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The Santa Ana Freeway is one of the principal freeways in Southern California, connecting Los Angeles, California and its southeastern suburbs. The freeway begins at the Four Level Interchange complex in downtown Los Angeles, signed as U.S. Route 101. From there, it proceeds one mile east to the East Los Angeles Interchange where it takes the designation of Interstate 5. Its alignment then generally goes northwest to southeast towards its junction with the San Diego Freeway, Interstate 405 (I-405) (informally referred to as the El Toro Y), in Irvine.
North of the East Los Angeles Interchange complex, Interstate 5's name changes to the Golden State Freeway. South of its junction with the I-405, its name changes to the San Diego Freeway. (Interstate 405 ends at this junction.)
An abundance of landmarks, most importantly (Disneyland and Angel Stadium of Anaheim) in Anaheim, along the Orange County portion of its route combines with a severe bottleneck beginning at the Los Angeles County border (shrinking from 12 to 6 lanes) to make it one of the most congested freeways in Southern California. The infamously busy intersection of the Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Orange freeways in southwestern Orange is nicknamed the Orange Crush.
Legal definition
Routes 101 and 5 from Route 110 (Four Level Interchange) to Route 405. named by the Counties of Los Angeles and Orange
Source: 2004 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California (PDF)
Communities Served
Cities/Communities along the Santa Ana Freeway (northwest to southeast):
- Chinatown
- Boyle Heights
- East Los Angeles
- Commerce
- Downey
- Santa Fe Springs
- Norwalk
- La Mirada
- Buena Park
- Anaheim
- Orange
- Santa Ana
- Tustin
- Irvine
Major Freeways/Highways intersecting the Santa Ana Freeway (north to south)
- At the Four Level Interchange complex in downtown Los Angeles: Hollywood Freeway Pasadena Freeway
- At the East Los Angeles Interchange complex in East Los Angeles (the largest freeway interchange in the world): Golden State Freeway Santa Monica Freeway/San Bernardino Freeway Pomona Freeway
Long Beach Freeway in City of Commerce Rosemead/Lakewood Boulevard (surface street) in Downey (Exit 125) San Gabriel River Freeway in Santa Fe Springs (Exit 124) Beach Boulevard (surface street) in Buena Park (Exit 116) Riverside Freeway (Exits 113C/114)
Costa Mesa Freeway in Tustin (Exit 103AB) Eastern Transportation Corridor (toll road) in Irvine (Exit 100 via Jamboree Road). Eastern Transportation Corridor/Laguna Freeway (toll road) in Irvine (Exit 95). San Diego Freeway at the El Toro 'Y' in Irvine (Exit 94A). Note: The name of Interstate 5 south of this interchange is the San Diego Freeway.
"Santa Ana Freeway"