Origin
Downey, CA
Morning in Downey on Sunday
Local time
8:54 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Downey, CA to Long Beach, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
17.3 mi
28 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Downey, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Downey to Long Beach is a straightforward 17.3-mile trip that typically takes about 26 minutes behind the wheel. Because the journey is entirely within the Pacific Coast region, it serves as a perfect day trip that requires no overnight stay. You can expect to spend approximately $4 on fuel for the round trip, making this a highly budget-friendly commute. The route relies heavily on the Long Beach Freeway, keeping your travel time efficient and predictable. Whether you are heading to the coast for business or leisure, the simplicity of this connection makes it an easy transit option. You won't need to worry about complex logistics or multi-day planning for such a short haul.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach Freeway | 11.3 mi | 14m |
| Firestone Boulevard | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Shoreline Drive | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West Ocean Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Seaside Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| South Chestnut Place | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Ocean Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 2nd Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Long Beach Freeway
— 11.3 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Downey, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on this road
0.1 mi
·
49 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto 2nd Street
429 ft
·
25 sec
·
2nd Street
3
Turn left onto Downey Avenue
362 ft
·
11 sec
·
Downey Avenue
4
Turn right onto Firestone Boulevard
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Firestone Boulevard
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on Firestone Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Firestone Boulevard
6
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 710
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Long Beach Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 710
0.5 mi
·
40 sec
·
Seaside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center, Aquarium
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
10
Continue on Shoreline Drive
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Shoreline Drive
11
Turn left onto South Chestnut Place
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Chestnut Place
Use the left / uturn lanes.
12
Turn right onto West Ocean Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Ocean Boulevard
13
Continue on East Ocean Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
East Ocean Boulevard
Use the left lane.
14
Arrive at destination
East Ocean Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 14.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
2nd Street
Turn left onto 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Firestone Boulevard
Turn right onto Firestone Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 710 South: Long Beach
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
5
3.1 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 710 / Long Beach Freeway
Merge onto I 710 / Long Beach Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
14.9 mi into trip
|
~21m 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
$3.98 one way
$7.95 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.10 | $8.20 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.21 | $8.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.82 | $7.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.82 | $0.83 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.42 | $1.11 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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 Sunday
Local time
8:54 AM
PDT
Current temp
69°F
Partly Sunny
SW 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Lake Wind Advisory
Lake Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 16 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM 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
3 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
26m 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?
This drive is defined by its highway-focused profile, with 68% of your journey spent on major thoroughfares. You will experience a quick transition from local streets like Firestone Boulevard onto the Long Beach Freeway, which serves as the primary artery for the trip. The longest uninterrupted stretch covers 11.3 miles on the freeway, providing a consistent pace before you eventually exit toward Shoreline Drive. Expect a blend of fast-moving traffic and standard metropolitan road conditions as you navigate toward the coast. It is a functional, direct drive that prioritizes speed and efficiency over winding, scenic bypasses.
68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.3 mi on Long Beach Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Beach Freeway and Firestone Boulevard. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 2nd Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 17.3 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.1 miles (2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Firestone Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Downey, CA and Long Beach, CA, road signs point toward Convention Center and Aquarium.
Convention Center
14.9 mi in
|
~21m
Aquarium
14.9 mi in
|
~21m
About the Cities
Starting in Downey, CA
Full guide →Founded 1873
Top landmarks
- • Columbia Memorial Space Center — science Museum in Downey, 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 26m. Total distance: 17.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.3 miles on Long Beach Freeway. 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 0.1 miles (2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Firestone Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
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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