Best Time to Drive from Pasadena to Santa Ana

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via I-5 South, usually 62 at this time.

Only 29% 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	46	60	60	49	49	52	52	56	59	88	108	100	81	54	44	41
Tue	41	49	68	69	54	50	49	52	50	63	97	114	100	86	66	49	41
Wed	39	48	73	70	57	49	49	52	52	68	86	95	94	80	66	50	40
Thu	40	47	67	69	54	56	56	57	63	77	100	117	113	88	62	50	43
Fri	40	45	59	62	55	53	56	56	73	95	109	104	104	84	62	52	41
Sat	41	42	42	44	47	46	53	56	59	68	72	68	59	53	48	48	42
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	45	46	52	54	58	57	53	51	50	50	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 39 minutes and up to 117 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 58 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (73 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 36 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 39 minutes then, versus up to 117 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 37-mile drive usually takes 39 to 117 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 58 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pasadena to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 117 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	46	60	60	49	49	52	52	56	59	88	108	100	81	54	44	41
Tue	41	49	68	69	54	50	49	52	50	63	97	114	100	86	66	49	41
Wed	39	48	73	70	57	49	49	52	52	68	86	95	94	80	66	50	40
Thu	40	47	67	69	54	56	56	57	63	77	100	117	113	88	62	50	43
Fri	40	45	59	62	55	53	56	56	73	95	109	104	104	84	62	52	41
Sat	41	42	42	44	47	46	53	56	59	68	72	68	59	53	48	48	42
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	45	46	52	54	58	57	53	51	50	50	50	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	46	60	60	49	49	52	52	56	59	88	108	100	81	54	44	41
Tue	41	49	68	69	54	50	49	52	50	63	97	114	100	86	66	49	41
Wed	39	48	73	70	57	49	49	52	52	68	86	95	94	80	66	50	40
Thu	40	47	67	69	54	56	56	57	63	77	100	117	113	88	62	50	43
Fri	40	45	59	62	55	53	56	56	73	95	109	104	104	84	62	52	41
Sat	41	42	42	44	47	46	53	56	59	68	72	68	59	53	48	48	42
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	45	46	52	54	58	57	53	51	50	50	50	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	46	60	60	49	49	52	52	56	59	88	108	100	81	54	44	41
Tue	41	49	68	69	54	50	49	52	50	63	97	114	100	86	66	49	41
Wed	39	48	73	70	57	49	49	52	52	68	86	95	94	80	66	50	40
Thu	40	47	67	69	54	56	56	57	63	77	100	117	113	88	62	50	43
Fri	40	45	59	62	55	53	56	56	73	95	109	104	104	84	62	52	41
Sat	41	42	42	44	47	46	53	56	59	68	72	68	59	53	48	48	42
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	45	46	52	54	58	57	53	51	50	50	50	43