Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
24.2 mi
39 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Irvine, CA
Wikimedia Commons
This 24.2-mile drive from Long Beach, CA to Irvine, CA is a short hop, typically taking around 36 minutes. It's a straightforward, highway-focused journey, with about 78% of the route on major freeways like the I 405 (San Diego Freeway). With a fuel cost estimated at $7, this is an easy addition to your travel plans, easily completed in a single day. Both your origin and destination are within the Pacific Coast region, keeping the scenery consistent. You won't need to worry about overnight stays for this quick trip.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 405 | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| San Diego Freeway | 7.1 mi | 8m |
| East 7th Street | 3.3 mi | 7m |
| East 3rd Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Garden Grove Freeway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| CA 22 | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Junipero Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East 1st Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Long Beach, CA and Irvine, CA.
Start on East Ocean Boulevard
Turn right onto Long Beach Boulevard
Turn right onto East 1st Street
At end of road, turn left onto Alamitos Avenue
Turn right onto East 3rd Street
Turn sharp left onto Junipero Avenue
Turn right onto East 7th Street
Continue on CA 22
Take the exit onto CA 22
Merge onto I 405; CA 22
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 19.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Long Beach Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
At end of road, turn left onto Alamitos Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.56 one way
$11.12 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.73 | $11.46 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.89 | $11.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.34 | $10.69 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.54 | $1.16 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.12 | $0.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.39 | $1.55 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Long Beach on Sunday
Local time
4:51 AM
PDT
Current temp
69°F
Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny
Destination
Late night in Irvine on Sunday
Local time
4:51 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Expect a largely highway-focused experience on this route, with 78% of the drive utilizing freeways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.3 miles on the I 405. While much of the journey involves steady freeway driving, you'll navigate through East 7th Street initially before merging onto the San Diego Freeway. This profile suggests a functional drive designed for efficient travel rather than winding scenic byways.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 405 and San Diego Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Long Beach Boulevard.
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 24.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Long Beach Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (Alamitos Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.8 miles (I 405 / San Diego Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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
Founded 1971
Irvine is a city of 308,000 people (2020) in Orange County, California. Irvine is one of the newest and largest cities in Orange County, and it is still growing. The city is a perfectly planned suburbia. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 1971.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 24.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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