Best Time to Drive from Santa Barbara to Santa Monica

Right now (9:48 pm PDT): about 97 minutes via US-101 South, usually 96 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 92-mile drive from Santa Barbara to Santa Monica (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 95 minutes and up to 155 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 121 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (134 minutes).

About 67 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 25 miles surface streets (38 to 84 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 Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 95 minutes then, versus up to 155 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 92-mile drive usually takes 95 to 155 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 121 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Barbara to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 155 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (40 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Monica to Santa Barbara (return trip) · Santa Barbara to LAX · Santa Barbara to Los Angeles · 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

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