Best Time to Drive from Pasadena to Irvine

Right now (2:05 pm PST): about 63 minutes via I-5 South, usually 80 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	49	56	72	71	58	57	59	59	63	66	97	116	108	90	62	51	48
Tue	47	59	81	81	63	57	56	57	57	72	104	129	111	96	76	56	47
Wed	47	57	83	79	66	57	57	57	59	70	86	96	93	80	70	56	48
Thu	47	56	77	79	63	61	63	63	69	80	107	122	119	95	69	57	49
Fri	47	54	68	70	62	59	62	64	77	100	116	114	113	93	71	59	48
Sat	48	49	49	51	54	56	61	64	66	72	74	71	67	62	57	55	50
Sun	48	48	48	48	49	52	55	60	62	66	64	61	60	59	59	57	50

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 129 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 65 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (75 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 38 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 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 129 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 44-mile drive usually takes 47 to 129 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 65 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pasadena to Irvine?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 129 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

Pasadena to Irvine over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

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	49	56	72	71	58	57	59	59	63	66	97	116	108	90	62	51	48
Tue	47	59	81	81	63	57	56	57	57	72	104	129	111	96	76	56	47
Wed	47	57	83	79	66	57	57	57	59	70	86	96	93	80	70	56	48
Thu	47	56	77	79	63	61	63	63	69	80	107	122	119	95	69	57	49
Fri	47	54	68	70	62	59	62	64	77	100	116	114	113	93	71	59	48
Sat	48	49	49	51	54	56	61	64	66	72	74	71	67	62	57	55	50
Sun	48	48	48	48	49	52	55	60	62	66	64	61	60	59	59	57	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	56	72	71	58	57	59	59	63	66	97	116	108	90	62	51	48
Tue	47	59	81	81	63	57	56	57	57	72	104	129	111	96	76	56	47
Wed	47	57	83	79	66	57	57	57	59	70	86	96	93	80	70	56	48
Thu	47	56	77	79	63	61	63	63	69	80	107	122	119	95	69	57	49
Fri	47	54	68	70	62	59	62	64	77	100	116	114	113	93	71	59	48
Sat	48	49	49	51	54	56	61	64	66	72	74	71	67	62	57	55	50
Sun	48	48	48	48	49	52	55	60	62	66	64	61	60	59	59	57	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	56	72	71	58	57	59	59	63	66	97	116	108	90	62	51	48
Tue	47	59	81	81	63	57	56	57	57	72	104	129	111	96	76	56	47
Wed	47	57	83	79	66	57	57	57	59	70	86	96	93	80	70	56	48
Thu	47	56	77	79	63	61	63	63	69	80	107	122	119	95	69	57	49
Fri	47	54	68	70	62	59	62	64	77	100	116	114	113	93	71	59	48
Sat	48	49	49	51	54	56	61	64	66	72	74	71	67	62	57	55	50
Sun	48	48	48	48	49	52	55	60	62	66	64	61	60	59	59	57	50