Traffic Predict
Santa Barbara to Los Angeles: Thanksgiving Traffic 2026
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (November 25), the drive from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles is longest leaving around 3 pm: about 178 minutes, 12 minutes less than on a normal Wednesday. Leave around 9 am (112 minutes) or 8 pm (100 minutes) instead. Coming back on Sunday, November 29, the slowest time to leave is around 1:30 pm (163 minutes); around 6:30 am it takes 99 minutes.
Day by day
- Tuesday, November 24: fastest leaving around 6 am (101 minutes), slowest around 3 pm (185 minutes, 5 minutes more than a normal Tuesday).
- Wednesday, November 25: fastest leaving around 6 am (98 minutes), slowest around 3 pm (178 minutes, 12 minutes less than a normal Wednesday).
- Thursday, November 26: fastest leaving around 7 am (92 minutes), slowest around 3 pm (168 minutes, 28 minutes less than a normal Thursday).
- Friday, November 27: fastest leaving around 7:30 am (92 minutes), slowest around 3 pm (172 minutes, 34 minutes less than a normal Friday).
- Saturday, November 28: fastest leaving around 6 am (99 minutes), slowest around 1:30 pm (146 minutes, 3 minutes less than a normal Saturday).
- Sunday, November 29: fastest leaving around 6:30 am (99 minutes), slowest around 1:30 pm (163 minutes, 7 minutes less than 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 | 99 | 101 | 102 | 109 | 115 | 121 | 128 | 141 | 167 | 164 | 185 | 184 | 167 | 140 | 112 | 105 | 105 |
| Wed Nov 25 | 99 | 98 | 98 | 107 | 112 | 115 | 132 | 147 | 158 | 160 | 178 | 159 | 140 | 126 | 107 | 100 | 100 |
| Thu Nov 26 | 96 | 93 | 92 | 94 | 95 | 100 | 109 | 124 | 145 | 149 | 168 | 158 | 156 | 135 | 120 | 113 | 111 |
| Fri Nov 27 | 96 | 94 | 93 | 97 | 101 | 109 | 136 | 144 | 163 | 166 | 172 | 171 | 152 | 126 | 109 | 98 | 97 |
| Sat Nov 28 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 105 | 123 | 146 | 145 | 142 | 142 | 135 | 128 | 120 | 107 | 100 | 98 |
| Sun Nov 29 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 100 | 102 | 104 | 118 | 140 | 152 | 157 | 146 | 141 | 126 | 115 | 108 | 102 | 99 |
Minutes for the 95-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.
Santa Barbara to Los Angeles on a normal day →
Thanksgiving traffic across California · Traffic estimator
Questions
What is the worst time to drive from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving?
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (November 25), the drive from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles is longest leaving around 3 pm: about 178 minutes, 12 minutes less than on a normal Wednesday. Leave around 9 am (112 minutes) or 8 pm (100 minutes) instead. Coming back on Sunday, November 29, the slowest time to leave is around 1:30 pm (163 minutes); around 6:30 am it takes 99 minutes.
How long does the drive from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles take over Thanksgiving?
Tuesday, November 24: fastest leaving around 6 am (101 minutes), slowest around 3 pm (185 minutes, 5 minutes more than a normal Tuesday). Wednesday, November 25: fastest leaving around 6 am (98 minutes), slowest around 3 pm (178 minutes, 12 minutes less than a normal Wednesday). Thursday, November 26: fastest leaving around 7 am (92 minutes), slowest around 3 pm (168 minutes, 28 minutes less than a normal Thursday). Friday, November 27: fastest leaving around 7:30 am (92 minutes), slowest around 3 pm (172 minutes, 34 minutes less than a normal Friday). Saturday, November 28: fastest leaving around 6 am (99 minutes), slowest around 1:30 pm (146 minutes, 3 minutes less than a normal Saturday). Sunday, November 29: fastest leaving around 6:30 am (99 minutes), slowest around 1:30 pm (163 minutes, 7 minutes less than a normal Sunday).