Origin
Castaic, CA
Morning in Castaic on Tuesday
Local time
6:23 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Castaic, CA to Long Beach, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 17m
Distance
63.8 mi
103 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 29m
8 PM
1h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Castaic to Long Beach covers 63.8 miles and typically takes about 1 hour and 17 minutes. This straightforward journey is ideal for a single-day trip, as it connects two Pacific Coast locations without requiring an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate the Golden State Freeway, the San Diego Freeway, and the I-405 Truck route. With fuel costs estimated at $15, the trip is quite budget-friendly for a solo driver or a small group. Since the entire route is located within California, you can expect a familiar experience as you transition from the northern part of the region down toward the coast. It is a practical, efficient path that gets you from point A to point B with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 405 Truck | 23 mi | 26m |
| San Diego Freeway | 18 mi | 20m |
| Golden State Freeway | 16.5 mi | 19m |
| Long Beach Freeway | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Shoreline Drive | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West Ocean Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Seaside Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| I 5 Truck | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 405 Truck
— 23 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Castaic, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on Castaic Oak Lane
63 ft
·
6 sec
·
Castaic Oak Lane
2
Turn right onto Parker Road
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Parker Road
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
4
Merge onto I 5
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
0.3 mi
·
17 sec
·
I 5 Truck
Exit 158
Toward I 405 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 Truck
23 mi
·
26 min
·
I 405 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
18 mi
·
20 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
377 ft
·
9 sec
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
Use the slight right lane.
10
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
this road
Exit 32B
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
11
Merge onto I 710
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Long Beach Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 710
0.5 mi
·
40 sec
·
Seaside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center, Aquarium
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
14
Continue on Shoreline Drive
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Shoreline Drive
15
Turn left onto South Chestnut Place
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Chestnut Place
Use the left / uturn lanes.
16
Turn right onto West Ocean Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Ocean Boulevard
17
Continue on East Ocean Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
East Ocean Boulevard
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
East Ocean Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.9 miles from Castaic, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 12.9 and 61.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
12.9 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
16.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
I 5 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward I 405 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 158
Toward I 405 South
6
17.2 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
I 405 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 Truck
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
40.2 mi into trip
|
~46m in
|
I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
61.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
Take the exit toward Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center, Aquarium
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center,...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.66 one way
$29.33 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $15.11 | $30.22 |
| premium | $6.18 | $15.52 | $31.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.09 | $28.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$15
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.1 | 0 | $6.70 | $3.06 |
| Efficient EV | 16 | 0 | $5.58 | $2.55 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.5 | 0 | $8.93 | $4.08 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Long Beach, CA
Morning in Long Beach on Tuesday
Local time
6:23 AM
PDT
Current temp
69°F
Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny
SSW 5 to 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 10:43AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Medford OR
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 10:32AM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 17m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a dedicated highway-focused experience, as 95% of your travel occurs on major interstates. The road lacks the technical challenges of winding mountain passes, opting instead for a steady, high-speed pace through Southern California. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs on the I-405 Truck, where you will spend 23 miles cruising along the freeway. While the transition between the Golden State and San Diego Freeways is seamless, be prepared for the typical density associated with these major corridors. You will spend the vast majority of your time behind the wheel focused on merging and maintaining consistent speeds in heavy traffic flow.
95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23 mi on I 405 Truck.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 405 Truck and San Diego Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 12.9 miles in near I 5 / Golden State Freeway.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 63.8 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 12.9 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.9 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles (I 405 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Long Beach, CA
Full guide →Founded 1888
Long Beach is a large port city in Los Angeles County in Southern California. Long Beach has some nice people-gathering amenities and genuine tourist attractions, such as a world-class aquarium and the Queen Mary floating museum/hotel. Special events are also held in the city like the annual Long Beach Grand Prix (a premier racing event held on city streets) and the annual Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride event. When compared to other areas like Hollywood, West Hollywood, Santa Monica and West L.A., Long Beach may not always be at the top of someone's tourist visit to the Los Angeles area, but the city draws its fair share of visitors and has proven it can definitely hold its own.
Top landmarks
- • RMS Queen Mary — retired British ocean liner
- • Terminal Island — island in Los Angeles County, California, United States
- • Aquarium of the Pacific — public aquarium in Long Beach, California
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 63.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23 miles on I 405 Truck. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Long Beach, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 12.9 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.9 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles (I 405 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Long Beach, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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