San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco, United StatesSFO / KSFO
International hub · 130 direct destinations · 4 runways · longest runway 11,870 ft
60 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Route
San Francisco → Santa Barbara
SFO
San FranciscoSan Francisco International Airport
San FranciscoSan Francisco International AirportSBASanta BarbaraSanta Barbara Municipal Airport
Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara Municipal Airport- Distance
- 262 mi
- Estimated flight time
- ~1h
Same local time in San Francisco and Santa Barbara.
Observed nonstop
How often does this route fly?
Frequency
Several times a day
On average around 5 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.
- 5
- flights per day
- 6
- busiest month · Oct
- 4
- quietest month · Dec
- 46 min
- measured flight time
- 12 / 12
- months seen
Through the year
Per day, month by month
- 4Jan2026
- 5Feb
- 5Mar
- 5Apr
- 5May
- 5Jun
- 5Jul
- 5Aug
- 5Sep
- 6Oct2025
- 5Nov
- 4Dec
Airlines
Who flies it
United Airlinesall year
SkyWest Airlinesall year
Through the day
Departure times
Local time in San Francisco. Most departures between 16:00 and 19:00.
- 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
- 4.9Mon
- 4.7Tue
- 4.6Wed
- 5.1Thu
- 5.3Fri
- 5Sat
- 5.1Sun
Fleet
Aircraft observed
- Embraer 175E75L25%
- Boeing 737 MAX 8B38M13%
- Boeing 737-800B73813%
- Airbus A320A32010%
- Airbus A319A3199%
All the numbers in a table
| Month | Per day | Seen | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 4 | 125 |
|
| February 2026 | 5 | 133 |
|
| March 2026 | 5 | 164 |
|
| April 2026 | 5 | 139 |
|
| May 2026 | 5 | 156 |
|
| June 2026 | 5 | 161 |
|
| July 2026 | 5 | 158 |
|
| August 2026 | 5 | 141 |
|
| September 2026 | 5 | 157 |
|
| October 2025 | 6 | 173 |
|
| November 2025 | 5 | 153 |
|
| December 2025 | 4 | 125 |
|
Airlines observed on this route
From observed callsign routes on SFO-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 Francisco: 130.
- 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
64 °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.
SQL SBASan Carlos AirportSan Carlos is about 10 mi from San Francisco.View route →OAK SBAOakland San Francisco Bay AirportOakland is about 11 mi from San Francisco.View route →SJC SBAMineta San Jose International AirportSan Jose is about 30 mi from San Francisco.View route →SFO SMXSanta Maria Public Airport Captain G Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria is about 48 mi from Santa Barbara.View route →
About the route from San Francisco to Santa Barbara
The observed direct connection between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) covers approximately 262 mi. The estimated flight time is around 1h. SkyWest Airlines and United Airlines have been observed on this connection in the available route data.
Frequently asked questions about this route
- How far is San Francisco from Santa Barbara by air?
- The great-circle distance between San Francisco International Airport and Santa Barbara Municipal Airport is approximately 262 mi.
- How long is the flight from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?
- Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 1h. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
- Is there a direct connection from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?
- Yes, a direct connection between SFO and SBA has been observed in our route data.
- Which airlines have been observed on this route?
- In the available route data: SkyWest Airlines and United Airlines.
- How often is there a flight from San Francisco to Santa Barbara?
- On average around 5 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 1,785 observed flights. Mainly United Airlines, SkyWest Airlines. That is an observation, not a timetable.
- What is the current time difference between San Francisco and Santa Barbara?
- Same local time in San Francisco 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.