Is Pasadena A Good Place To Stay In LA? (Everything You Should Know)

Planning A Trip To LA, But Trying To Figure Out Where To Stay Or If Nearby Pasadena Is A Good Place To Stay On Your Trip?

My mom is a Southern California native so I’ve spent tons of time in this state and I’ve gotten to stay in all different parts of the LA area, so I can help you decide if Pasadena is a good place to base yourself for your trip to Southern California depending on your plans and interests.

🌹 Is Pasadena A Good Place To Stay In LA? (Pros & Cons)

There are a few interesting sites in this town, especially if you're a Big Bang Theory Fan.

Pasadena usually gets overlooked when it comes to people visiting Southern California since places like LA, Hollywood, the beaches, and Orange County are typically first choice, but it can be a good place stay depending on what you want to see and if you have any interest in the sites Pasadena is most famous for.

✅ Reasons Why Pasadena Is A Good Place To Stay In LA:

Pasadena can be a little cheaper than typical beachside, LA, Hollywood, or Orange County locations
Pasadena is a little less chaotic and more neighborhoody compared to LA
Pasadena has easier access to certain sites (like Universal Studios, Griffith Observatory, or the Warner Bros Studio) with possible less traffic and travel time since you’re above LA
Pasadena itself has some interesting sites (science, film, sports, etc.)
since Pasadena can be cheaper, it can be a good option if you have your car or are renting one

❌ Reasons Why Pasadena Is Not A Good Place To Stay In LA:

my number one reason for not wanting to stay in Pasadena is because it is one of the furthest cities/towns in the area from the beach (LA beaches and especially Orange County beaches)
if you don’t have a car for your Southern California trip, Pasadena won’t be the easiest or cheapest place to get to (especially using Uber)
Pasadena isn’t conveniently located for typical LA/Hollywood sites (it’s not good for walking from Pasadena to LA and public transportation isn’t the nicest or quickest)
there aren’t really any tours available in Pasadena (the only one I could find was this ghost tour), which also means there aren’t any tours that take you from Pasadena to other sites around Southern California
despite being close-ish to the coast, the weather in Pasadena can be a lot hotter and drier than the typical Southern California climate

🛣 How Far Is Pasadena From Major Sites In Southern California

Pasadena isn’t the most conveniently located city for typical tourist trips to Southern California, but you might prefer to stay here over some place in LA, so here is some info on how far Pasadena is from certain locations around this region:

How Far Is Pasadena From Los Angeles?

Los Angeles isn't too far away, but depending on when and where you're going, you could hit a lot of traffic.

Pasadena is actually not too far from Los Angeles by distance (it’s only about 10 miles from one city center to the other), but with traffic that could take anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes.

If you’re only going to go between Pasadena and downtown LA, then Pasadena could be a good place for you to stay to be away from the hectic city center and find some cheaper options compared to downtown.

How Far Is Pasadena From LAX Airport?

LAX is quite a ways from the downtown Los Angeles area so it is a good trek to get to Pasadena from the airport. The actual distance from LAX airport to Pasadena is less than 30 miles, but with city traffic and airport traffic that route could take anywhere from 50 minutes to an hour and a half.

Is Pasadena Close To Hollywood?

Pasadena is not located super close to Hollywood in terms of being able to walk (it’s about 17 miles), but there are a few different routes you can take to get to Hollywood from Pasadena so you might be able to get there in as little as 30 minutes.

As I mentioned before, there really aren’t any tours available that leave out of Pasadena so if you don’t have a car, taking an Uber or taxi can get quite expensive even for this relatively short distance.

How Far Is Pasadena From The Beach?

Pasadena is not very close to any beaches.

Pasadena is not at all close to the beach (it’s one of the furthest LA area cities from the beach), so if you plan to spend most of your vacation on the coast, Pasadena won’t be a very good place for you to stay.

The closest beach to Pasadena in terms of distance and travel time, is Santa Monica, but it’s 25+ miles and could take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half.

My favorite Southern California beaches are Orange County Beaches, but to get from Pasadena to one of my favorite beaches (Huntington Beach) it would take 1-2 hours and 50+ miles.

How Far Is Pasadena From Anaheim?

Anaheim is most popular for its theme parks, but if you plan to attend for multiple days, it's best to stay close by.

If you’re Southern California trip includes some time in Anaheim at parks like Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm, or you plan to go to an Angels game, Pasadena won’t be a great option for staying on your trip. I would recommend staying in Anaheim and just doing day trips to LA, Hollywood, or wherever.

If you stay in Anaheim but still want to visit Pasadena, the distance between the two is about 40 miles and could take 1-2 hours to get there.

🏨 Hotels In Pasadena, California

One reason Pasadena can be a good place to stay on a trip to LA is because it's a little cheaper.

If Pasadena does sound like a good place for you to stay on your LA trip, here are some highly rated hotels to choose from:

Hilton Pasadena – 8.3 out of 10 on booking with 500+ reviews
Pasadena Hotel & Pool – 8.5 out of 10 on booking with 1500+ reviews
Hyatt Place Pasadena – 8.6 out of 10 on booking with 500+ reviews
GreenTree Inn & Suites – 8.7 out of 10 with 1900+ reviews

🚶 Is Pasadena, California Walkable?

On the Main Street, there are plenty of easily walkable sites.

Pasadena itself is a fairly walkable little city if you stay near Colorado Boulevard (which runs right through the middle of town). If you just want to walk from your hotel to a restaurant or a store, then I would consider Pasadena walkable, but to see some of the sites around Pasadena, I would say a car is more helpful.

🔁 Sum Up: Is Pasadena A Good Place To Stay In LA?

Whether or not Pasadena is a good place to stay for a trip to LA depends a little on your budget, if you have a car, what your interests are, and what you plan to do on your trip, but if I was recommending a place to stay for a typical tourist-type trip to LA, I would personally suggest a few other areas that are either closer to sites or some areas that are further away from the city but closer to wonderful beaches.