Best Time to Drive from Pasadena to Laguna Niguel

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 72 minutes via I-5 South, usually 74 at this time.

Only 4% 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 Laguna Niguel 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	57	67	81	79	67	65	66	66	69	67	83	95	90	81	65	59	58
Tue	56	70	88	88	71	66	65	66	66	71	84	100	97	86	73	63	57
Wed	56	68	89	87	73	65	65	65	66	69	76	86	84	74	69	62	57
Thu	56	67	85	86	72	68	69	69	72	73	87	95	94	85	71	62	58
Fri	56	66	77	76	69	67	67	69	74	83	91	94	92	86	72	63	59
Sat	57	59	59	62	65	65	69	70	72	74	73	72	70	68	65	63	60
Sun	56	57	57	58	59	62	64	68	69	70	70	68	68	66	66	65	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 62-mile drive from Pasadena to Laguna Niguel (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 56 minutes and up to 103 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 68 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (74 minutes).

About 57 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Old Pasadena to central Laguna Niguel 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 Laguna Niguel?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 56 minutes then, versus up to 103 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Pasadena to Laguna Niguel?

The 62-mile drive usually takes 56 to 103 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 68 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pasadena to Laguna Niguel?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 103 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (34 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (17 miles) · I-110 South in Los Angeles (6 miles)

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

More drives

Laguna Niguel 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	57	67	81	79	67	65	66	66	69	67	83	95	90	81	65	59	58
Tue	56	70	88	88	71	66	65	66	66	71	84	100	97	86	73	63	57
Wed	56	68	89	87	73	65	65	65	66	69	76	86	84	74	69	62	57
Thu	56	67	85	86	72	68	69	69	72	73	87	95	94	85	71	62	58
Fri	56	66	77	76	69	67	67	69	74	83	91	94	92	86	72	63	59
Sat	57	59	59	62	65	65	69	70	72	74	73	72	70	68	65	63	60
Sun	56	57	57	58	59	62	64	68	69	70	70	68	68	66	66	65	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	67	81	79	67	65	66	66	69	67	83	95	90	81	65	59	58
Tue	56	70	88	88	71	66	65	66	66	71	84	100	97	86	73	63	57
Wed	56	68	89	87	73	65	65	65	66	69	76	86	84	74	69	62	57
Thu	56	67	85	86	72	68	69	69	72	73	87	95	94	85	71	62	58
Fri	56	66	77	76	69	67	67	69	74	83	91	94	92	86	72	63	59
Sat	57	59	59	62	65	65	69	70	72	74	73	72	70	68	65	63	60
Sun	56	57	57	58	59	62	64	68	69	70	70	68	68	66	66	65	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	67	81	79	67	65	66	66	69	67	83	95	90	81	65	59	58
Tue	56	70	88	88	71	66	65	66	66	71	84	100	97	86	73	63	57
Wed	56	68	89	87	73	65	65	65	66	69	76	86	84	74	69	62	57
Thu	56	67	85	86	72	68	69	69	72	73	87	95	94	85	71	62	58
Fri	56	66	77	76	69	67	67	69	74	83	91	94	92	86	72	63	59
Sat	57	59	59	62	65	65	69	70	72	74	73	72	70	68	65	63	60
Sun	56	57	57	58	59	62	64	68	69	70	70	68	68	66	66	65	58