Best Time to Drive from Oxnard to Santa Barbara

Right now (3:48 pm PDT): about 69 minutes via US-101 North, usually 62 at this time.

Only 34% 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

Minutes from Oxnard to Santa Barbara by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	51	61	62	63	57	64	64	67	65	71	71	66	63	50	50	50
Tue	49	51	64	67	64	57	61	62	60	62	64	65	66	59	50	50	50
Wed	49	51	66	69	72	56	61	63	61	61	65	70	67	60	51	51	50
Thu	49	51	64	68	66	57	61	65	65	65	68	70	69	64	50	50	50
Fri	50	51	58	61	64	62	68	71	71	77	80	75	70	63	51	50	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	53	59	65	72	77	71	63	59	57	52	50	50	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	52	61	64	68	75	77	62	60	56	51	50	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from Oxnard to Santa Barbara (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 49 minutes and up to 80 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 64 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (78 minutes).

About 14 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 24 miles surface streets (37 to 58 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Oxnard (East 5th Street) 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 Oxnard to Santa Barbara?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 49 minutes then, versus up to 80 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Oxnard to Santa Barbara?

The 38-mile drive usually takes 49 to 80 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 64 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Oxnard to Santa Barbara?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 80 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Los Angeles (2 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Barbara to Oxnard (return trip) · Oxnard to Los Angeles · Oxnard to Pasadena · Oxnard to Long Beach · Oxnard to Burbank · Oxnard to Glendale · Oxnard to Van Nuys · Oxnard to Torrance · Oxnard to LAX · Oxnard to Hollywood · Oxnard to Culver City · Oxnard to El Monte

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	51	61	62	63	57	64	64	67	65	71	71	66	63	50	50	50
Tue	49	51	64	67	64	57	61	62	60	62	64	65	66	59	50	50	50
Wed	49	51	66	69	72	56	61	63	61	61	65	70	67	60	51	51	50
Thu	49	51	64	68	66	57	61	65	65	65	68	70	69	64	50	50	50
Fri	50	51	58	61	64	62	68	71	71	77	80	75	70	63	51	50	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	53	59	65	72	77	71	63	59	57	52	50	50	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	52	61	64	68	75	77	62	60	56	51	50	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	51	61	62	63	57	64	64	67	65	71	71	66	63	50	50	50
Tue	49	51	64	67	64	57	61	62	60	62	64	65	66	59	50	50	50
Wed	49	51	66	69	72	56	61	63	61	61	65	70	67	60	51	51	50
Thu	49	51	64	68	66	57	61	65	65	65	68	70	69	64	50	50	50
Fri	50	51	58	61	64	62	68	71	71	77	80	75	70	63	51	50	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	53	59	65	72	77	71	63	59	57	52	50	50	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	52	61	64	68	75	77	62	60	56	51	50	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	51	61	62	63	57	64	64	67	65	71	71	66	63	50	50	50
Tue	49	51	64	67	64	57	61	62	60	62	64	65	66	59	50	50	50
Wed	49	51	66	69	72	56	61	63	61	61	65	70	67	60	51	51	50
Thu	49	51	64	68	66	57	61	65	65	65	68	70	69	64	50	50	50
Fri	50	51	58	61	64	62	68	71	71	77	80	75	70	63	51	50	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	53	59	65	72	77	71	63	59	57	52	50	50	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	52	61	64	68	75	77	62	60	56	51	50	50