Best Time to Drive from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles

Right now (4:05 am PDT): about 100 minutes via US-101 South, usually 99 at this time.

Only 17% 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 Santa Barbara to Los Angeles 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	100	102	104	112	113	119	137	147	158	170	184	178	163	132	106	100	101
Tue	100	102	105	113	114	115	118	132	161	157	182	179	162	137	109	101	103
Wed	100	102	104	118	117	113	124	138	155	163	192	175	157	137	111	101	101
Thu	101	101	105	118	116	119	127	142	171	185	197	193	184	148	122	103	103
Fri	100	102	104	114	117	124	151	167	189	198	212	203	172	142	117	102	100
Sat	99	100	102	103	106	117	141	155	153	148	146	140	133	124	110	102	99
Sun	99	99	100	102	104	108	125	146	159	160	151	148	129	117	109	103	99

About this drive

On weekdays the 95-mile drive from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 100 minutes and up to 212 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 154 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (170 minutes).

About 70 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 25 miles surface streets (37 to 99 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Barbara (Anacapa Street) to Downtown LA (City Hall) (West 1st 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 Santa Barbara to Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 100 minutes then, versus up to 212 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles?

The 95-mile drive usually takes 100 to 212 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 154 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 212 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (56 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Los Angeles to Santa Barbara (return trip) · Santa Barbara to LAX · Santa Barbara to Santa Monica · Santa Barbara to Pasadena · Santa Barbara to Van Nuys · Santa Barbara to Irvine · Santa Barbara to Thousand Oaks · Santa Barbara to Oxnard · Santa Barbara to Ventura · Santa Barbara to Simi Valley · Santa Barbara to Porter Ranch · Santa Barbara to Torrance

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	100	102	104	112	113	119	137	147	158	170	184	178	163	132	106	100	101
Tue	100	102	105	113	114	115	118	132	161	157	182	179	162	137	109	101	103
Wed	100	102	104	118	117	113	124	138	155	163	192	175	157	137	111	101	101
Thu	101	101	105	118	116	119	127	142	171	185	197	193	184	148	122	103	103
Fri	100	102	104	114	117	124	151	167	189	198	212	203	172	142	117	102	100
Sat	99	100	102	103	106	117	141	155	153	148	146	140	133	124	110	102	99
Sun	99	99	100	102	104	108	125	146	159	160	151	148	129	117	109	103	99

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	100	102	104	112	113	119	137	147	158	170	184	178	163	132	106	100	101
Tue	100	102	105	113	114	115	118	132	161	157	182	179	162	137	109	101	103
Wed	100	102	104	118	117	113	124	138	155	163	192	175	157	137	111	101	101
Thu	101	101	105	118	116	119	127	142	171	185	197	193	184	148	122	103	103
Fri	100	102	104	114	117	124	151	167	189	198	212	203	172	142	117	102	100
Sat	99	100	102	103	106	117	141	155	153	148	146	140	133	124	110	102	99
Sun	99	99	100	102	104	108	125	146	159	160	151	148	129	117	109	103	99

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	100	102	104	112	113	119	137	147	158	170	184	178	163	132	106	100	101
Tue	100	102	105	113	114	115	118	132	161	157	182	179	162	137	109	101	103
Wed	100	102	104	118	117	113	124	138	155	163	192	175	157	137	111	101	101
Thu	101	101	105	118	116	119	127	142	171	185	197	193	184	148	122	103	103
Fri	100	102	104	114	117	124	151	167	189	198	212	203	172	142	117	102	100
Sat	99	100	102	103	106	117	141	155	153	148	146	140	133	124	110	102	99
Sun	99	99	100	102	104	108	125	146	159	160	151	148	129	117	109	103	99