Best Time to Drive from Pasadena to Irvine

Right now (12:17 pm PDT): about 62 minutes via I-5 South, usually 69 at this time.

Only 34% 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	50	56	71	70	57	57	59	59	63	66	95	118	107	88	61	51	48
Tue	47	59	79	79	62	58	57	59	57	70	105	125	107	93	72	56	48
Wed	46	58	85	80	66	57	57	60	59	75	94	106	102	87	73	57	47
Thu	47	57	78	80	63	63	63	64	70	83	109	127	120	95	68	57	49
Fri	47	54	70	71	63	61	63	63	80	102	117	112	111	93	68	59	48
Sat	48	49	49	51	55	54	62	64	67	75	79	75	67	60	55	56	49
Sun	47	48	47	48	49	52	53	59	62	65	65	60	58	58	57	57	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Pasadena to Irvine (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 127 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 66 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (80 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 46 minutes then, versus up to 127 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 44-mile drive usually takes 46 to 127 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 66 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pasadena to Irvine?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 127 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	50	56	71	70	57	57	59	59	63	66	95	118	107	88	61	51	48
Tue	47	59	79	79	62	58	57	59	57	70	105	125	107	93	72	56	48
Wed	46	58	85	80	66	57	57	60	59	75	94	106	102	87	73	57	47
Thu	47	57	78	80	63	63	63	64	70	83	109	127	120	95	68	57	49
Fri	47	54	70	71	63	61	63	63	80	102	117	112	111	93	68	59	48
Sat	48	49	49	51	55	54	62	64	67	75	79	75	67	60	55	56	49
Sun	47	48	47	48	49	52	53	59	62	65	65	60	58	58	57	57	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	56	71	70	57	57	59	59	63	66	95	118	107	88	61	51	48
Tue	47	59	79	79	62	58	57	59	57	70	105	125	107	93	72	56	48
Wed	46	58	85	80	66	57	57	60	59	75	94	106	102	87	73	57	47
Thu	47	57	78	80	63	63	63	64	70	83	109	127	120	95	68	57	49
Fri	47	54	70	71	63	61	63	63	80	102	117	112	111	93	68	59	48
Sat	48	49	49	51	55	54	62	64	67	75	79	75	67	60	55	56	49
Sun	47	48	47	48	49	52	53	59	62	65	65	60	58	58	57	57	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	56	71	70	57	57	59	59	63	66	95	118	107	88	61	51	48
Tue	47	59	79	79	62	58	57	59	57	70	105	125	107	93	72	56	48
Wed	46	58	85	80	66	57	57	60	59	75	94	106	102	87	73	57	47
Thu	47	57	78	80	63	63	63	64	70	83	109	127	120	95	68	57	49
Fri	47	54	70	71	63	61	63	63	80	102	117	112	111	93	68	59	48
Sat	48	49	49	51	55	54	62	64	67	75	79	75	67	60	55	56	49
Sun	47	48	47	48	49	52	53	59	62	65	65	60	58	58	57	57	50