Long Beach to Fortuna is 650 miles and takes about 12 hours 30 minutes via Westside Freeway, Redwood Highway, and Saint Helena Highway, with a fuel budget near $156 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This long-haul drive spans the Pacific Coast region of California, starting in Southern California and heading north. While it's possible to complete in one go, most drivers will want to break this trip up over two days. Consider this route if you're looking for a straightforward, mostly highway path up the state.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
3 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
325 miles from Long Beach, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 5h 59m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Westside Freeway
225.6 mi
4h 1m
Redwood Highway
169.4 mi
3h 28m
Saint Helena Highway
51.2 mi
59m
San Diego Freeway
40.8 mi
47m
I 5 Truck
39.3 mi
45m
Golden State Freeway
22.3 mi
25m
Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
19.6 mi
22m
William Elton Brown Freeway
17 mi
18m
Longest stretch:
Westside Freeway
— 225.6 mi, about 4h 1m
Traffic on I-5
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 89 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~1,926 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,652
Quietest
2 AM
~360 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
5.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 44 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Long Beach, CA and Fortuna, CA.
1
Start on East Ocean Boulevard
0.7 mi·2 min·East Ocean Boulevard
2
Turn right onto North Golden Avenue
414 ft·6 sec·North Golden Avenue
3
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi·18 sec
Toward I 710 North
4
Merge onto Shoreline Drive
0.5 mi·47 sec·Shoreline Drive
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi·31 sec
Toward I 710 North
6
Merge onto I 710
0.5 mi·41 sec·Seaside Freeway
7
Continue on I 710
2.3 mi·3 min·Long Beach Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi·10 sec
Toward I 405 North, I 405 South: Santa Monica, San DiegoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi·21 sec
Toward I 405 North, I 710: Long Beach Freeway North, Santa MonicaUse the straight lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi·32 sec
Toward I 405 North: Santa MonicaUse the sharp right lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi·36 sec
Toward I 405 North: Santa MonicaUse the straight lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi·40 sec
Toward I 405 NorthUse the straight lane.
13
Merge onto I 405
41 mi·47 min·San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 5 Truck
1.6 mi·1 min·I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
1.5 mi·1 min·I 5 Truck
Exit 161AToward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 TruckUse the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck
36 mi·41 min·I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
22 mi·25 min·Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
226 mi·4 hr 1 min·Westside Freeway
Toward I 5 NorthUse the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight left at fork onto I 580
16 mi·17 min·William Elton Brown Freeway
Toward I 580 West: Tracy, San Francisco
20
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580 Bypass
1.1 mi·1 min·William Elton Brown Freeway
21
Merge onto I 580
18 mi·20 min·Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight right at fork onto I 580
1.6 mi·1 min·Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
23
Take the exit
0.2 mi·16 sec
Exit 44BToward I 680 South, I 680 North: San Jose, Sacramento, Concord, Walnut CreekUse the slight right lane.
24
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi·30 sec
Toward I 680 North: Walnut Creek, Concord, SacramentoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Merge onto I 680
15 mi·17 min·Donald D Doyle Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Continue on I 680
5.0 mi·5 min·Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Toward I 680, CA 24Use the straight / slight right lanes.
27
Keep slight left at fork onto I 680
6.0 mi·6 min·Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Toward I 680 North: Martinez, SacramentoUse the straight / slight right lanes.
28
Keep slight left at fork onto I 680
243 ft·3 sec·Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
29
Keep slight right at fork onto I 680
1.8 mi·2 min·Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the slight right lane.
30
Keep slight left at fork onto I 780
6.7 mi·7 min·I 780
Toward I 780: BeniciaUse the straight / slight right lanes.
31
Take the exit
0.3 mi·33 sec
Exit 1BToward I 80 East: SacramentoUse the slight right lane.
32
Keep slight left at fork
448 ft·11 sec
Toward I 80 East: SacramentoUse the slight left lane.
33
Merge onto I 80
2.7 mi·3 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
34
Take the exit
0.1 mi·18 sec
Exit 33Toward CA 37: Napa, Novato, Auto Mall, Columbus ParkwayUse the straight / slight right lanes.
35
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward CA 37: NapaUse the straight / slight right lanes.
36
Continue on CA 37
1.5 mi·1 min·CA 37
Toward CA 37Use the straight / slight right lanes.
37
Take the exit
0.4 mi·51 sec
Exit 19Toward CA 29: Napa, Sonoma BoulevardUse the straight / slight right lanes.
38
Turn right onto CA 29
1.6 mi·1 min·Sonoma Boulevard
Use the right lane.
39
Continue on CA 29
4.0 mi·4 min·Broadway Street
Use the straight lane.
40
Continue on CA 29
1.3 mi·1 min·Napa–Vallejo Highway
Use the left lane.
