Best Time to Drive from Van Nuys to Santa Barbara

Right now (11:48 pm PDT): about 90 minutes via US-101 North.

Only 21% 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 Van Nuys to Santa Barbara 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	89	95	99	99	105	108	114	132	138	156	183	185	170	165	170	102	89
Tue	89	97	103	104	108	104	108	119	124	155	194	161	148	152	156	118	90
Wed	89	97	106	104	103	108	108	111	119	137	152	164	184	156	142	119	92
Thu	89	97	102	103	102	107	117	118	123	150	197	188	185	165	161	121	97
Fri	89	93	98	98	104	116	132	158	159	197	198	190	184	184	155	109	91
Sat	88	89	89	90	99	118	132	126	140	148	136	122	110	117	109	104	93
Sun	88	88	88	89	91	103	113	113	114	117	139	159	132	136	104	100	92

About this drive

On weekdays the 81-mile drive from Van Nuys to Santa Barbara (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 89 minutes and up to 202 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 133 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Sundays (159 minutes).

About 54 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 27 miles surface streets (41 to 150 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Van Nuys (Haynes Street) to central Santa Barbara (Anacapa Street) 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 Van Nuys to Santa Barbara?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 89 minutes then, versus up to 202 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Van Nuys to Santa Barbara?

The 81-mile drive usually takes 89 to 202 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 133 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Van Nuys to Santa Barbara?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 202 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Los Angeles (41 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Barbara to Van Nuys (return trip) · Van Nuys to Los Angeles · Van Nuys to Santa Monica · Van Nuys to Pasadena · Van Nuys to Long Beach · Van Nuys to West Covina · Van Nuys to Glendale · Van Nuys to Santa Clarita · Van Nuys to Torrance · Van Nuys to LAX · Van Nuys to Culver City · Van Nuys to El Monte

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	89	95	99	99	105	108	114	132	138	156	183	185	170	165	170	102	89
Tue	89	97	103	104	108	104	108	119	124	155	194	161	148	152	156	118	90
Wed	89	97	106	104	103	108	108	111	119	137	152	164	184	156	142	119	92
Thu	89	97	102	103	102	107	117	118	123	150	197	188	185	165	161	121	97
Fri	89	93	98	98	104	116	132	158	159	197	198	190	184	184	155	109	91
Sat	88	89	89	90	99	118	132	126	140	148	136	122	110	117	109	104	93
Sun	88	88	88	89	91	103	113	113	114	117	139	159	132	136	104	100	92

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	89	95	99	99	105	108	114	132	138	156	183	185	170	165	170	102	89
Tue	89	97	103	104	108	104	108	119	124	155	194	161	148	152	156	118	90
Wed	89	97	106	104	103	108	108	111	119	137	152	164	184	156	142	119	92
Thu	89	97	102	103	102	107	117	118	123	150	197	188	185	165	161	121	97
Fri	89	93	98	98	104	116	132	158	159	197	198	190	184	184	155	109	91
Sat	88	89	89	90	99	118	132	126	140	148	136	122	110	117	109	104	93
Sun	88	88	88	89	91	103	113	113	114	117	139	159	132	136	104	100	92

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	89	95	99	99	105	108	114	132	138	156	183	185	170	165	170	102	89
Tue	89	97	103	104	108	104	108	119	124	155	194	161	148	152	156	118	90
Wed	89	97	106	104	103	108	108	111	119	137	152	164	184	156	142	119	92
Thu	89	97	102	103	102	107	117	118	123	150	197	188	185	165	161	121	97
Fri	89	93	98	98	104	116	132	158	159	197	198	190	184	184	155	109	91
Sat	88	89	89	90	99	118	132	126	140	148	136	122	110	117	109	104	93
Sun	88	88	88	89	91	103	113	113	114	117	139	159	132	136	104	100	92