Origin
Colton, CA
Late night in Colton on Tuesday
Local time
5:00 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colton, 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 24m
Distance
64.5 mi
104 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 18m
★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Colton, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Colton to Long Beach is 64.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 24 minutes via Riverside Freeway/CA 91, with a fuel budget near $15 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Pacific Coast region, traversing Southern California's urban and suburban landscapes. Given its relatively short distance and mostly highway profile, it’s a straightforward drive suitable for a single day. You'll be navigating major freeways, so expect typical urban traffic patterns. Plan for this to be a practical, functional transit rather than a scenic exploration.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Freeway | 18.8 mi | 21m |
| CA 91 | 16.7 mi | 19m |
| Garden Grove Freeway | 12.7 mi | 14m |
| Costa Mesa Freeway | 4.8 mi | 5m |
| East 7th Street | 2.7 mi | 6m |
| CA 22 | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| North Mount Vernon Avenue | 2 mi | 3m |
| San Diego Freeway | 1.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Riverside Freeway
— 18.8 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colton, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on North Colton Avenue
74 ft
·
3 sec
·
North Colton Avenue
2
Turn left onto North Mount Vernon Avenue
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Mount Vernon Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
this road
4
Merge onto I 215
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on CA 91
15 mi
·
17 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Exit 34B
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 50
Toward Main Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on CA 91
17 mi
·
19 min
·
CA 91
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Costa Mesa Freeway
Exit 34
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 13
Toward CA 22 West: Garden Grove Freeway, Long Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto CA 22
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Garden Grove Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on CA 22; I 405
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit onto CA 22
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
CA 22
Exit 23
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto East 7th Street
2.7 mi
·
6 min
·
East 7th Street
14
Turn left onto Rose Avenue
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Rose Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
At end of road, turn right onto East 4th Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
East 4th Street
16
Turn left onto Alamitos Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Alamitos Avenue
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto East Ocean Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Ocean Boulevard
Use the right 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 32.3 miles from Colton, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 21 and 62.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
21 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward Main Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 50
Toward Main Street
8
37.9 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 34
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
8
42.8 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Take the exit toward CA 22 West: Garden Grove Freeway, Long Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13
Toward CA 22 West: Garden Grove Freeway, Long B...
7
57.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
|
CA 22
Take the exit onto CA 22 toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 23
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
6
62.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m in
|
Rose Avenue
Turn left onto Rose Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.82 one way
$29.65 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $15.28 | $30.55 |
| premium | $6.18 | $15.69 | $31.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.24 | $28.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$15
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.3 | 0 | $6.77 | $3.10 |
| Efficient EV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.64 | $2.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.8 | 0 | $9.03 | $4.13 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (65% 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
Late night in Long Beach on Tuesday
Local time
5:00 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
15 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 24m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is overwhelmingly a highway drive, with 89% of the 64.5 miles on freeways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 18.8 miles on the Riverside Freeway before transitioning to surface streets. Expect a high volume of exits and entrances as you make your way through developed areas. The primary freeways are the Riverside Freeway and the Garden Grove Freeway.
89% 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: 18.8 mi on Riverside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Riverside Freeway and CA 91. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 21 miles in.
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 64.5 miles you will encounter 13 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 21 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 37.9 miles (CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 42.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Colton, CA
Full guide →Colton is a city in San Bernardino County in Southern California.
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 24m. Total distance: 64.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.8 miles on Riverside Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 4 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 21 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 37.9 miles (CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 42.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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