Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Pasadena

Right now (6:53 pm PDT): about 68 minutes via I-5 North, usually 59 at this time.

Only 43% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Costa Mesa to Pasadena by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	53	57	60	56	51	51	52	52	59	63	63	62	60	49	47	45
Tue	45	53	60	64	58	55	52	53	55	58	63	67	64	59	52	48	46
Wed	46	53	58	61	58	54	52	54	56	59	64	69	70	68	57	50	46
Thu	47	52	59	62	57	53	53	52	53	59	65	70	65	58	59	49	46
Fri	46	53	53	55	54	53	53	56	60	63	70	70	73	62	52	49	46
Sat	47	49	50	49	50	52	53	53	53	53	55	56	56	53	50	49	46
Sun	46	48	49	48	48	49	51	52	52	53	53	52	53	53	52	52	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Pasadena (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 45 minutes and up to 73 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (60 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (2 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Costa Mesa to Old Pasadena along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Costa Mesa to Pasadena?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 45 minutes then, versus up to 73 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Pasadena?

The 51-mile drive usually takes 45 to 73 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Pasadena?

Leaving around 5 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 73 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (13 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (8 miles) · I-110 North in Los Angeles (5 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Pasadena to Costa Mesa (return trip) · Costa Mesa to Los Angeles · Costa Mesa to Anaheim · Costa Mesa to Riverside · Costa Mesa to Santa Ana · Costa Mesa to Irvine · Costa Mesa to San Bernardino · Costa Mesa to Fontana · Costa Mesa to Moreno Valley · Costa Mesa to Glendale · Costa Mesa to Santa Clarita · Costa Mesa to Oceanside

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	53	57	60	56	51	51	52	52	59	63	63	62	60	49	47	45
Tue	45	53	60	64	58	55	52	53	55	58	63	67	64	59	52	48	46
Wed	46	53	58	61	58	54	52	54	56	59	64	69	70	68	57	50	46
Thu	47	52	59	62	57	53	53	52	53	59	65	70	65	58	59	49	46
Fri	46	53	53	55	54	53	53	56	60	63	70	70	73	62	52	49	46
Sat	47	49	50	49	50	52	53	53	53	53	55	56	56	53	50	49	46
Sun	46	48	49	48	48	49	51	52	52	53	53	52	53	53	52	52	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	53	57	60	56	51	51	52	52	59	63	63	62	60	49	47	45
Tue	45	53	60	64	58	55	52	53	55	58	63	67	64	59	52	48	46
Wed	46	53	58	61	58	54	52	54	56	59	64	69	70	68	57	50	46
Thu	47	52	59	62	57	53	53	52	53	59	65	70	65	58	59	49	46
Fri	46	53	53	55	54	53	53	56	60	63	70	70	73	62	52	49	46
Sat	47	49	50	49	50	52	53	53	53	53	55	56	56	53	50	49	46
Sun	46	48	49	48	48	49	51	52	52	53	53	52	53	53	52	52	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	53	57	60	56	51	51	52	52	59	63	63	62	60	49	47	45
Tue	45	53	60	64	58	55	52	53	55	58	63	67	64	59	52	48	46
Wed	46	53	58	61	58	54	52	54	56	59	64	69	70	68	57	50	46
Thu	47	52	59	62	57	53	53	52	53	59	65	70	65	58	59	49	46
Fri	46	53	53	55	54	53	53	56	60	63	70	70	73	62	52	49	46
Sat	47	49	50	49	50	52	53	53	53	53	55	56	56	53	50	49	46
Sun	46	48	49	48	48	49	51	52	52	53	53	52	53	53	52	52	45