How long does it take to travel from UC Berkeley to UCLA?
I'm trying to get a sense of the distance between UC Berkeley and UCLA because I'm potentially interested in both schools, and I might want to visit friends or family between the two if I end up at either campus. If anyone has made the trip, how far apart are they by car or by plane? I know they're both in California, but I don't have a feel for how long the drive really is with normal traffic, or if there's a better way to get from one to the other. I'm also curious if students often travel between the two for events or games.
If you've gone to both campuses or visited both, would love to hear your experience with getting from one place to the other and if the distance felt like a big deal.
If you've gone to both campuses or visited both, would love to hear your experience with getting from one place to the other and if the distance felt like a big deal.
2 weeks ago
•
63 views
Kathy Jayanth
• 2 weeks ago
Advisor
UC Berkeley and UCLA are about 370 to 400 miles apart, since Berkeley is in the Bay Area (Northern California) and UCLA is in Los Angeles (Southern California). By car, the drive usually takes around 6-7 hours if you’re going straight down Interstate 5, and that’s under typical traffic conditions. If you hit rush hour traffic, especially getting in or out of LA, it could easily add an hour or more.
By plane, it’s much faster. The flight between Oakland or San Francisco (closest airports to Berkeley) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX, closest airport to UCLA) is about 1 hour and 15 minutes. However, you have to add in the time for getting to and from the airport, going through security, waiting at the gate, and so on. From airport to campus on each end might mean another 45 minutes to an hour of travel, depending on traffic and your transportation method, so the whole process could end up taking about 3-4 hours.
Amtrak is another option, but it usually takes 10+ hours and involves train and bus transfers, so it’s not the most convenient unless you enjoy scenic routes.
Students do travel between the two universities for sporting events, conferences, or to visit friends, but not regularly unless they have a special reason. It's a significant enough distance that most people don’t go back and forth often—think more like visiting home for a long weekend or attending a big event, rather than a spontaneous day trip. For example, some students make a tradition of attending the annual UCLA vs. Cal football game, traveling with student groups or carpools.
In short, while it’s totally doable to visit one if you’re at the other, you should plan ahead, and the distance does make each campus feel quite separate. Most students treat trips between UCLA and Berkeley as a special occasion, not a regular routine.
By plane, it’s much faster. The flight between Oakland or San Francisco (closest airports to Berkeley) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX, closest airport to UCLA) is about 1 hour and 15 minutes. However, you have to add in the time for getting to and from the airport, going through security, waiting at the gate, and so on. From airport to campus on each end might mean another 45 minutes to an hour of travel, depending on traffic and your transportation method, so the whole process could end up taking about 3-4 hours.
Amtrak is another option, but it usually takes 10+ hours and involves train and bus transfers, so it’s not the most convenient unless you enjoy scenic routes.
Students do travel between the two universities for sporting events, conferences, or to visit friends, but not regularly unless they have a special reason. It's a significant enough distance that most people don’t go back and forth often—think more like visiting home for a long weekend or attending a big event, rather than a spontaneous day trip. For example, some students make a tradition of attending the annual UCLA vs. Cal football game, traveling with student groups or carpools.
In short, while it’s totally doable to visit one if you’re at the other, you should plan ahead, and the distance does make each campus feel quite separate. Most students treat trips between UCLA and Berkeley as a special occasion, not a regular routine.
Kathy Jayanth
Berkeley, CA
UC Berkeley | Economics & Slavic Studies
Experience
5 years