Origin
Anaheim, CA
Late night in Anaheim on Tuesday
Local time
2:15 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Anaheim, CA to Pasadena, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
30.8 mi
49 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pasadena, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Anaheim to Pasadena is 30.8 miles and takes about 44m via Santa Ana Freeway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This relatively short trip stays within California's Pacific Coast region, offering a quick transit between two familiar Southern California locales. Given the minimal distance and driving time, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion. It's a straightforward connection for those looking to move between the greater Los Angeles area's distinct communities without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 19 mi | 21m |
| Long Beach Freeway | 4.1 mi | 4m |
| South Fremont Avenue | 3.3 mi | 7m |
| Fair Oaks Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| West Lincoln Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Valley Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Colorado Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Columbia Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 19 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Anaheim, CA and Pasadena, CA.
1
Start on this road
200 ft
·
16 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto South Anaheim Boulevard
422 ft
·
21 sec
·
South Anaheim Boulevard
3
Turn left onto West Lincoln Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West Lincoln Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
5
Merge onto I 5
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 130C
Toward I 710 North: Pasadena
Use the slight left lane.
8
Merge onto I 710
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Long Beach Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto West Valley Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Valley Boulevard
10
Turn left onto South Fremont Avenue
3.3 mi
·
7 min
·
South Fremont Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
At end of road, turn right onto Columbia Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Columbia Street
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left onto Fair Oaks Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Fair Oaks Avenue
13
Turn right onto US 66 HISTORIC
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Colorado Boulevard
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto North Garfield Avenue
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
North Garfield Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Turn left onto East Holly Street
73 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Holly Street
16
Arrive at destination
East Holly Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 4.6 and 30.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
4.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
20.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward I 710 North: Pasadena
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 130C
Toward I 710 North: Pasadena
6
28.6 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
Columbia Street
At end of road, turn right onto Columbia Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
30.3 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
US 66 HISTORIC / East Colorado Boulevard
Turn right onto US 66 HISTORIC / East Colorado Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
30.6 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
North Garfield Avenue
Turn left onto North Garfield Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.08 one way
$14.16 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.29 | $14.59 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.49 | $14.98 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.80 | $13.60 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.31 | $1.97 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Pasadena, CA
Late night in Pasadena on Tuesday
Local time
2:15 AM
PDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
2 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
44m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is predominantly highway, with 75% of the 30.8 miles on freeways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 19 miles on the Santa Ana Freeway. The transition to surface streets occurs after this substantial highway segment, specifically on South Fremont Avenue, which makes up the remaining portion of the trip. Expect urban merging and dense exit patterns common to the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and Long Beach Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.6 miles in near I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 30.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.6 miles (Columbia Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Anaheim, CA
Full guide →Founded 1857
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. It is best known for being the home of Disneyland. Its second claim to fame is hosting the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks and Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels.
Top landmarks
- • Disneyland — American theme park in California owned by The Walt Disney Company
- • Disney California Adventure — theme park in California, part of Disneyland Resort
- • Soarin' — flight motion simulator attraction at Disney parks
Arriving in Pasadena, CA
Full guide →Founded 1886
Pasadena is one of the oldest cities adjoining Los Angeles and is the main population center of the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California. Known as the City of Roses, Pasadena is most famous for its New Year's Day Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game.
Top landmarks
- • Rose Bowl — football stadium in Pasadena, California, United States
- • Norton Simon Museum — art museum in Pasadena, California
- • Pasadena City Hall — serves as the central location for city government in the City of Pasadena, Cali...
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 30.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19 miles on Santa Ana Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Pasadena, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.6 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.6 miles (Columbia Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Pasadena, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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