Best Time to Drive from Santa Maria to San Luis Obispo

Right now (6:50 pm PDT): about 32 minutes via US-101 North, usually 31 at this time.

Only 67% 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 Maria to San Luis Obispo 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	31	31	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	32	31
Tue	31	31	33	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Wed	30	31	34	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Thu	31	31	33	34	32	32	32	32	32	33	32	33	33	32	31	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	33	34	33	32	31	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	32	32	31	31	31	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Santa Maria to San Luis Obispo (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 34 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 32 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (33 minutes).

About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (about 6 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Maria to central San Luis Obispo 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 Maria to San Luis Obispo?

On weekdays, leave early in the morning or late in the evening. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 34 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Maria to San Luis Obispo?

The 33-mile drive usually takes 30 to 34 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 32 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Maria to San Luis Obispo?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 34 minutes.

More drives

San Luis Obispo to Santa Maria (return trip) · Santa Maria to Santa Barbara · Santa Maria to Fullerton

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	31	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	32	31
Tue	31	31	33	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Wed	30	31	34	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Thu	31	31	33	34	32	32	32	32	32	33	32	33	33	32	31	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	33	34	33	32	31	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	32	32	31	31	31	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	31	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	32	31
Tue	31	31	33	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Wed	30	31	34	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Thu	31	31	33	34	32	32	32	32	32	33	32	33	33	32	31	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	33	34	33	32	31	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	32	32	31	31	31	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	31	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	32	31
Tue	31	31	33	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Wed	30	31	34	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Thu	31	31	33	34	32	32	32	32	32	33	32	33	33	32	31	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	33	34	33	32	31	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	33	33	33	32	32	31	31	31	31