Best Time to Drive from Lake Forest to Pasadena

Right now (6:48 pm PDT): about 60 minutes via I-5 North, usually 59 at this time.

Only 37% 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 Lake Forest 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	51	59	62	67	62	57	57	59	61	62	65	65	66	63	57	53	50
Tue	51	59	66	69	65	60	60	59	61	61	65	69	70	66	60	54	50
Wed	51	58	63	68	63	60	59	59	60	60	66	70	71	67	59	55	50
Thu	52	58	64	68	64	61	61	60	61	62	68	73	71	65	61	56	51
Fri	51	58	57	62	60	61	61	61	64	65	71	71	73	69	60	57	50
Sat	52	53	55	54	55	60	61	61	62	62	62	63	63	59	59	57	51
Sun	51	53	54	52	54	55	59	58	60	60	62	61	62	61	63	58	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 55-mile drive from Lake Forest to Pasadena (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 73 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 61 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (65 minutes).

About 51 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest to Pasadena?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 73 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Lake Forest to Pasadena?

The 55-mile drive usually takes 50 to 73 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 61 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lake Forest to Pasadena?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 73 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (32 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (13 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 Lake Forest (return trip) · Lake Forest to Los Angeles · Lake Forest to Moreno Valley · Lake Forest to Long Beach · Lake Forest to Anaheim · Lake Forest to Riverside · Lake Forest to Santa Ana · Lake Forest to Irvine · Lake Forest to San Bernardino · Lake Forest to Fontana · Lake Forest to Huntington Beach · Lake Forest to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	59	62	67	62	57	57	59	61	62	65	65	66	63	57	53	50
Tue	51	59	66	69	65	60	60	59	61	61	65	69	70	66	60	54	50
Wed	51	58	63	68	63	60	59	59	60	60	66	70	71	67	59	55	50
Thu	52	58	64	68	64	61	61	60	61	62	68	73	71	65	61	56	51
Fri	51	58	57	62	60	61	61	61	64	65	71	71	73	69	60	57	50
Sat	52	53	55	54	55	60	61	61	62	62	62	63	63	59	59	57	51
Sun	51	53	54	52	54	55	59	58	60	60	62	61	62	61	63	58	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	59	62	67	62	57	57	59	61	62	65	65	66	63	57	53	50
Tue	51	59	66	69	65	60	60	59	61	61	65	69	70	66	60	54	50
Wed	51	58	63	68	63	60	59	59	60	60	66	70	71	67	59	55	50
Thu	52	58	64	68	64	61	61	60	61	62	68	73	71	65	61	56	51
Fri	51	58	57	62	60	61	61	61	64	65	71	71	73	69	60	57	50
Sat	52	53	55	54	55	60	61	61	62	62	62	63	63	59	59	57	51
Sun	51	53	54	52	54	55	59	58	60	60	62	61	62	61	63	58	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	59	62	67	62	57	57	59	61	62	65	65	66	63	57	53	50
Tue	51	59	66	69	65	60	60	59	61	61	65	69	70	66	60	54	50
Wed	51	58	63	68	63	60	59	59	60	60	66	70	71	67	59	55	50
Thu	52	58	64	68	64	61	61	60	61	62	68	73	71	65	61	56	51
Fri	51	58	57	62	60	61	61	61	64	65	71	71	73	69	60	57	50
Sat	52	53	55	54	55	60	61	61	62	62	62	63	63	59	59	57	51
Sun	51	53	54	52	54	55	59	58	60	60	62	61	62	61	63	58	50