Santa Ana (California)

By plane

(SNA) 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 (21.5km or 18 minutes in light traffic) southeast of Disneyland and 18.5 mi (29.6km) from Knott's Berry Farm. The airport is located 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. Non stop 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, Delta/Delta Connection and Westjet
• Terminal B: United/United Express, Alaska/Horizon
• Terminal C: Frontier, Southwest, all international arrivals (except from cities with US immigration & customs pre-clearance)
• 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) (49 mi/78 km) and Long Beach (LGB)(20mi/32km), both of which are off of the I-405 corridor from Santa Ana. The other is in Ontario (ONT) 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

• From Interstate 5 (I-5) 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).
• Interstate 405 (I-405) runs parallel to I-5 along the southside of town with the Santa Ana exit between SR-55 at Exit 9 and Harbor Blvd at Exit 11.
• SR-55 connects 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.
• 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.

By train or bus

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

• AmtrakThe 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.

• MetrolinkRegional 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

  phone: +1 213 629-4885
  Bus service between Los Angeles and Tijuana or Tijuana Airport via Santa Ana and San Ysidro.

• Greyhound & Cruceros USA

  phone: +1 714 542-2215
  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.

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.

• old Town Hall

  address: 217 N Main St
  Art Deco structure. Is now open as a museum for the city, registration may be required.

• 4th Street in Santa AnaThis 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.

• The Heritage Museum of Orange County

  address: 3101 W Harvard St
  A cultural and natural history center, highlighting historic homes and exhibits.

• The Bowers Museum

  address: 2002 N Main St
  A cultural art museum, known for its own exhibits and for its visiting exhibits.

• Discovery Science Center

  address: 2500 N Main St
  A peculiar bit of architecture which hosts an ever-changing series of hands-on displays for children.

• Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park

  address: 1801 E Chestnut Ave
  20 acres of urban jungle. By its founder's wish, it must be the home to at least 50 monkeys at all times.

• Floral ParkA 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

  address: Art District, bounded by Broadway, First, Third, and Spurgeon Streets
  An art walk in a district containing art galleries, restaurants, and shops.

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.
The Martinez Bookstore has books in both English and Spanish and is run by a very kind man. It is located on Broadway.

• The Gypsy Den

  phone: +1 714 835-8840
  address: 125 N Broadway
  is very popular, especially with the youth. It serves many different types of food, including vegetarian friendly food.

• The Artist Villagehome to Pangea and several other food establishments and clubs that are very popular.

• Pop's Cafe

  phone: +1 714-543-2772
  address: 112 E 9th St
  is very good and has excellently prices.

• Super Antojitosoffers excellent Mexican food for a great price as well as kareoke.

• Cauldron Ice Cream

  phone: +1 657 245-3442
  address: 1421 W Macarthur Blvd, Suite F
  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.

• Original Mike's

  phone: +1 714 550-7764
  address: 100 S Main
  Original Mikes is a local favorite serving American cuisine with live entertainment almost every night.

• Best Western Orange County Airport North

  phone: +1 714 432-8888
  address: 2700 Hotel Terrace

• Candlewood Suites

  phone: +1 949 250-0404
  address: 2600 S. Red Hill Ave

• Courtyard Costa Mesa South Coast Metro

  phone: +1 714 545-1001
  address: 3002 South Harbor Blvd

• Budget Inn

  phone: +1 714 554-1177
  address: 1108 N. Harbor Blvd

• Holiday Inn

  phone: +1 714 481-6300
  address: 2726 South Grand Ave

• Motel 6

  phone: +1 714 558-0500
  address: 1623 East 1st St

Stay safe

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.

• Santa Ana Police Department

  phone: +1 714 245-8049 (dispatch)
  address: 60 Civic Center Plaza
  SAPD provides law enforcement protection in the city from three stations.

• Orange County Fire Authority

  phone: +1 714 538-3501
  OCFA provides fire and emergency medical service from 10 stations throughout Santa Ana.

Hospitals

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

• Coastal Communities Hospital

  phone: +1 714 754-5454
  address: 2701 S. Bristol St

• Western Medical Center Santa Ana

  phone: +1 714 953-3500
  address: 1001 N Tustin Ave

Consulates

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:

• Mexico

  phone: +1 714 835-3069
  address: 2100 E 4th St

• Orange
• Costa Mesa
• Anaheim location of Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm.