Best Time to Drive from Pasadena to SNA

Right now (5:50 pm PST): about 85 minutes via I-5 South, usually 91 at this time.

Only 36% 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 SNA 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	47	54	72	71	57	57	57	58	62	64	95	113	105	88	60	48	46
Tue	44	56	80	80	62	57	55	56	56	71	101	125	108	93	73	53	45
Wed	44	55	82	78	65	57	55	56	57	68	82	92	89	77	67	53	45
Thu	44	54	76	78	61	61	61	61	67	79	104	122	116	93	66	54	47
Fri	44	52	67	69	59	58	60	63	76	97	114	111	111	91	68	56	46
Sat	45	46	47	48	52	54	58	62	64	70	72	69	65	59	55	52	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	50	53	58	60	63	62	59	58	57	56	55	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Pasadena to SNA (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 125 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 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (73 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (14 to 31 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 John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA) (Paularino 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 SNA?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 125 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 44-mile drive usually takes 44 to 125 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pasadena to SNA?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 125 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (6 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (4 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 SNA over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

SNA 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	47	54	72	71	57	57	57	58	62	64	95	113	105	88	60	48	46
Tue	44	56	80	80	62	57	55	56	56	71	101	125	108	93	73	53	45
Wed	44	55	82	78	65	57	55	56	57	68	82	92	89	77	67	53	45
Thu	44	54	76	78	61	61	61	61	67	79	104	122	116	93	66	54	47
Fri	44	52	67	69	59	58	60	63	76	97	114	111	111	91	68	56	46
Sat	45	46	47	48	52	54	58	62	64	70	72	69	65	59	55	52	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	50	53	58	60	63	62	59	58	57	56	55	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	54	72	71	57	57	57	58	62	64	95	113	105	88	60	48	46
Tue	44	56	80	80	62	57	55	56	56	71	101	125	108	93	73	53	45
Wed	44	55	82	78	65	57	55	56	57	68	82	92	89	77	67	53	45
Thu	44	54	76	78	61	61	61	61	67	79	104	122	116	93	66	54	47
Fri	44	52	67	69	59	58	60	63	76	97	114	111	111	91	68	56	46
Sat	45	46	47	48	52	54	58	62	64	70	72	69	65	59	55	52	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	50	53	58	60	63	62	59	58	57	56	55	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	54	72	71	57	57	57	58	62	64	95	113	105	88	60	48	46
Tue	44	56	80	80	62	57	55	56	56	71	101	125	108	93	73	53	45
Wed	44	55	82	78	65	57	55	56	57	68	82	92	89	77	67	53	45
Thu	44	54	76	78	61	61	61	61	67	79	104	122	116	93	66	54	47
Fri	44	52	67	69	59	58	60	63	76	97	114	111	111	91	68	56	46
Sat	45	46	47	48	52	54	58	62	64	70	72	69	65	59	55	52	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	50	53	58	60	63	62	59	58	57	56	55	47