Traffic Predict
Irvine to Santa Barbara: Thanksgiving Traffic 2026
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (November 25), the drive from Irvine to Santa Barbara is longest leaving around 2 pm: about 230 minutes, 3 minutes more than on a normal Wednesday. Leave around 9 am (197 minutes) or 9 pm (135 minutes) instead. Coming back on Sunday, November 29, the slowest time to leave is around 12 pm (196 minutes); around 6:30 am it takes 135 minutes.
Day by day
- Tuesday, November 24: fastest leaving around 8 pm (142 minutes), slowest around 2 pm (246 minutes, 12 minutes more than a normal Tuesday).
- Wednesday, November 25: fastest leaving around 8 pm (143 minutes), slowest around 2 pm (230 minutes, 3 minutes more than a normal Wednesday).
- Thursday, November 26: fastest leaving around 8 pm (144 minutes), slowest around 1:30 pm (207 minutes, 29 minutes less than a normal Thursday).
- Friday, November 27: fastest leaving around 8 pm (138 minutes), slowest around 1 pm (217 minutes, 26 minutes less than a normal Friday).
- Saturday, November 28: fastest leaving around 6:30 am (137 minutes), slowest around 2:30 pm (209 minutes, 6 minutes less than a normal Saturday).
- Sunday, November 29: fastest leaving around 6:30 am (135 minutes), slowest around 12 pm (196 minutes, about like a normal Sunday).
Drive time by departure
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue Nov 24 | 148 | 183 | 195 | 207 | 207 | 195 | 198 | 201 | 236 | 246 | 229 | 213 | 224 | 203 | 156 | 142 | 136 |
| Wed Nov 25 | 148 | 180 | 180 | 199 | 197 | 199 | 200 | 209 | 229 | 230 | 220 | 197 | 202 | 194 | 162 | 143 | 135 |
| Thu Nov 26 | 139 | 158 | 161 | 164 | 173 | 165 | 173 | 173 | 191 | 207 | 196 | 178 | 176 | 196 | 168 | 144 | 138 |
| Fri Nov 27 | 137 | 154 | 160 | 169 | 176 | 184 | 192 | 205 | 217 | 206 | 195 | 187 | 183 | 178 | 156 | 138 | 135 |
| Sat Nov 28 | 136 | 138 | 142 | 152 | 187 | 196 | 200 | 207 | 202 | 204 | 205 | 191 | 175 | 185 | 172 | 143 | 140 |
| Sun Nov 29 | 134 | 136 | 135 | 138 | 153 | 177 | 188 | 196 | 194 | 191 | 182 | 170 | 167 | 167 | 163 | 144 | 134 |
Minutes for the 135-mile drive, streets included (hover a cell for a normal day). Estimated from this trip's typical speeds and how much each freeway on it sped up or slowed down on past Thanksgivings (2016 onward, leaving out 2020), hour by hour. A crash or storm can change any single day.
Irvine to Santa Barbara on a normal day →
Thanksgiving traffic across California · Traffic estimator
Questions
What is the worst time to drive from Irvine to Santa Barbara for Thanksgiving?
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (November 25), the drive from Irvine to Santa Barbara is longest leaving around 2 pm: about 230 minutes, 3 minutes more than on a normal Wednesday. Leave around 9 am (197 minutes) or 9 pm (135 minutes) instead. Coming back on Sunday, November 29, the slowest time to leave is around 12 pm (196 minutes); around 6:30 am it takes 135 minutes.
How long does the drive from Irvine to Santa Barbara take over Thanksgiving?
Tuesday, November 24: fastest leaving around 8 pm (142 minutes), slowest around 2 pm (246 minutes, 12 minutes more than a normal Tuesday). Wednesday, November 25: fastest leaving around 8 pm (143 minutes), slowest around 2 pm (230 minutes, 3 minutes more than a normal Wednesday). Thursday, November 26: fastest leaving around 8 pm (144 minutes), slowest around 1:30 pm (207 minutes, 29 minutes less than a normal Thursday). Friday, November 27: fastest leaving around 8 pm (138 minutes), slowest around 1 pm (217 minutes, 26 minutes less than a normal Friday). Saturday, November 28: fastest leaving around 6:30 am (137 minutes), slowest around 2:30 pm (209 minutes, 6 minutes less than a normal Saturday). Sunday, November 29: fastest leaving around 6:30 am (135 minutes), slowest around 12 pm (196 minutes, about like a normal Sunday).