Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Santa Barbara
Right now (8:03 pm PDT): about 152 minutes via US-101 North and I-5 North, usually 138 at this time.
Only 16% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.
Typical drive time by departure time
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 147 | 168 | 172 | 178 | 175 | 167 | 171 | 172 | 173 | 195 | 210 | 203 | 188 | 173 | 140 | 137 | 135 |
| Tue | 149 | 175 | 184 | 191 | 187 | 177 | 171 | 171 | 193 | 213 | 233 | 220 | 191 | 180 | 145 | 137 | 136 |
| Wed | 148 | 175 | 176 | 178 | 183 | 177 | 176 | 178 | 194 | 217 | 234 | 225 | 213 | 195 | 164 | 144 | 136 |
| Thu | 152 | 171 | 174 | 176 | 184 | 170 | 168 | 169 | 181 | 221 | 230 | 220 | 203 | 184 | 165 | 139 | 139 |
| Fri | 147 | 161 | 161 | 174 | 174 | 177 | 176 | 197 | 214 | 217 | 210 | 206 | 195 | 166 | 151 | 138 | 136 |
| Sat | 136 | 139 | 141 | 152 | 172 | 179 | 177 | 175 | 175 | 170 | 169 | 164 | 158 | 166 | 152 | 139 | 137 |
| Sun | 135 | 137 | 136 | 139 | 149 | 160 | 169 | 171 | 171 | 169 | 171 | 158 | 154 | 152 | 150 | 142 | 134 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 135-mile drive from Irvine to Santa Barbara (via US-101 North and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 135 minutes and up to 234 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 187 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10:30 am on Saturdays (180 minutes).
About 108 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 28 miles surface streets (41 to 93 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Irvine (Harvard Avenue) to central Santa Barbara (Anacapa Street) along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.
Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.
Questions
What is the best time to drive from Irvine to Santa Barbara?
On weekdays, leave after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 135 minutes then, versus up to 234 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Irvine to Santa Barbara?
The 135-mile drive usually takes 135 to 234 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 187 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Irvine to Santa Barbara?
Leaving around 3 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 234 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
US-101 North in Los Angeles (46 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (18 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (6 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (2 miles)
Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow
More drives
Santa Barbara to Irvine (return trip) · Irvine to Los Angeles · Irvine to Santa Monica · Irvine to Pasadena · Irvine to Long Beach · Irvine to West Covina · Irvine to Burbank · Irvine to Glendale · Irvine to Santa Clarita · Irvine to Van Nuys · Irvine to Torrance · Irvine to LAX