SBA (Santa Barbara Airport)

Basics

SBA- Santa Barbara airport is small, simple and stunning! Traveling in and out of this airport is a breathe of fresh air for anyone who is used to the hustle and bustle of large international airports. See the SBA website here

Inside of SBA there is one gift shop, one coffee shop and one restaurant. They are all high quality airport amenities in my opinion. The airport is well decorated in traditional Santa Barbara Spanish style. From the terminal you have nice views of the mountains.

This airport has only 1 terminal with 5 gates. American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United and Southwest Airlines all fly out of SBA. Direct flights are somewhat numbered since it is such a small airport, but the experience is so much smoother and easier than LAX and BUR in my opinion that I always check to see if I can make SBA work first when I am traveling.

There is also a cute little viewing patio where you can go to watch planes land. You do not have to go through security to access this patio so it’s a nice place to hang out and wait for flights to arrive if you are picking someone up.

Santa Barbara is only 30 miles North of Ventura. It is a beautiful, coastal drive between the 2 cities. If you do want to grab a bite to eat or kill some time in Santa Barbara before or after a flight see my Santa Barbara page for ideas.

Parking

The main SBA parking lot is reminiscent of a large, midwestern Walmart parking lot. You are within walking distance of the terminal and are able to see the airport from anywhere on the lot whether you choose the slightly more expensive closest lot or the lot that is farther away. Parking is affordable compared to other airports. As of October 2022 the lot closest to the terminal that will literally put you right in front of it is $27/ day. The “Walmart parking lot type” lot that is a bit more of a hike to the terminal is $17/ day. There is also a lot that shuttles to and from the airport available for $12/ day. The shuttles run every 15 minutes. None of the lots take reservations.

For parking lot addresses and current parking rates click here

Getting There

There are rental cars available onsite. The rental car hassle is lower than at the large regional airports, in my opinion, due to significantly less traffic coming through.

Coming in and out of Ventura you may actually be able to get a friend to drop you off at this airport! It’s a nice drive and avoids the LA traffic. Uber is also a reasonable option and parking rates here are much more affordable than the larger airports if you choose to drive yourself.