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SBA to MCE: distance & flight time
Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara Municipal Airport) → Merced (Merced Regional Macready Field)
201 mi
324 km · 175 nm
1h
estimated nonstop flight time
Same time
time difference · heading north
See live SBA→MCE fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
201 miles nonstop takes roughly 1h gate to gate, flying north. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Both airports share the same local time, so schedules read exactly as flown.
The two airports
- SBA — Santa Barbara Municipal Airport · Santa Barbara, United States
- MCE — Merced Regional Macready Field · Merced, United States
Distances are great-circle ("as the crow flies") — the same basis airlines use for frequent-flyer miles.
Alternate airports can cut this fare
Flying from or into a nearby airport is the #1 trick our agents use to beat online prices. Call and we'll compare every combination on one call.
Near SBA
- SQA · Santa Ynez Airport18 mi away
- OXR · Oxnard Airport39 mi away
- LPC · Lompoc Airport39 mi away
- NTD · Point Mugu Naval Air Station (Naval Base Ventura Co)46 mi away
Near MCE
- MER · Castle Airport7 mi away
- RMY · Mariposa Yosemite Airport30 mi away
- MAE · Madera Municipal Airport30 mi away
- MOD · Modesto City Co-Harry Sham Field34 mi away
Frequently asked questions
How far is SBA from MCE?
The flight distance from Santa Barbara (SBA) to Merced (MCE) is 201 miles (324 km, 175 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from SBA to MCE?
A nonstop flight takes about 1h gate to gate. Actual time varies with winds, routing and season — eastbound transatlantic flights, for example, are usually faster than the return.
Are there nonstop flights from SBA to MCE?
Nonstop service on SBA–MCE depends on the season and the day of week. Run the fare search on this page with the nonstop filter applied to see current direct options; when there is no nonstop, a single connection through a carrier hub adds roughly 2–4 hours to the 1h nonstop estimate.
What is the cheapest way to fly from SBA to MCE?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on SBA–MCE that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.
Why are some SBA to MCE fares phone-only?
Consolidator contracts let us sell certain SBA–MCE tickets below the price airlines permit us to publish online, so those fares can only be quoted over the phone. Call the travel desk and an agent will check phone-only inventory for your dates.