Pfeiffer was born on January 1, 1964, in Midway City, California, the daughter of Donna (née Taverna), a homemaker, and Richard Pfeiffer, a heating and air-conditioning contractor. Her parents were both originally from North Dakota. Her paternal grandfather was of German ancestry and her paternal grandmother was of English, Welsh, French, Irish, and Dutch descent, while her maternal grandfather was of Swiss-German descent and her maternal grandmother was of Swedish ancestry. She is the younger sister of Actress Michelle Pfeiffer.