There are 7 ways to get from Santa Barbara to Chico by plane, train, bus (Flixbus, Greyhound), train (Amtrak), car, or subway
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to Sacramento International Airport, train
best- Fly from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) to Sacramento International Airport (SMF)plane SBA - SMF
- Take the train from Sacramento to Chico Amtraktrain
6h 30m$94–546Train (Amtrak)
cheapest- Take the train from Santa Barbara to Chico Amtraktrain Coast Starlight
13h 16m$50–180Bus
- Take the bus from Santa Barbara Bus Stop to Oaklandbus
- Take the bus from Oakland to Sacramento Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Sacramento Bus Station to Chico Bus Stationbus
12h$83–232Drive 458 mi
- Drive from Santa Barbara to Chicocar 458 mi
8h 23m$84–121Train to Los Angeles International Airport, fly to Sacramento International Airport, train
- Take the train from Santa Barbara to Los Angelestrain
- Fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Sacramento International Airport (SMF)plane LAX - SMF
- Take the train from Sacramento to Chico Amtraktrain
9h 23m$128–575Fly Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to San Francisco International Airport, BART, train
- Fly from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO)plane SBA - SFO
- Take the subway from San Francisco International Airport to Richmondsubway
- Take the train from Richmond to Sacramentotrain
- Take the train from Sacramento to Chico Amtraktrain
9h 34m$88–326Train to Burbank Bob Hope Airport, fly to Sacramento International Airport, train
- Take the train from Santa Barbara to Van Nuystrain
- Fly from Burbank Bob Hope Airport (BUR) to Sacramento International Airport (SMF)plane BUR - SMF
- Take the train from Sacramento to Chico Amtraktrain
9h 19m$118–590
Santa Barbara to Chico by bus
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Santa Barbara to Chico is to drive which costs $80 - $130 and takes 8h 23m.
The fastest way to get from Santa Barbara to Chico is to fly and train which takes 6h 30m and costs $90 - $550.
No, there is no direct bus from Santa Barbara to Chico station. However, there are services departing from Santa Barbara Bus Stop and arriving at Chico Bus Station via Oakland and Sacramento Bus Station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 12h.
Yes, there is a direct train departing from Santa Barbara and arriving at Chico Amtrak. Services depart once daily, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 13h 16m.
The distance between Santa Barbara and Chico is 418 miles. The road distance is 460.6 miles.
The best way to get from Santa Barbara to Chico without a car is to bus which takes 12h and costs $80 - $240.
It takes approximately 6h 30m to get from Santa Barbara to Chico, including transfers.
Santa Barbara to Chico bus services, operated by Flixbus USA, depart from Santa Barbara Bus Stop station.
Santa Barbara to Chico train services, operated by Amtrak, depart from Santa Barbara station.
The best way to get from Santa Barbara to Chico is to bus which takes 12h and costs $80 - $240. Alternatively, you can train, which costs $50 - $180 and takes 13h 16m.
What companies run services between Santa Barbara, CA, USA and Chico, CA, USA?
You can take a bus from Santa Barbara Bus Stop to Chico Bus Station via Oakland and Sacramento Bus Station in around 12h. Alternatively, Amtrak operates a train from Santa Barbara to Chico Amtrak once daily. Tickets cost $50–180 and the journey takes 13h 16m.
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to Sacramento International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $75–500
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Sacramento International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 32m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $65–410
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Sacramento International Airport via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 55m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $80–470
Flights from Burbank Bob Hope Airport to Sacramento International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 29m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $70–440
Flights from Burbank Bob Hope Airport to Sacramento International Airport via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 45m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $90–550
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to Sacramento International Airport via San Francisco International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 3m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $80–550
Flights from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to Sacramento International Airport via Los Angeles International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 37m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $90–550
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Sacramento International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 36m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $65–410
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Sacramento International Airport via San Francisco International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $65–420
Flights from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to San Francisco International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 21m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $35–240
Flights from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to San Francisco International Airport via Los Angeles International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $40–260
Flights from Burbank Bob Hope Airport to Sacramento International Airport via San Francisco International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 21m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $70–460
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Sacramento International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $65–410
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Sacramento International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 33m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $65–410
- Website
- flyfrontier.com
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Sacramento International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 33m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $65–410
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Train from Sacramento to Chico Amtrak
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 48m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $17–40
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Train from Santa Barbara to Chico Amtrak
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 16m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $50–180
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Coach Seat - Advance Purchase
- $50–140
- Coach Seat short notice purchase
- $65–180
- Business - advance purchase
- $90–390
- Business Class
- $150–410
Train from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 53m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $30–110
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Train from Richmond to Sacramento
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 39m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $25–29
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Train from Santa Barbara to Van Nuys
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 14m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $25–100
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Phone
- +1-510-464-6000
- Website
- bart.gov
Subway from San Francisco International Airport to Richmond
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 7m
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $11–15
- Website
- https://www.bart.gov
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- flixbus.com
Bus from Santa Barbara Bus Stop to Oakland
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 50m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $45–140
- Schedules at
- flixbus.com
Bus from Sacramento Bus Station to Chico Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 40m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $23–75
- 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 Oakland to Sacramento Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $12–24
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
Bus from Sacramento Bus Station to Chico Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 40m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $22–40
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
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More Questions & Answers
Santa Barbara to Chico bus services, operated by Flixbus USA, arrive at Oakland station.
Santa Barbara to Chico train services, operated by Amtrak, arrive at Chico Amtrak station.
Yes, the driving distance between Santa Barbara to Chico is 461 miles. It takes approximately 8h 23m to drive from Santa Barbara to Chico.
Book your Santa Barbara to Chico train tickets online with Omio.
Book your Santa Barbara to Chico bus tickets online with Omio and FlixBus.
There are 42+ hotels available in Chico.














