Best Time to Drive from Pasadena to Santa Ana

Right now (6:53 pm PST): about 67 minutes via I-5 South, usually 62 at this time.

Only 28% 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 Santa Ana 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	43	47	61	61	49	50	52	52	56	59	90	106	101	83	56	44	41
Tue	40	49	69	70	54	50	49	50	50	65	96	119	104	89	69	49	40
Wed	40	48	71	68	57	50	49	50	52	63	78	86	84	73	63	49	41
Thu	40	47	66	68	54	54	55	56	61	74	98	112	111	88	62	50	42
Fri	40	45	57	61	53	52	55	57	71	93	108	106	107	86	64	52	41
Sat	41	42	42	43	46	48	53	56	58	65	67	64	60	55	51	48	43
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	45	47	53	55	58	57	54	53	52	52	50	43

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from Pasadena to Santa Ana (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 40 minutes and up to 119 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 57 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (68 minutes).

About 27 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (16 to 35 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 Santa Ana (Main Street) 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 Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 40 minutes then, versus up to 119 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Pasadena to Santa Ana?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 40 to 119 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 57 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pasadena to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 119 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (19 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

Santa Ana 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	43	47	61	61	49	50	52	52	56	59	90	106	101	83	56	44	41
Tue	40	49	69	70	54	50	49	50	50	65	96	119	104	89	69	49	40
Wed	40	48	71	68	57	50	49	50	52	63	78	86	84	73	63	49	41
Thu	40	47	66	68	54	54	55	56	61	74	98	112	111	88	62	50	42
Fri	40	45	57	61	53	52	55	57	71	93	108	106	107	86	64	52	41
Sat	41	42	42	43	46	48	53	56	58	65	67	64	60	55	51	48	43
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	45	47	53	55	58	57	54	53	52	52	50	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	47	61	61	49	50	52	52	56	59	90	106	101	83	56	44	41
Tue	40	49	69	70	54	50	49	50	50	65	96	119	104	89	69	49	40
Wed	40	48	71	68	57	50	49	50	52	63	78	86	84	73	63	49	41
Thu	40	47	66	68	54	54	55	56	61	74	98	112	111	88	62	50	42
Fri	40	45	57	61	53	52	55	57	71	93	108	106	107	86	64	52	41
Sat	41	42	42	43	46	48	53	56	58	65	67	64	60	55	51	48	43
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	45	47	53	55	58	57	54	53	52	52	50	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	47	61	61	49	50	52	52	56	59	90	106	101	83	56	44	41
Tue	40	49	69	70	54	50	49	50	50	65	96	119	104	89	69	49	40
Wed	40	48	71	68	57	50	49	50	52	63	78	86	84	73	63	49	41
Thu	40	47	66	68	54	54	55	56	61	74	98	112	111	88	62	50	42
Fri	40	45	57	61	53	52	55	57	71	93	108	106	107	86	64	52	41
Sat	41	42	42	43	46	48	53	56	58	65	67	64	60	55	51	48	43
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	45	47	53	55	58	57	54	53	52	52	50	43