How long will it take me to get from Pasadena to LAX on a weekday at about 4:30pm. Lived there years ago so familiar with the way to get there, just curious to know how long one would expect it to take with traffic. Thanks!

Do you need to make a flight?

It takes about an hour to get to the vicinity of LAX but it can take 30 minutes or more to get into the airport and travel around the loop to the desired terminal.

You need to allow 2 hours travel plus whatever check in time if you're trying to catch a flight.

If you're picking someone up, don't even try to park at the terminals. Tell them you'll pick them up at the curb.

Depends on when you plan to make the trip, as the traffic seems to get about 10% worse every month! By December you could plan on it taking about 3 hours.

Take the Gold Line Subway to Union Station and then hop the Flyaway Bus. The trip takes about 70 minutes. At 4:30 it would probably take more like 90 minutes. Driving allow 2 hours if you have to make a flight. Plan to be there 90 minutes before a domestic flight and 2.5 hours for international.

Thanks. Yes, we will be catching an international flight (LAX - Bangkok) at 9:30pm. We will be arriving at LAX the night before from Oregon and plan on spending the day doing a few college visits for our daughter before heading back to the airport. My main concern is that I want to be sure we get a decent meal before we get on the plane. Was hoping to be able to eat somewhere close to the airport (i.e. Cheesecake Factory) but now thinking maybe we should just eat at the airport.

I recall eating in a not so bad place once in the international terminal. Any recommendations? Are they before or after security? We were hoping to be able to have dinner with some friends from LA (they won't be flying with us). We just flew through LAX Int'l. over Christmas and found it was under major contruction - so curious to know what the dining situation is.

joesource - I lived in LA for 22 years - it amazes me that someone can now suggest getting from one side of town to the other on public transportation alone. LA has come a long way since I left 19 years ago!! It does sound like the most efficient way, however we will have a rental car to get around town for the college visits.

The Tom Bradley International Terminal is the only terminal that has full restaurants before security. The Daily Grill in the TBIT is pretty decent. Here's a list of others there: www.lawa.org/lax/tenantlaxresults.cfm

Encounter, that spaceship looking theme restaurant, has reopened with limited hours. www.encounterlax.com

The TSA procedures at the TBIT are beyond ridiculous, so leave yourselves plenty of time. Many of the Asian and Latin American flights depart between 9pm & midnight, so you'll have plenty of company.

If you are in Pasadena, have lunch at the Cheesecake Factory on Colorado Blvd. before you drive to the airport.

For an international flight you need to be at the airport 3 hours prior, and I am one of those flyers who like to do that. So, if you need to be there around 6:30 pm, you should allow two hours for the trip in late afternoon, plus I am assuming you will be dropping off a car and then taking a shuttle to the terminal. I live in the Pasadena area and I would allow an hour, at least, at that time of day, just for the drive to the airport. And don't take the freeway downtown, use the 710 south to the 105 west to the airport.

If you are meeting your friends for dinner in LA not Pasadena, then the time situation might change, but unless you are going to eat at the airport, you are really looking at a late lunch IMHO.