Best Time to Drive from Van Nuys to Pasadena

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 25 minutes via SR-134 East and SR-170 South, usually 29 at this time.

Only 10% 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 Van Nuys to Pasadena 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	22	22	23	31	32	26	25	28	31	35	44	48	51	44	33	23	22
Tue	22	22	22	32	34	29	27	27	33	40	49	55	59	49	35	25	22
Wed	22	22	23	33	35	33	29	31	33	39	51	55	56	43	37	27	23
Thu	22	22	22	33	35	29	27	32	33	42	52	55	55	48	38	31	22
Fri	22	22	22	33	33	27	32	37	40	42	49	49	47	39	36	31	23
Sat	22	22	22	22	22	26	31	36	37	38	37	36	35	33	30	26	22
Sun	22	22	22	22	22	23	25	30	34	33	28	30	28	26	26	25	23

About this drive

On weekdays the 20-mile drive from Van Nuys to Pasadena (via SR-134 East and SR-170 South) usually takes as little as 22 minutes and up to 59 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

About 15 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (8 to 23 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Van Nuys (Haynes Street) to Old Pasadena (East Holly 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 Van Nuys to Pasadena?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 22 minutes then, versus up to 59 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Van Nuys to Pasadena?

The 20-mile drive usually takes 22 to 59 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Van Nuys to Pasadena?

Leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 59 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-134 East in Los Angeles (12 miles) · SR-170 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Pasadena to Van Nuys (return trip) · Van Nuys to Los Angeles · Van Nuys to Santa Monica · Van Nuys to Long Beach · Van Nuys to West Covina · Van Nuys to Glendale · Van Nuys to Santa Clarita · Van Nuys to Torrance · Van Nuys to LAX · Van Nuys to Culver City · Van Nuys to El Monte · Van Nuys to Downey

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	22	22	23	31	32	26	25	28	31	35	44	48	51	44	33	23	22
Tue	22	22	22	32	34	29	27	27	33	40	49	55	59	49	35	25	22
Wed	22	22	23	33	35	33	29	31	33	39	51	55	56	43	37	27	23
Thu	22	22	22	33	35	29	27	32	33	42	52	55	55	48	38	31	22
Fri	22	22	22	33	33	27	32	37	40	42	49	49	47	39	36	31	23
Sat	22	22	22	22	22	26	31	36	37	38	37	36	35	33	30	26	22
Sun	22	22	22	22	22	23	25	30	34	33	28	30	28	26	26	25	23

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	22	22	23	31	32	26	25	28	31	35	44	48	51	44	33	23	22
Tue	22	22	22	32	34	29	27	27	33	40	49	55	59	49	35	25	22
Wed	22	22	23	33	35	33	29	31	33	39	51	55	56	43	37	27	23
Thu	22	22	22	33	35	29	27	32	33	42	52	55	55	48	38	31	22
Fri	22	22	22	33	33	27	32	37	40	42	49	49	47	39	36	31	23
Sat	22	22	22	22	22	26	31	36	37	38	37	36	35	33	30	26	22
Sun	22	22	22	22	22	23	25	30	34	33	28	30	28	26	26	25	23

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	22	22	23	31	32	26	25	28	31	35	44	48	51	44	33	23	22
Tue	22	22	22	32	34	29	27	27	33	40	49	55	59	49	35	25	22
Wed	22	22	23	33	35	33	29	31	33	39	51	55	56	43	37	27	23
Thu	22	22	22	33	35	29	27	32	33	42	52	55	55	48	38	31	22
Fri	22	22	22	33	33	27	32	37	40	42	49	49	47	39	36	31	23
Sat	22	22	22	22	22	26	31	36	37	38	37	36	35	33	30	26	22
Sun	22	22	22	22	22	23	25	30	34	33	28	30	28	26	26	25	23