Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Ventura to Santa Barbara
Right now (11:04 pm PDT): about 45 minutes via US-101 North.
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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 45 | 47 | 55 | 51 | 49 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Tue | 45 | 46 | 56 | 56 | 52 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Wed | 45 | 47 | 57 | 58 | 53 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Thu | 45 | 47 | 57 | 56 | 51 | 48 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 48 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 45 |
| Fri | 45 | 46 | 52 | 51 | 48 | 50 | 51 | 53 | 53 | 55 | 59 | 56 | 49 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 45 |
| Sat | 45 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 48 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 |
| Sun | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Ventura to Santa Barbara (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 45 minutes and up to 61 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 4:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 49 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (51 minutes).
About 12 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 22 miles surface streets (34 to 37 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Ventura 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 Ventura to Santa Barbara?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 4:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 45 minutes then, versus up to 61 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Ventura to Santa Barbara?
The 34-mile drive usually takes 45 to 61 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 49 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Ventura to Santa Barbara?
Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 61 minutes.
Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow
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