A load adaptive pad driver for integrated circuits provides a substantially constant speed output at the pad regardless of the load connected to the pad. A reference slope signal, based on variables such as fabrication process, and operational voltage and temperature ranges and biased to give a substantially flat response, is compared to the signal output of a resistive-based pad driver circuit. When a transition between output signal levels provided by the pad driver circuit is slower than the reference signal slope, an auxiliary driver circuit is used to compensate. Electromagnetic interference is also reduced via said load adaptive pad driver.