San Diego International Airport
San Diego, United StatesSAN / KSAN
Major airport · 90 direct destinations · 1 runway · longest runway 9,400 ft
88 °F · Partly cloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Route
San Diego → Santa Barbara
SAN
San DiegoSan Diego International Airport
San DiegoSan Diego International AirportSBASanta BarbaraSanta Barbara Municipal Airport
Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara Municipal Airport- Distance
- 192 mi
- Estimated flight time
- ~55m
Same local time in San Diego and Santa Barbara.
Observed nonstop
How often does this route fly?
Frequency
Daily at most
On average around 1.5 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.
- 1.5
- flights per day
- 3
- busiest month · Aug
- 1
- quietest month · Nov
- 37 min
- measured flight time
- 12 / 12
- months seen
Through the year
Per day, month by month
- 1Jan2026
- 1Feb
- 1.5Mar
- 1Apr
- 2May
- 2.5Jun
- 2Jul
- 3Aug
- 3Sep
- 1.5Oct2025
- 1Nov
- 1Dec
Airlines
Who flies it
SkyWest Airlinesspring
Horizon Airnow and then
Southwest Airlinesnow and then
Aerolíneas Ejecutivaswinter
Through the day
Departure times
Local time in San Diego. Most departures between 13:00 and 16:00.
- 00:00
- 01:00
- 02:00
- 03:00
- 04:00
- 05:00
- 06:00
- 07:00
- 08:00
- 09:00
- 10:00
- 11:00
- 12:00
- 13:00
- 14:00
- 15:00
- 16:00
- 17:00
- 18:00
- 19:00
- 20:00
- 21:00
- 22:00
- 23:00
Through the week
By weekday
- 1.5Mon
- 1.4Tue
- 1.6Wed
- 1.4Thu
- 1.7Fri
- 1.3Sat
- 1.6Sun
Fleet
Aircraft observed
- Embraer 175E75L55%
- Boeing 737-700B7375%
- Embraer Phenom 300E55P5%
- Boeing 737-800B7384%
- Cessna Citation LatitudeC68A4%
All the numbers in a table
| Month | Per day | Seen | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 1 | 13 |
|
| February 2026 | 1 | 14 |
|
| March 2026 | 1.5 | 18 | – |
| April 2026 | 1 | 25 |
|
| May 2026 | 2 | 73 |
|
| June 2026 | 2.5 | 71 |
|
| July 2026 | 2 | 70 |
|
| August 2026 | 3 | 99 |
|
| September 2026 | 3 | 95 |
|
| October 2025 | 1.5 | 20 | – |
| November 2025 | 1 | 10 | – |
| December 2025 | 1 | 14 |
|
Airlines observed on this route
From observed callsign routes on SAN-SBA - not a booking guarantee.
About this route
- Domestic route: both airports are in the same country.
- The opposite direction has also been observed as a direct connection.
- Direct destinations observed from San Diego: 90.
- Direct destinations observed from Santa Barbara: 25.
The airports on this route
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport
Santa Barbara, United StatesSBA / KSBA
Regional airport · 25 direct destinations · 3 runways · longest runway 6,037 ft
91 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Alternative airports for this journey
Same journey, a different airport nearby - with an observed direct connection.
CLD SBAMcClellan-Palomar AirportCarlsbad is about 28 mi from San Diego.View route →SAN SBPSan Luis County Regional AirportSan Luis Obispo is about 72 mi from Santa Barbara.View route →SNA SBAJohn Wayne Orange County International AirportSanta Ana is about 76 mi from San Diego.View route →SAN BURHollywood Burbank/Bob Hope AirportBurbank is about 86 mi from Santa Barbara.View route →
About the route from San Diego to Santa Barbara
The observed direct connection between San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) covers approximately 192 mi. The estimated flight time is around 55m. Aerolíneas Ejecutivas, Horizon Air, SkyWest Airlines and Southwest Airlines have been observed on this connection in the available route data.
Frequently asked questions about this route
- How far is San Diego from Santa Barbara by air?
- The great-circle distance between San Diego International Airport and Santa Barbara Municipal Airport is approximately 192 mi.
- How long is the flight from San Diego to Santa Barbara?
- Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 55m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
- Is there a direct connection from San Diego to Santa Barbara?
- Yes, a direct connection between SAN and SBA has been observed in our route data.
- Which airlines have been observed on this route?
- In the available route data: Aerolíneas Ejecutivas, Horizon Air, SkyWest Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
- How often is there a flight from San Diego to Santa Barbara?
- On average around 1.5 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 522 observed flights. Mainly SkyWest Airlines, Horizon Air, Southwest Airlines. That is an observation, not a timetable.
- What is the current time difference between San Diego and Santa Barbara?
- Same local time in San Diego and Santa Barbara.
Where this data comes from
The route data comes from the flight archive (ADS-B, adsb.lol): which connections actually flew over the last twelve full months and who flew them, combined with our own airport, runway, and airline datasets. It is reference data about observed routes - not a current timetable and no claim about bookability.
The frequency and aircraft on this page come from the flight archive (ADS-B, 12 months, October 2025 to September 2026), summarized per route per month. We do not see every flight, so it is a floor, not a count.
Route data updated on October 11, 2026.