Traffic Predict
Santa Barbara to Van Nuys: Thanksgiving Traffic 2026
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (November 25), the drive from Santa Barbara to Van Nuys is longest leaving around 12:30 pm: about 109 minutes, 9 minutes more than on a normal Wednesday. Leave around 9 am (91 minutes) or 6:30 pm (86 minutes) instead. Coming back on Sunday, November 29, the slowest time to leave is around 1:30 pm (108 minutes); around 8 am it takes 89 minutes.
Day by day
- Tuesday, November 24: fastest leaving around 6 am (90 minutes), slowest around 4 pm (121 minutes, about like a normal Tuesday).
- Wednesday, November 25: fastest leaving around 6:30 pm (86 minutes), slowest around 12:30 pm (109 minutes, 9 minutes more than a normal Wednesday).
- Thursday, November 26: fastest leaving around 9 am (83 minutes), slowest around 4:30 pm (104 minutes, 19 minutes less than a normal Thursday).
- Friday, November 27: fastest leaving around 7:30 am (83 minutes), slowest around 4 pm (104 minutes, 18 minutes less than a normal Friday).
- Saturday, November 28: fastest leaving around 10 am (87 minutes), slowest around 3 pm (102 minutes, about like a normal Saturday).
- Sunday, November 29: fastest leaving around 8 am (89 minutes), slowest around 1:30 pm (108 minutes, 3 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 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 98 | 103 | 105 | 106 | 105 | 113 | 121 | 114 | 101 | 92 | 93 | 93 |
| Wed Nov 25 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 89 | 91 | 93 | 104 | 109 | 109 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 99 | 89 | 87 | 89 | 90 |
| Thu Nov 26 | 88 | 85 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 88 | 93 | 95 | 94 | 97 | 103 | 101 | 91 | 88 | 96 | 97 |
| Fri Nov 27 | 88 | 86 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 88 | 96 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 99 | 104 | 99 | 89 | 87 | 88 | 88 |
| Sat Nov 28 | 90 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 92 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 102 | 98 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 90 | 89 |
| Sun Nov 29 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 90 | 94 | 103 | 106 | 108 | 105 | 100 | 96 | 91 | 91 | 90 | 89 |
Minutes for the 81-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 Van Nuys on a normal day →
Thanksgiving traffic across California · Traffic estimator
Questions
What is the worst time to drive from Santa Barbara to Van Nuys for Thanksgiving?
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (November 25), the drive from Santa Barbara to Van Nuys is longest leaving around 12:30 pm: about 109 minutes, 9 minutes more than on a normal Wednesday. Leave around 9 am (91 minutes) or 6:30 pm (86 minutes) instead. Coming back on Sunday, November 29, the slowest time to leave is around 1:30 pm (108 minutes); around 8 am it takes 89 minutes.
How long does the drive from Santa Barbara to Van Nuys take over Thanksgiving?
Tuesday, November 24: fastest leaving around 6 am (90 minutes), slowest around 4 pm (121 minutes, about like a normal Tuesday). Wednesday, November 25: fastest leaving around 6:30 pm (86 minutes), slowest around 12:30 pm (109 minutes, 9 minutes more than a normal Wednesday). Thursday, November 26: fastest leaving around 9 am (83 minutes), slowest around 4:30 pm (104 minutes, 19 minutes less than a normal Thursday). Friday, November 27: fastest leaving around 7:30 am (83 minutes), slowest around 4 pm (104 minutes, 18 minutes less than a normal Friday). Saturday, November 28: fastest leaving around 10 am (87 minutes), slowest around 3 pm (102 minutes, about like a normal Saturday). Sunday, November 29: fastest leaving around 8 am (89 minutes), slowest around 1:30 pm (108 minutes, 3 minutes less than a normal Sunday).