Best Time to Drive from Santa Barbara to Ventura

Right now (2:19 pm PDT): about 73 minutes via US-101 South, usually 52 at this time.

Only 32% 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 Ventura 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	43	43	43	44	44	44	48	50	50	51	56	60	57	50	43	43	43
Tue	43	43	43	44	44	44	45	46	49	49	55	60	57	50	43	43	44
Wed	43	43	43	45	45	44	45	48	51	51	55	59	56	50	44	43	43
Thu	43	43	44	46	45	45	47	49	51	52	56	63	62	54	46	43	44
Fri	43	43	43	45	45	45	50	53	54	55	58	64	60	52	45	43	43
Sat	43	42	42	43	43	44	47	52	52	52	52	50	49	47	43	43	43
Sun	43	43	42	43	43	43	46	52	53	52	52	50	48	45	43	43	43

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Santa Barbara to Ventura (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 42 minutes and up to 64 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 11 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (53 minutes).

About 14 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 18 miles surface streets (30 to 39 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 central Ventura 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 Ventura?

On weekdays, leave before 11 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 42 minutes then, versus up to 64 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 32-mile drive usually takes 42 to 64 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Barbara to Ventura?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 64 minutes.

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Ventura to Santa Barbara (return trip) · Santa Barbara to LAX · Santa Barbara to Los Angeles · 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 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	43	43	43	44	44	44	48	50	50	51	56	60	57	50	43	43	43
Tue	43	43	43	44	44	44	45	46	49	49	55	60	57	50	43	43	44
Wed	43	43	43	45	45	44	45	48	51	51	55	59	56	50	44	43	43
Thu	43	43	44	46	45	45	47	49	51	52	56	63	62	54	46	43	44
Fri	43	43	43	45	45	45	50	53	54	55	58	64	60	52	45	43	43
Sat	43	42	42	43	43	44	47	52	52	52	52	50	49	47	43	43	43
Sun	43	43	42	43	43	43	46	52	53	52	52	50	48	45	43	43	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	43	43	44	44	44	48	50	50	51	56	60	57	50	43	43	43
Tue	43	43	43	44	44	44	45	46	49	49	55	60	57	50	43	43	44
Wed	43	43	43	45	45	44	45	48	51	51	55	59	56	50	44	43	43
Thu	43	43	44	46	45	45	47	49	51	52	56	63	62	54	46	43	44
Fri	43	43	43	45	45	45	50	53	54	55	58	64	60	52	45	43	43
Sat	43	42	42	43	43	44	47	52	52	52	52	50	49	47	43	43	43
Sun	43	43	42	43	43	43	46	52	53	52	52	50	48	45	43	43	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	43	43	44	44	44	48	50	50	51	56	60	57	50	43	43	43
Tue	43	43	43	44	44	44	45	46	49	49	55	60	57	50	43	43	44
Wed	43	43	43	45	45	44	45	48	51	51	55	59	56	50	44	43	43
Thu	43	43	44	46	45	45	47	49	51	52	56	63	62	54	46	43	44
Fri	43	43	43	45	45	45	50	53	54	55	58	64	60	52	45	43	43
Sat	43	42	42	43	43	44	47	52	52	52	52	50	49	47	43	43	43
Sun	43	43	42	43	43	43	46	52	53	52	52	50	48	45	43	43	43