Best Time to Drive from Pasadena to Downey

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 39 minutes via I-5 South and I-110 South, usually 41 at this time.

Only 12% 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 Pasadena to Downey 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	26	27	30	32	29	31	34	32	36	36	55	64	59	53	34	26	25
Tue	24	25	33	37	30	31	31	31	32	41	55	67	66	58	42	29	24
Wed	24	25	33	35	32	29	30	30	33	39	47	53	48	45	38	29	25
Thu	24	25	32	36	30	33	35	36	40	45	59	64	65	59	40	29	26
Fri	24	25	31	37	33	33	34	38	45	55	62	65	64	57	40	31	25
Sat	24	24	25	27	30	31	36	38	40	42	42	41	40	36	33	30	26
Sun	24	24	25	25	25	28	30	36	37	40	37	36	35	34	33	31	26

About this drive

On weekdays the 21-mile drive from Pasadena to Downey (via I-5 South and I-110 South) usually takes as little as 24 minutes and up to 70 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (43 minutes).

About 16 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (10 to 22 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Old Pasadena (East Holly Street) to central Downey (Downey Avenue) 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 Pasadena to Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 24 minutes then, versus up to 70 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 21-mile drive usually takes 24 to 70 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pasadena to Downey?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 70 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (11 miles) · I-110 South in Los Angeles (5 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Downey to Pasadena (return trip) · Pasadena to Santa Monica · Pasadena to Long Beach · Pasadena to West Covina · Pasadena to Burbank · Pasadena to Santa Clarita · Pasadena to Van Nuys · Pasadena to Torrance · Pasadena to Hollywood · Pasadena to Culver City · Pasadena to Whittier · Pasadena to Thousand Oaks

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	27	30	32	29	31	34	32	36	36	55	64	59	53	34	26	25
Tue	24	25	33	37	30	31	31	31	32	41	55	67	66	58	42	29	24
Wed	24	25	33	35	32	29	30	30	33	39	47	53	48	45	38	29	25
Thu	24	25	32	36	30	33	35	36	40	45	59	64	65	59	40	29	26
Fri	24	25	31	37	33	33	34	38	45	55	62	65	64	57	40	31	25
Sat	24	24	25	27	30	31	36	38	40	42	42	41	40	36	33	30	26
Sun	24	24	25	25	25	28	30	36	37	40	37	36	35	34	33	31	26

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	27	30	32	29	31	34	32	36	36	55	64	59	53	34	26	25
Tue	24	25	33	37	30	31	31	31	32	41	55	67	66	58	42	29	24
Wed	24	25	33	35	32	29	30	30	33	39	47	53	48	45	38	29	25
Thu	24	25	32	36	30	33	35	36	40	45	59	64	65	59	40	29	26
Fri	24	25	31	37	33	33	34	38	45	55	62	65	64	57	40	31	25
Sat	24	24	25	27	30	31	36	38	40	42	42	41	40	36	33	30	26
Sun	24	24	25	25	25	28	30	36	37	40	37	36	35	34	33	31	26

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	27	30	32	29	31	34	32	36	36	55	64	59	53	34	26	25
Tue	24	25	33	37	30	31	31	31	32	41	55	67	66	58	42	29	24
Wed	24	25	33	35	32	29	30	30	33	39	47	53	48	45	38	29	25
Thu	24	25	32	36	30	33	35	36	40	45	59	64	65	59	40	29	26
Fri	24	25	31	37	33	33	34	38	45	55	62	65	64	57	40	31	25
Sat	24	24	25	27	30	31	36	38	40	42	42	41	40	36	33	30	26
Sun	24	24	25	25	25	28	30	36	37	40	37	36	35	34	33	31	26