Best Time to Drive from Northridge to Pasadena

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 32 minutes via SR-134 East and US-101 South, usually 32 at this time.

Only 15% 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 Northridge 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	27	28	28	32	34	32	33	37	38	44	59	60	64	57	43	31	28
Tue	27	28	28	34	36	33	34	35	38	51	66	63	70	60	46	34	28
Wed	27	28	28	34	37	35	34	35	37	45	59	66	73	56	43	35	29
Thu	28	28	28	33	36	32	34	35	39	54	70	75	75	60	50	37	30
Fri	28	28	28	33	34	33	36	45	49	58	71	67	69	62	47	37	29
Sat	28	27	28	28	29	31	35	37	43	44	45	40	40	38	36	32	29
Sun	28	28	27	28	28	29	31	33	34	35	38	41	38	36	32	32	29

About this drive

On weekdays the 28-mile drive from Northridge to Pasadena (via SR-134 East and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 75 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (46 minutes).

About 24 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 19 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Northridge 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 Northridge to Pasadena?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 75 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 28-mile drive usually takes 27 to 75 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to Pasadena?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 75 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-134 East in Los Angeles (13 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (6 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (4 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Pasadena to Northridge (return trip) · Northridge to Los Angeles · Northridge to Rancho Cucamonga · Northridge to Long Beach · Northridge to Anaheim · Northridge to Riverside · Northridge to Santa Ana · Northridge to Irvine · Northridge to Fontana · Northridge to Oxnard · Northridge to Huntington Beach · Northridge 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	27	28	28	32	34	32	33	37	38	44	59	60	64	57	43	31	28
Tue	27	28	28	34	36	33	34	35	38	51	66	63	70	60	46	34	28
Wed	27	28	28	34	37	35	34	35	37	45	59	66	73	56	43	35	29
Thu	28	28	28	33	36	32	34	35	39	54	70	75	75	60	50	37	30
Fri	28	28	28	33	34	33	36	45	49	58	71	67	69	62	47	37	29
Sat	28	27	28	28	29	31	35	37	43	44	45	40	40	38	36	32	29
Sun	28	28	27	28	28	29	31	33	34	35	38	41	38	36	32	32	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	28	28	32	34	32	33	37	38	44	59	60	64	57	43	31	28
Tue	27	28	28	34	36	33	34	35	38	51	66	63	70	60	46	34	28
Wed	27	28	28	34	37	35	34	35	37	45	59	66	73	56	43	35	29
Thu	28	28	28	33	36	32	34	35	39	54	70	75	75	60	50	37	30
Fri	28	28	28	33	34	33	36	45	49	58	71	67	69	62	47	37	29
Sat	28	27	28	28	29	31	35	37	43	44	45	40	40	38	36	32	29
Sun	28	28	27	28	28	29	31	33	34	35	38	41	38	36	32	32	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	28	28	32	34	32	33	37	38	44	59	60	64	57	43	31	28
Tue	27	28	28	34	36	33	34	35	38	51	66	63	70	60	46	34	28
Wed	27	28	28	34	37	35	34	35	37	45	59	66	73	56	43	35	29
Thu	28	28	28	33	36	32	34	35	39	54	70	75	75	60	50	37	30
Fri	28	28	28	33	34	33	36	45	49	58	71	67	69	62	47	37	29
Sat	28	27	28	28	29	31	35	37	43	44	45	40	40	38	36	32	29
Sun	28	28	27	28	28	29	31	33	34	35	38	41	38	36	32	32	29