Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Pasadena to Mission Viejo
Right now (6:53 pm PST): about 79 minutes via I-5 South, usually 74 at this time.
Only 35% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 54 | 63 | 78 | 77 | 63 | 62 | 64 | 64 | 68 | 71 | 102 | 122 | 112 | 94 | 67 | 55 | 53 |
| Tue | 51 | 66 | 87 | 87 | 69 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 77 | 108 | 134 | 116 | 100 | 81 | 61 | 52 |
| Wed | 51 | 64 | 90 | 86 | 72 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 64 | 75 | 90 | 102 | 97 | 84 | 75 | 61 | 53 |
| Thu | 51 | 63 | 83 | 85 | 68 | 66 | 68 | 68 | 73 | 85 | 111 | 126 | 123 | 99 | 74 | 62 | 54 |
| Fri | 52 | 61 | 74 | 76 | 68 | 65 | 67 | 69 | 82 | 104 | 120 | 118 | 118 | 98 | 76 | 64 | 53 |
| Sat | 52 | 53 | 54 | 56 | 60 | 62 | 67 | 70 | 72 | 77 | 79 | 76 | 72 | 66 | 62 | 60 | 55 |
| Sun | 52 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 57 | 60 | 65 | 67 | 71 | 69 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 64 | 62 | 54 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 52-mile drive from Pasadena to Mission Viejo (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 51 minutes and up to 134 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 70 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (80 minutes).
About 44 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (13 to 30 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 Mission Viejo (Chrisanta Drive) 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 Mission Viejo?
On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 51 minutes then, versus up to 134 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Pasadena to Mission Viejo?
The 52-mile drive usually takes 51 to 134 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 70 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Pasadena to Mission Viejo?
Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 134 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-5 South in Orange County (35 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 Mission Viejo over Thanksgiving: when to leave →
More drives
Mission Viejo 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