Driving time from LAX to Santa Barbara
 

Can one of you tell me about how long of a drive I can expect on a Monday about 9:00 a.m. and the following Friday about noon?

Without traffic it usually takes about an hour and 45 minutes to drive from LAX to Santa Barbara. At 9am you are going to have plenty of traffic until you get further out of LA. I'd probably add on another hour to be on the safe side. I assume by Friday at noon that you're leaving Santa Barbara at that time. Again I'd give myself an extra hour. About the best times to navigate the LA freeways is from 11am to 1pm but Fridays the traffic can be heavier.

At 9am I'd find breakfast somewhere nearby and not head north until at least 10am or so.

I'm with clarkgrisold, on the Monday wait until at least 10 a.m. The 405 can be nasty anytime day or night, but later is better than earlier. Once you're on the 101 it should be pretty smooth sailing if you start at 10.
If Friday is the return, think about leaving Santa Barbara around 10 a.n. the doing lunch near LAX, someplace such as the Proud Bird.

The way you phrased the question is a little confusing, I agree, because the caption reads only going one way, from LAX to Santa Barbara.

I don't think you really need to wait until 10 a.m. on a Monday. It may take a little time on the 405 from LAX to the 10, but after that, because you're going north on the 405, you're heading OUT of traffic, not INTO traffic. The heaviest traffic is heading east on the 101 and south on the 405 -- with commuters coming from the Valley to either the Westside or downtown L.A. Thus, the transfer from the 405 north to the 101 west is not too bad (unless there's an accident or roadwork, etc.) At 9 a.m. on a Monday, I'd say it will take you about 2 1/2 hours (as Paula said, it takes about 1 hour 45 min. with no traffic and no speeding).

If you meant Friday from LAX to Santa Barbara at noon, maybe 2 hours 15 minutes.

If you meant Friday from SB to LAX at noon, about the same.

I'm sorry everyone, Surfergirl brings up a good point about the subject description. I was referring to the following:
LAX to Santa Barbara on Monday morning
Santa Barbara to LAX on Friday afternoon

Thanks for your responses, very good information.