Best Time to Drive from Fullerton to Pasadena

Right now (5:03 pm PDT): about 53 minutes via I-5 North, usually 42 at this time.

Only 24% 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 Fullerton 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	34	39	46	51	45	39	39	38	39	39	42	40	39	37	35	35	33
Tue	33	39	47	55	48	43	39	38	39	39	42	42	42	40	37	35	33
Wed	33	39	47	53	48	41	39	39	39	39	42	44	42	40	36	35	33
Thu	34	40	48	54	47	43	40	39	40	40	44	47	46	40	37	36	34
Fri	33	40	41	44	42	40	40	40	42	44	49	47	49	47	41	36	34
Sat	35	37	38	37	38	40	41	40	41	41	41	41	43	39	38	37	34
Sun	34	36	38	36	36	37	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	40	39	39	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Fullerton to Pasadena (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 55 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (43 minutes).

About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (9 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fullerton 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 Fullerton to Pasadena?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 55 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Fullerton to Pasadena?

The 34-mile drive usually takes 33 to 55 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fullerton to Pasadena?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 55 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (10 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 Fullerton (return trip) · Fullerton to Los Angeles · Fullerton to Long Beach · Fullerton to Riverside · Fullerton to Santa Ana · Fullerton to Irvine · Fullerton to San Bernardino · Fullerton to Huntington Beach · Fullerton to Glendale · Fullerton to Santa Clarita · Fullerton to Rancho Cucamonga · Fullerton to Ontario

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	39	46	51	45	39	39	38	39	39	42	40	39	37	35	35	33
Tue	33	39	47	55	48	43	39	38	39	39	42	42	42	40	37	35	33
Wed	33	39	47	53	48	41	39	39	39	39	42	44	42	40	36	35	33
Thu	34	40	48	54	47	43	40	39	40	40	44	47	46	40	37	36	34
Fri	33	40	41	44	42	40	40	40	42	44	49	47	49	47	41	36	34
Sat	35	37	38	37	38	40	41	40	41	41	41	41	43	39	38	37	34
Sun	34	36	38	36	36	37	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	40	39	39	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	39	46	51	45	39	39	38	39	39	42	40	39	37	35	35	33
Tue	33	39	47	55	48	43	39	38	39	39	42	42	42	40	37	35	33
Wed	33	39	47	53	48	41	39	39	39	39	42	44	42	40	36	35	33
Thu	34	40	48	54	47	43	40	39	40	40	44	47	46	40	37	36	34
Fri	33	40	41	44	42	40	40	40	42	44	49	47	49	47	41	36	34
Sat	35	37	38	37	38	40	41	40	41	41	41	41	43	39	38	37	34
Sun	34	36	38	36	36	37	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	40	39	39	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	39	46	51	45	39	39	38	39	39	42	40	39	37	35	35	33
Tue	33	39	47	55	48	43	39	38	39	39	42	42	42	40	37	35	33
Wed	33	39	47	53	48	41	39	39	39	39	42	44	42	40	36	35	33
Thu	34	40	48	54	47	43	40	39	40	40	44	47	46	40	37	36	34
Fri	33	40	41	44	42	40	40	40	42	44	49	47	49	47	41	36	34
Sat	35	37	38	37	38	40	41	40	41	41	41	41	43	39	38	37	34
Sun	34	36	38	36	36	37	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	40	39	39	34