Origin
La Palma, CA
Morning in La Palma on Tuesday
Local time
8:12 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from La Palma, 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
25m
Distance
11.9 mi
19 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
La Palma, CA
Juan García
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short, 11.9-mile drive from La Palma, CA to Long Beach, CA is designed for a single day, taking about 25 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate local streets, with no highway driving involved, making it a relaxed trip. The estimated fuel cost is around $3, so it's quite budget-friendly. This route is characterized by frequent turns, offering a dynamic local driving experience rather than a straightforward commute. Since it's a quick journey within the Pacific Coast region of California, you won't need an overnight stay, allowing for plenty of time to enjoy your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Los Coyotes Diagonal | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Pacific Coast Highway | 2 mi | 4m |
| Alamitos Avenue | 1.5 mi | 4m |
| East Los Coyotes Diagonal | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Del Amo Boulevard | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Pioneer Boulevard | 1 mi | 2m |
| Carson Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| La Palma Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
North Los Coyotes Diagonal
— 2.5 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between La Palma, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on La Palma Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
La Palma Avenue
2
Continue on Del Amo Boulevard
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Del Amo Boulevard
3
Turn left onto Pioneer Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Pioneer Boulevard
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto Carson Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Carson Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Turn left onto North Los Coyotes Diagonal
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
North Los Coyotes Diagonal
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on North Los Coyotes Diagonal
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
North Los Coyotes Diagonal
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on East Los Coyotes Diagonal
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East Los Coyotes Diagonal
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Enter roundabout onto CA 1
327 ft
·
7 sec
·
Pacific Coast Highway
9
Continue on CA 1
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Pacific Coast Highway
10
Turn left onto Orange Avenue
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Orange Avenue
11
Continue on Alamitos Avenue
1.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Alamitos Avenue
12
Turn right onto East Ocean Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Ocean Boulevard
Use the right lane.
13
Arrive at destination
East Ocean Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 11.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Pioneer Boulevard
Turn left onto Pioneer Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Carson Street
Turn right onto Carson Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
North Los Coyotes Diagonal
Turn left onto North Los Coyotes Diagonal
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
7.9 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
CA 1 / Pacific Coast Highway
Enter roundabout onto CA 1 / Pacific Coast Highway
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
11.6 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
East Ocean Boulevard
Turn right onto East Ocean Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.74 one way
$5.47 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $2.82 | $5.64 |
| premium | $6.18 | $2.89 | $5.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.63 | $5.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
8:12 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
16 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
25m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with no highway segments contributing to its 0% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 2.5 miles along North Los Coyotes Diagonal. This journey is about navigating neighborhood streets and main thoroughfares, offering a consistent feel of local road driving. You'll be making your way through a series of connected local roads, including Pacific Coast Highway and Alamitos Avenue, as you travel between La Palma and Long Beach.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.5 mi on North Los Coyotes Diagonal.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2 miles in near Pioneer Boulevard.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 11.9 miles you will encounter 6 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 2 miles (Pioneer Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (Carson Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles (North Los Coyotes Diagonal): 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 25m. Total distance: 11.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.5 miles on North Los Coyotes Diagonal. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 2 miles (Pioneer Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (Carson Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles (North Los Coyotes Diagonal): 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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