← Orange ←  N  S  → Tustin → San Diego
Long Beach ← Garden Grove ←  W  E  → END
Anaheim ← Orange ←  N  S  → Costa Mesa → Newport Beach
Pomona ← Orange ←  N  S  → END
Los Angeles ← Anaheim ←  N  S  → Irvine → San Diego


This city travel guide to Santa Ana is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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