There are 7 ways to get from Madison to Santa Barbara by plane, bus, train, bus (Flixbus, Greyhound), or car
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport
best- Fly from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field (MSN) to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA)plane MSN - SBA
9h 9m$183–804Bus to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, fly to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport
cheapest- Take the bus from 250 N. Lake St - Madison UW Campus to O'Hare International Airport - Terminal 1 Departuresbus
- Fly from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA)plane ORD - SBA
9h 41m$131–592Bus, train
- Take the bus from 250 N. Lake St - Madison UW Campus to W Jackson Blvd, after S Clinton Stbus
- Take the train from Chicago Union Station to Los Angelestrain
- Take the train from Los Angeles to Santa Barbaratrain
2d 4h$242–1,761Bus
- Take the bus from 250 N. Lake St - Madison UW Campus to W Jackson Blvd, after S Clinton Stbus
- Take the bus from Chicago Bus Station to St Louis Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from St Louis Bus Station to Los Angeles Union Stationbus
- Take the bus from Los Angeles Union Station to Santa Barbara Bus Stopbus
2d 6h$204–661Drive 2,028.7 mi
- Drive from Madison to Santa Barbaracar 2,028.7 mi
32h 40m$371–535Fly Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Los Angeles International Airport, train
- Fly from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field (MSN) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)plane MSN - LAX
- Take the train from Los Angeles to Santa Barbaratrain
10h 44m$173–786Fly Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Santa Maria Airport, bus
- Fly from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field (MSN) to Santa Maria Airport (SMX)plane MSN - SMX
- Take the bus from Santa Maria Airport, CA to Santa Barbara Airportbus
14h 20m$243–879
Madison to Santa Barbara by bus and train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Madison to Santa Barbara is to bus and fly which costs $130 - $600 and takes 9h 41m.
The fastest way to get from Madison to Santa Barbara is to fly which takes 9h 9m and costs $180 - $850.
No, there is no direct bus from Madison to Santa Barbara. However, there are services departing from 250 N. Lake St - Madison UW Campus and arriving at Santa Barbara Bus Stop via Chicago Bus Station, St Louis Bus Station and Los Angeles Union Station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 2 days 6h.
The distance between Madison and Santa Barbara is 1764 miles. The road distance is 2040.5 miles.
The best way to get from Madison to Santa Barbara without a car is to bus and train which takes 2 days 4h and costs $240 - $1,800.
It takes approximately 9h 9m to get from Madison to Santa Barbara, including transfers.
Madison to Santa Barbara bus services, operated by Vangalder Bus, depart from 250 N. Lake St - Madison UW Campus station.
The best way to get from Madison to Santa Barbara is to fly which takes 9h 9m and costs $180 - $850. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $200 - $700 and takes 2 days 6h.
Madison to Santa Barbara bus services, operated by Vangalder Bus, arrive at W Jackson Blvd, after S Clinton St station.
Santa Barbara is 2h behind Madison. It is currently 11:28 AM in Madison and 9:28 AM in Santa Barbara.
What companies run services between Madison, WI, USA and Santa Barbara, CA, USA?
United Airlines and American Airlines fly from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field (MSN) to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) every 4 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus from 250 N. Lake St - Madison UW Campus to Santa Barbara Bus Stop via W Jackson Blvd, after S Clinton St, Chicago Bus Station, St Louis Bus Station, and Los Angeles Union Station in around 2d 6h.
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 46m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $180–800
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport via Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 7h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $190–850
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 30m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–550
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport via Los Angeles International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 48m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 41m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–550
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Los Angeles International Airport via Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 16m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–650
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Los Angeles International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 53m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $130–650
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 42m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $180–850
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 36m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $210–900
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 46m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Los Angeles International Airport via Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–650
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Los Angeles International Airport via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 48m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–650
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Los Angeles International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 13m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $160–700
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Santa Maria Airport via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 9m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $190–850
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Santa Maria Airport via Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 5m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $200–900
- Website
- allegiantair.com
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Santa Maria Airport via Denver, Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 18m
- When
- Thursday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $180–800
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Santa Maria Airport via Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 18m
- When
- Thursday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $190–850
- Website
- alaskaair.com
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport via San Diego
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–550
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 55m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–550
- Website
- flybreeze.com
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Los Angeles International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 17m
- When
- Monday and Friday
- Estimated price
- $260–1,000
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Dane County Regional Airport-Truax Field to Los Angeles International Airport via Minneapolis
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–650
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Train from Chicago Union Station to Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 43h 32m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $190–1,600
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Train from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 36m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $30–120
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Phone
- +1 608-752-5407
- vangalder@coachusa.com
- Website
- coachusa.com
Bus from 250 N. Lake St - Madison UW Campus to W Jackson Blvd, after S Clinton St
- Ave. Duration
- 4h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $22–45
- Website
- https://www.coachusa.com/van-galder-bus-company
Bus from 250 N. Lake St - Madison UW Campus to O'Hare International Airport - Terminal 1 Departures
- Ave. Duration
- 3h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $20–40
- Website
- https://www.coachusa.com/van-galder-bus-company
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- flixbus.com
Bus from Chicago Bus Station to St Louis Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $35–70
- Schedules at
- flixbus.com
Bus from Los Angeles Union Station to Santa Barbara Bus Stop
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $17–50
- Schedules at
- flixbus.com
Rome2Rio's guide to Greyhound USA
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 214-849-8100
- ifsr@greyhound.com
- Website
- greyhound.com
Bus from St Louis Bus Station to Los Angeles Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 38h 45m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $130–500
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
- Phone
- +1 800-470-8818
- cclax@cclax.com
- Website
- centralcoastshuttle.com
Bus from Santa Maria Airport, CA to Santa Barbara Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 13m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $60–75
- Website
- https://www.centralcoastshuttle.com
- one way non-prepaid
- $65–75
- One-way prepaid 48 hours advance
- $60–70
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More Questions & Answers
Yes, the driving distance between Madison to Santa Barbara is 2041 miles. It takes approximately 32h 40m to drive from Madison to Santa Barbara.
There are 269+ hotels available in Santa Barbara.










