Best Time to Drive from Pasadena to Irvine

Right now (6:34 am PDT): about 54 minutes via I-5 South, usually 67 at this time.

Only 33% 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 Irvine 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	47	56	71	69	58	55	55	55	58	61	70	79	77	67	54	49	48
Tue	47	59	76	75	61	57	56	56	57	62	73	85	84	71	59	51	48
Wed	47	59	77	75	64	58	57	57	58	63	73	83	84	72	59	51	48
Thu	47	58	75	73	62	59	59	58	61	65	76	86	85	73	60	53	48
Fri	47	56	66	64	59	58	59	60	66	74	83	86	83	74	61	54	49
Sat	48	49	49	51	53	54	57	59	61	64	65	64	62	58	53	51	49
Sun	47	47	48	48	50	51	53	54	56	57	58	56	55	54	52	52	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Pasadena to Irvine (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 88 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 59 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (65 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 11 miles surface streets (18 to 34 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 Irvine (Harvard 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 Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 88 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 44-mile drive usually takes 47 to 88 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 59 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pasadena to Irvine?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 88 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (6 miles) · I-710 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)

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

More drives

Irvine 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	47	56	71	69	58	55	55	55	58	61	70	79	77	67	54	49	48
Tue	47	59	76	75	61	57	56	56	57	62	73	85	84	71	59	51	48
Wed	47	59	77	75	64	58	57	57	58	63	73	83	84	72	59	51	48
Thu	47	58	75	73	62	59	59	58	61	65	76	86	85	73	60	53	48
Fri	47	56	66	64	59	58	59	60	66	74	83	86	83	74	61	54	49
Sat	48	49	49	51	53	54	57	59	61	64	65	64	62	58	53	51	49
Sun	47	47	48	48	50	51	53	54	56	57	58	56	55	54	52	52	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	56	71	69	58	55	55	55	58	61	70	79	77	67	54	49	48
Tue	47	59	76	75	61	57	56	56	57	62	73	85	84	71	59	51	48
Wed	47	59	77	75	64	58	57	57	58	63	73	83	84	72	59	51	48
Thu	47	58	75	73	62	59	59	58	61	65	76	86	85	73	60	53	48
Fri	47	56	66	64	59	58	59	60	66	74	83	86	83	74	61	54	49
Sat	48	49	49	51	53	54	57	59	61	64	65	64	62	58	53	51	49
Sun	47	47	48	48	50	51	53	54	56	57	58	56	55	54	52	52	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	56	71	69	58	55	55	55	58	61	70	79	77	67	54	49	48
Tue	47	59	76	75	61	57	56	56	57	62	73	85	84	71	59	51	48
Wed	47	59	77	75	64	58	57	57	58	63	73	83	84	72	59	51	48
Thu	47	58	75	73	62	59	59	58	61	65	76	86	85	73	60	53	48
Fri	47	56	66	64	59	58	59	60	66	74	83	86	83	74	61	54	49
Sat	48	49	49	51	53	54	57	59	61	64	65	64	62	58	53	51	49
Sun	47	47	48	48	50	51	53	54	56	57	58	56	55	54	52	52	49