Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
19.8 mi
32 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Newport Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Connecting Long Beach to Newport Beach is a quick 19.8-mile journey that typically takes about 37 minutes. Because this trip is entirely local, you won't need to worry about heavy highway traffic or long-distance planning; it is a straightforward day trip that can easily be completed in a single afternoon. You will navigate primarily via East Ocean Boulevard, East 2nd Street, and the East Pacific Coast Highway. With a fuel cost of just $5, it is an incredibly economical route to traverse within the Pacific Coast region. Since both ends of the trip share the same regional identity, you can expect a consistent atmosphere throughout the drive. It is a perfect choice if you are looking for a simple, low-effort transition between two coastal communities.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Pacific Coast Highway | 12.8 mi | 19m |
| East Ocean Boulevard | 2.6 mi | 7m |
| East 2nd Street | 1.7 mi | 5m |
| West Coast Highway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Livingston Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Newport Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Via Lido | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Via Oporto | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Long Beach, CA and Newport Beach, CA.
Start on East Ocean Boulevard
Continue on East Ocean Boulevard
Keep slight left at fork onto Livingston Drive
Turn slight right onto East 2nd Street
Turn right onto CA 1
Continue on CA 1
Take the exit
Turn straight onto CA 55
Turn left onto Via Lido
Turn left onto Via Oporto
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 19.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Continue onto East Ocean Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto Livingston Drive
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto CA 1 / East Pacific Coast Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Via Lido
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Via Oporto
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$4.55 one way
$9.10 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.69 | $9.38 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.82 | $9.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.37 | $8.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.08 | $0.95 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.73 | $0.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
1:01 AM
PDT
Current temp
79°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Late night in Newport Beach on Sunday
Local time
1:01 AM
PDT
Current temp
73°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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route features zero percent highway travel. You will spend most of your time navigating city streets and surface roads, requiring your full attention behind the wheel. The longest uninterrupted section you will encounter is a 12.8-mile stretch on the East Pacific Coast Highway. Because the path relies on local roads, the pace remains steady and technical rather than monotonous. You will find that the character of the drive remains consistent throughout the 19.8-mile distance, keeping you engaged with the local infrastructure as you transition between your starting point and your destination.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East Ocean Boulevard.
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 19.8 miles you will encounter 7 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 (East Ocean Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles (Livingston Drive): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.9 miles (CA 1 / East Pacific Coast Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
67 ft
Total Descent
92 ft
Highest Point
50 ft
~2.5 mi in
Elevation Range
50 ft
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
Newport Beach is a city famous for its lavish lifestyle and beautiful surroundings. Television enthusiasts will recognize the resemblance to the show The O.C., and not just by virtue of its location in Orange County, California. The American city has its share of "beautiful people" often with wealth to spare. Yet it's very possible to enjoy life in Newport Beach amongst the millionaires on a relatively low budget.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 19.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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