You can finally fly from Sacramento directly to this popular coastal California city

Sacramento lovers of ornate Spanish missions and families of UC Santa Barbara students are about to get a long-held wish:

Contour Airlines, a national low-cost carrier, announced Thursday it will launch direct flights between the capital city and stately Santa Barbara this spring. The flights, which will be on 30-seat jets, are expected to be daily or six days a week, Sacramento International Airport officials said.

The typical trip by car to Santa Barbara takes six hours. The Contour flights will take about 1 hour, 20 minutes of travel time.

“This new route is a great opportunity for us to restore service to an important intra-California market that has gone unserved since August 2010,” said Cindy Nichol, Sacramento airports director. “This convenient nonstop service will appeal to business and leisure travelers alike and a great option for quick getaways to the central coast.”

Flights will begin April 16, according to the carrier. Tennessee-based Contour also will increase flights from Santa Barbara to Oakland and Las Vegas in May.

Initial fares will be $99 each way.

Horizon Air last flew between Sacramento and Santa Barbara, but stopped in 2010.

This story was originally published January 31, 2019 at 4:02 PM.