41
Continue on CA 12; CA 29
22 mi·25 min·Saint Helena Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
42
Continue on CA 29; CA 128
2.4 mi·2 min·Main Street
43
Continue on CA 29; CA 128
6.8 mi·7 min·Saint Helena Highway
44
Continue on CA 128
1.4 mi·1 min·Foothill Boulevard
45
Continue on CA 128
16 mi·18 min·Saint Helena Highway
46
Continue on CA 128
6.6 mi·7 min·Saint Helena Highway
47
At end of road, turn right onto CA 128
0.9 mi·1 min·Geyserville Avenue
48
Turn left onto CA 128
359 ft·6 sec·Canyon Road
49
Take the exit onto CA 128
0.3 mi·39 sec·CA 128
50
Merge onto US 101; CA 128
55 mi·1 hr 7 min·Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
51
Continue on US 101
4.5 mi·5 min·Willits Bypass
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
52
Take the exit
0.7 mi·48 sec
53
Merge onto US 101
0.2 mi·16 sec·Willits Bypass
54
Continue on US 101
114 mi·2 hr 21 min·Redwood Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
55
Take the exit
0.2 mi·23 sec
Toward 12th Street
56
Continue on 12th Street
0.7 mi·1 min·12th Street
57
Turn left onto US 101 Business
0.2 mi·33 sec·Main Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
58
Turn right onto 9th Street
148 ft·8 sec·9th Street
59
Turn right
80 ft·5 sec
60
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
For a 12.5-hour drive covering 650 miles, planning for two days is highly recommended. Aim to depart early in the morning to maximize daylight for driving. With three suggested stops, you can pace yourself roughly every 215 miles, which is a manageable segment. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially on the longer highway stretches, as services can sometimes be spaced out. A good plan would be to stop for the night around the halfway point, approximately 6-7 hours into your drive, to avoid fatigue.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 325 miles from Long Beach, CA, or about 5h 59m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 225.6 miles.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 143 miles or 2h 44m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 325 miles or 5h 59m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 325 miles or 5h 59m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 11h 14m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Fortuna, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Long Beach, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
+
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Long Beach, CA
Aim for roughly 325 miles and 6.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Fortuna, CA
Aim for roughly 325 miles and 6.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 143 miles from Long Beach, CA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 3 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Westside Freeway for about 225.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 46
5 decision points cluster between mile 4.8 and 370.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
4.8 mi into trip|~7m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 405 North, I 710: Long Beach Freeway North, Santa Monica
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 405 North, I 710: Long Beach Freeway N...
8
4.9 mi into trip|~8m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 405 North: Santa Monica
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the sharp right lane.
Toward I 405 North: Santa Monica
8
5.2 mi into trip|~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 405 North: Santa Monica
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 405 North: Santa Monica
9
48.2 mi into trip|~59m in|I 5 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 161A
Toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
9
370.4 mi into trip|~6h 50m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 680 North: Walnut Creek, Concord, Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 680 North: Walnut Creek, Concord, Sacr...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$135.99 one way
$271.98 round trip
$5.31/gal25.4 MPG avg227 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.52
$141.23
$282.47
premium
$5.67
$144.97
$289.94
diesel
$4.80
$122.73
$245.46
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$136
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$266–$376
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 227.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $68 in charging
· 2 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
195
2
$68.25
$31.20
Efficient EV
162.5
1
$56.88
$26.00
EV Truck/SUV
260
3
$91.00
$41.60
Gas CO2
227 kg
EV CO2
76 kg (67% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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.
Forecast as of Jul 16, 2026
Origin
Long Beach, CA
Morning
in Long Beach on Saturday
Local time
6:50 AM
PDT
Current temp
85°F
Mostly Sunny
S 5 to 10 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 16 at 12:00PM PDT until July 16 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 16 at 11:39AM PDT until July 17 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR
Destination
Fortuna, CA
Morning
in Fortuna on Saturday
Local time
6:50 AM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Sunny
NNW 10 to 14 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 16 at 12:00PM PDT until July 16 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 16 at 11:39AM PDT until July 17 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
21 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
12h 30m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
National Memorial
On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion jolted the San Francisco East Bay area, shattering windows and lighting up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were killed instantly when two s...
9 mi from route
~22 min detour
Free
near mile 403.4
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Celebrate and honor the contributions and sacrifices of American civilians on the WWII home front. Discover how diverse communities lived, worked, and interacted. Many faces, many stories, many truths...
15 mi from route
~37 min detour
Free
near mile 403.4
The Santa Monica Mountains offer easy access to surprisingly wild places. Experience the famous beaches of Malibu or explore more than 500 miles of trails. The park abounds with historical and cultura...
21 mi from route
~52 min detour
Free
near mile 44.8
Established in 1988, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park celebrates America’s maritime heritage on the Pacific Coast. Our 50-acre park has grown around Aquatic Park Cove, a protected area...
23 mi from route
~56 min detour
Free
near mile 403.4
Walk among old growth coast redwoods, cooling their roots in the fresh water of Redwood Creek and lifting their crowns to reach the sun and fog. Federally protected as a National Monument since 1908,...
25 mi from route
~62 min detour
$15
near mile 403.4
Yes, we can! Widely recognized as the most important Latino leader in the United States during the twentieth century, Cesar Chavez led farm workers and supporters in the establishment of the country's...
27 mi from route
~68 min detour
Free
near mile 112.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is a long-haul drive with 58% of the miles on highways. You'll encounter your longest continuous stretch of highway at 225.6 miles on the Westside Freeway. Expect to transition from highway driving to surface roads as you proceed north. The mix of freeway and highway suggests periods of steady cruising alongside sections with more frequent exits and intersections.
58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
60 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 225.6 mi on Westside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
At 12h 30m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.8 miles in.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 46 significant decision points across 650 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
3,931 ft33 ft
Total Climb
5,886 ft
Total Descent
5,851 ft
Highest Point
3,931 ft
~92.9 mi in
Elevation Range
3,898 ft
Notable High Points
3,931 ft at ~92.9 miles+2,760 ft prominence
1,682 ft at ~557.1 miles+1,077 ft prominence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Long Beach, CA and Fortuna, CA, road signs point toward San Francisco, Sacramento, Concord, Walnut Creek, Novato and Auto Mall.
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
Long-haul drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 225.6 miles on Westside Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — a 2-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 325 miles on day one.
Yes — we found about 40 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 Fortuna, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 3 meaningful breaks. There are 40 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 12.5 hours each way, a round trip means 25.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Fortuna, CA before the return drive.
