How long is the commute from Isla Vista, CA?

Name: Commute and cars in Isla Vista, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Workers who live in Isla Vista, CA take an average of 15.6 minutes to get to work (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

50.0% of workers drive alone to work.

2.8% take public transportation.

19.3% of workers walk to work.

9.4% work from home.

14.6% of households have no vehicle.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Average commute: 15.6 minutes (±1.5)
Public transportation: 2.8%
Work from home: 9.4%
Households without a car: 14.6%

How people in Isla Vista get to work

Workers 16 and over by means of transportation to work, 2020–2024
Means of transportation	Isla Vista	Santa Barbara County	California	United States
Drove alone	50.0% (±6.7 points)	64.7%	65.7%	68.8%
Carpooled	3.2% (±1.4 points)	11.7%	9.5%	8.5%
Public transportation	2.8% (±1.8 points)	2.2%	2.9%	3.2%
Walked	19.3% (±5.2 points)	3.9%	2.4%	2.4%
Other means (bicycle, taxi, motorcycle)	15.2% (±3.7 points)	4.1%	2.4%	2.0%
Worked from home	9.4% (±3.2 points)	13.4%	17.2%	15.1%

In Isla Vista, the average commute is lower than in Santa Barbara County (20.8 minutes).

It is also lower than in California (28.7 minutes).

It is lower than the national figure (26.4 minutes).

In Isla Vista, the share commuting by public transportation is not measurably different from Santa Barbara County (2.2%).

It is not measurably different from California (2.9%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (3.2%).

In Santa Barbara County, Isla Vista ranks 18 of 22 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest average commute.

Statewide, it ranks 1039 of 1,076.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

Cars per household in Isla Vista

Occupied housing units by vehicles available, 2020–2024
Vehicles available	Isla Vista	Santa Barbara County	California	United States
No vehicle	14.6% (±4.6 points)	5.9%	7.1%	8.4%
1 vehicle	43.3% (±5.7 points)	30.7%	30.7%	33.1%
2 vehicles	21.0% (±5.0 points)	36.3%	36.3%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	21.1% (±4.9 points)	27.0%	25.8%	21.9%

In Isla Vista, the share of households without a vehicle is higher than in Santa Barbara County (5.9%).

It is also higher than in California (7.1%).

It is higher than the national figure (8.4%).

Working from home and internet access in Isla Vista

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Isla Vista	Santa Barbara County	California	United States
Workers working from home	9.4% (±3.2 points)	13.4% (±0.7 points)	17.2% (±0.1 points)	15.1%
Households with a computer	98.6% (±0.9 points)	96.4% (±0.3 points)	96.9% (±0.1 points)	95.5%
Households with broadband internet	88.7% (±3.6 points)	92.5% (±0.5 points)	93.5% (±0.1 points)	91.0%

In Isla Vista, the share of households with a broadband subscription is lower than in Santa Barbara County (92.5%).

It is also lower than in California (93.5%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (91.0%).

Average commute in places near Isla Vista

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Isla Vista
Place	Distance	Average commute	Compared with this place
Isla Vista	—	15.6 minutes (±1.5)	—
University of California-Santa Barbara	0.9 mi	14.3 minutes (±1.7)	Not measurably different
Goleta	1.6 mi	17.8 minutes (±1.4)	Higher
Eastern Goleta Valley	4.8 mi	15.3 minutes (±1.1)	Not measurably different
Santa Barbara	8.4 mi	17.3 minutes (±0.8)	Higher
Mission Canyon	8.7 mi	14.2 minutes (±2.7)	Not measurably different
Montecito	13 mi	18.4 minutes (±2.8)	Not measurably different
Summerland	16 mi	21.4 minutes (±7.9)	Not measurably different
Toro Canyon	17 mi	26.5 minutes (±12.1)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Goleta, CA (17.8 minutes), Santa Barbara, CA (17.3 minutes).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Average commute across Santa Barbara County, place by place

Rank	Place	Average commute
12	Summerland	21.4 minutes (±7.9)
13	Los Olivos	19.6 minutes (±7.9)
14	Los Alamos	18.6 minutes (±2.6)
15	Montecito	18.4 minutes (±2.8)
16	Goleta	17.8 minutes (±1.4)
17	Santa Barbara	17.3 minutes (±0.8)
18	Isla Vista	15.6 minutes (±1.5)
19	Eastern Goleta Valley	15.3 minutes (±1.1)
20	University of California-Santa Barbara	14.3 minutes (±1.7)
21	Mission Canyon	14.2 minutes (±2.7)
22	Vandenberg AFB	11.2 minutes (±4.4)

Showing 11 of 22 places in Santa Barbara County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Isla Vista is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Isla Vista

How long is the average commute in Isla Vista?

Workers who live in Isla Vista, CA take an average of 15.6 minutes each way (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Can you live in Isla Vista without a car?

14.6% of households in Isla Vista have no vehicle, and 2.8% of workers commute by public transportation.

How many people work from home in Isla Vista?

9.4% (±3.2 points) of workers who live in Isla Vista worked from home, and 88.7% of households have a broadband subscription.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Isla Vista CDP, California (place:36868, in state:06).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP03_0018E, DP03_0018M, DP03_0025E, DP03_0025M, DP03_0019PE, DP03_0019PM, DP03_0020PE, DP03_0020PM, DP03_0021PE, DP03_0021PM, DP03_0022PE, DP03_0022PM, DP03_0023PE, DP03_0023PM, DP03_0024PE, DP03_0024PM, DP04_0058PE, DP04_0058PM, DP04_0059PE, DP04_0059PM, DP04_0060PE, DP04_0060PM, DP04_0061PE, DP04_0061PM, DP02_0153PE, DP02_0153PM, DP02_0154PE, DP02_0154PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.