Car hire and driving in Santa Maria, CA
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In United States traffic drives on the right. Picking up at SMX means 6 km (4 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q533806.
Drives from Santa Maria
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria to Bakersfield | United States | 137 km (85 mi) | about 1 h 51 min |
| Santa Maria to Oxnard | United States | 143 km (89 mi) | about 1 h 56 min |
| Santa Maria to Simi Valley | United States | 169 km (105 mi) | about 2 h 18 min |
| Santa Maria to Thousand Oaks | United States | 170 km (106 mi) | about 2 h 18 min |
| Santa Maria to Valencia | United States | 176 km (110 mi) | about 2 h 23 min |
| Santa Maria to Santa Clarita | United States | 184 km (114 mi) | about 2 h 30 min |
| Santa Maria to Visalia | United States | 185 km (115 mi) | about 2 h 30 min |
| Santa Maria to Fresno | United States | 208 km (129 mi) | about 2 h 49 min |
| Santa Maria to Lancaster | United States | 212 km (132 mi) | about 2 h 52 min |
| Santa Maria to Burbank | United States | 213 km (132 mi) | about 2 h 53 min |
| Santa Maria to Palmdale | United States | 216 km (134 mi) | about 2 h 56 min |
| Santa Maria to Clovis | United States | 218 km (136 mi) | about 2 h 58 min |
| Santa Maria to Los Angeles | United States | 224 km (139 mi) | about 3 h 3 min |
| Santa Maria to Tijuana | Mexico | 418 km (260 mi) | about 5 h 40 min |
| Santa Maria to Phoenix | United States | 787 km (489 mi) | about 10 h 40 min |
| Santa Maria to Ciudad Juárez | Mexico | 1,346 km (836 mi) | about 18 h 15 min |
| Santa Maria to San Diego | United States | 391 km (243 mi) | about 5 h 18 min |
| Santa Maria to Mexicali | Mexico | 528 km (328 mi) | about 7 h 9 min |
| Santa Maria to San Jose | United States | 296 km (184 mi) | about 4 h 1 min |
| Santa Maria to Chihuahua | Mexico | 1,525 km (948 mi) | about 20 h 40 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Santa Maria?
The right, as everywhere in United States.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.