What is the distance between Santa Barbara and Oakland?

The distance separating Santa Barbara and Oakland is 275 miles (442 km).

What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from Santa Barbara to Oakland?

If you're headed to Oakland from Santa Barbara, chances are that your bus will leave from Train Station and arrive at Emeryville Station. These are the main departure and arrival locations on this route, but you could find others that could be a better fit for your travel plans.

Bus Santa Barbara to Oakland from $41 | Refundable Tickets

Next departures

Next departures for Santa Barbara to Oakland on November 9
Operated by	Vehicle type	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended	Price and booking link
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.		6:45pm	Santa Barbara (University of California), CA	11h 50m	6:35am	West Oakland BART	Cheapest
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.		6:45pm	Santa Barbara (University of California), CA	11h 25m	6:10am	Oakland/Berkeley/East Bay	Fastest

Next departures for Santa Barbara to Oakland on November 10
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
	11:45am	Santa Barbara Station	6h 50m	6:35pm	West Oakland BART	CheapestFastest
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	6:45pm	Santa Barbara (University of California), CA	11h 50m	6:35am	West Oakland BART	No tags
	7:35am	Train Station	8h 15m	3:50pm	Coliseum/Airport	No tags
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	6:45pm	Santa Barbara (University of California), CA	11h 25m	6:10am	Oakland/Berkeley/East Bay	No tags
	7:50am	UC Santa Barbara	8h 11m	4:01pm	Jack London Square	No tags

Next departures for Santa Barbara to Oakland on November 11
Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
11:45am	Santa Barbara Station	6h 50m	6:35pm	West Oakland BART	CheapestFastest
7:35am	Train Station	8h 15m	3:50pm	Coliseum/Airport	No tags
7:50am	UC Santa Barbara	8h 11m	4:01pm	Jack London Square	No tags
11:25am	UC Santa Barbara	11h 5m	10:30pm	Jack London Square	No tags
7:50am	UC Santa Barbara	8h	3:50pm	Coliseum/Airport	No tags

Next departures for Santa Barbara to Oakland on November 12
Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
11:45am	Santa Barbara Station	6h 50m	6:35pm	West Oakland BART	CheapestFastest
7:35am	Train Station	8h 15m	3:50pm	Coliseum/Airport	No tags
7:50am	UC Santa Barbara	8h 11m	4:01pm	Jack London Square	No tags
11:25am	UC Santa Barbara	11h 5m	10:30pm	Jack London Square	No tags
7:50am	UC Santa Barbara	8h	3:50pm	Coliseum/Airport	No tags

Next departures for Santa Barbara to Oakland on November 13
Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
1:40pm	Santa Barbara (University of California), CA	6h 50m	8:30pm	West Oakland BART	CheapestFastest
7:35am	Train Station	8h 15m	3:50pm	Coliseum/Airport	No tags
7:50am	UC Santa Barbara	8h 11m	4:01pm	Jack London Square	No tags
11:25am	UC Santa Barbara	11h 5m	10:30pm	Jack London Square	No tags
7:50am	UC Santa Barbara	8h	3:50pm	Coliseum/Airport	No tags

Last refresh of the prices: Yesterday at 2:04 PM PST.

Compare 2 ways to go from Santa Barbara to Oakland

We recommend taking the train

Among the sustainable travel choices, the train stands out as the good way to reach Oakland. The journey takes about 9 hours 10 minutes and with fares starting at just $59, it presents an excellent value for a comfortable ride.

1train per day

9h 10mAverage Duration

278 milesDistance

41kgCO₂ emissions

	Average Price	Average Duration	CO₂ emissions
Bus	Average Price$27 - $206	Average Duration11h 25m	CO₂ emissions 11kg CO₂e
Train	Average Price$59 - $95	Average Duration9h 10m	CO₂ emissions 41kg CO₂e

Compare bus companies

Amtrak

4/55,572 reviews

Staff4.7

Timeliness3.8

Cleanliness4.6

Wifi3.6

FlixBus

3.5/511,247 reviews

Staff4.1

Timeliness3.9

Cleanliness4.1

Wifi2.7

Flixbus is a European bus operator that offers intercity and bus travel in over 38 countries. Known for their easy-to-spot lime green buses and for offering affordable transportation between cities in Europe and the Americas, Flixbus is a good option for those looking for an affordable, reliable bus company. In their buses, you'll find free WiFi, bathrooms, and power outlets. You can also pay extra to choose your seat and get extra legroom, or even buy a snack or drink onboard directly from the driver. You can reschedule your ticket for a small fee, which varies from $1 to $5, depending on how close you are to the departure date.

US bus companies: FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus, ALSA, Greyhound, Intercape, Trenitalia, Sindbad

Where are the popular stops in Santa Barbara and Oakland?

Stops in Santa Barbara

A - Train Station

Stops in Oakland

A - Emeryville Station

B - West Oakland BART Station

C - Oakland Bus Station

D - Greyhound Station

Frequently asked questions about traveling from Santa Barbara to Oakland by bus

What is the distance between Santa Barbara and Oakland?
What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from Santa Barbara to Oakland?

Find cheapest prices for buses

Price is for a one-way ticket for one passenger and based on past searches.

Best price found

11/07

$85

11/08

$55

Today

$72

11/10

$62

11/11

$79

11/12

$44

11/13

$64

11/14

$46

The cheapest trip from Santa Barbara to Oakland was searched and found on Nov 12, 2025 with a price of $44

To save money and be sure you have the best seat, it's a good idea to buy your bus tickets from Santa Barbara to Oakland, as early as possible.

You can expect to pay from $44 to $125 for a bus ticket from Santa Barbara to Oakland based on the last 2 days. You can expect to find the cheapest price for the trip at $44 which is on 2025-11-12.

Usually Amtrak will charge you higher prices for tickets closer to the departure date. To find the best prices, you should be flexible on your date of travel.

What's the cheapest way to go from Santa Barbara to Oakland?

The bus is the cheapest travel choice for this destination

Vehicle Type	Travel Time	Avg Price	Daily Departures
Vehicle TypeBus	Travel Time11h 25m	Avg Price$58	Daily Departures3
Vehicle TypeTrain	Travel Time9h 10m	Avg Price$59	Daily Departures1

Top traveled bus routes

Why choose Busbud?

The Best Way To Book Bus and Train Tickets

Busbud makes bus travel easy. We help travelers find a bus, plot routes, and book intercity bus tickets all over the world. With Busbud, wherever you go, you have a worldwide bus station within reach and available in your own language and currency. With Busbud, you can buy tickets with confidence. We ensure that you make the most out of your bus trip by partnering up with reliable bus companies from all around the world such as Greyhound, Eurolines, ALSA, OUIBUS (BlaBlaBus), National Express and many others.