Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
40.1 mi
64 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
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
Portola Hills, CA
Robert So
Long Beach to Portola Hills is 40.1 miles and takes about 56 minutes via San Diego Freeway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Pacific Coast region of California, offering a relatively short drive that's perfect for a single day. You'll primarily be on major freeways, making it a straightforward journey for anyone looking to get from point A to point B efficiently. Given its brevity, this route offers a lot of flexibility for departure times and potential detours if you decide to extend your exploration.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 10.5 mi | 12m |
| I 405 | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| Foothill Transportation Corridor | 4.6 mi | 5m |
| Eastern Transportation Corridor | 3.4 mi | 3m |
| East 7th Street | 3.3 mi | 7m |
| East 3rd Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Glenn Ranch Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Laguna Freeway | 0.9 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Long Beach, CA and Portola Hills, 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
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto CA 133
Continue on CA 133 Toll
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto CA 241 Toll
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto Portola Parkway
Turn right onto Glenn Ranch Road
Turn left onto Saddleback Ranch Road
Turn right
At end of road, turn left
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
A short stop after about 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 20 miles from Long Beach, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 27.6 and 38.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward CA 133 South, CA 133 North: Laguna Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 133 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward CA 133 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward CA 241 South: Santa Margarita
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward Portola Parkway East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$9.22 one way
$18.43 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $9.50 | $19.00 |
| premium | $6.18 | $9.75 | $19.50 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.85 | $17.71 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 14 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12 | 0 | $4.21 | $1.92 |
| Efficient EV | 10 | 0 | $3.51 | $1.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16 | 0 | $5.61 | $2.57 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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 Tuesday
Local time
1:14 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°F
Mostly Clear
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 7:10PM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Destination
Late night in Portola Hills on Tuesday
Local time
1:14 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°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.
This drive is a mixed bag, with 58% of the journey taking place on highways. You'll experience stretches of the San Diego Freeway, including a continuous segment of 10.5 miles, which allows for consistent speed. The Foothill Transportation Corridor also plays a part, offering a different highway feel. Overall, expect a practical driving experience that prioritizes covering ground efficiently over winding scenic byways.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 27.6 miles in.
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 26 decision points packed into just 40.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 27.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Cafe
Later in the drive, right off the route
Woodbury Town Center, CA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Costa Mesa, CA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Fr 04:30-21:00; Sa-Su 05:00-21:00
Visit websiteCafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Cuisine: bubble_tea
Cafe
Around the midpoint, short detour
Costa Mesa, CA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Around the midpoint, short detour
Costa Mesa, CA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Fr 04:30-21:30; Sa-Su 04:30-21:00
Visit websiteCafe
Near the start, short detour
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Restaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Long Beach, CA
Cuisine: mexican
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Cuisine: american
Fast_food
Later in the drive, right off the route
Irvine, CA
Cuisine: sandwich;bakery
Hours: Mo-Sa 06:00-21:00; Su 07:00-20:00
Visit websiteFast_food
Later in the drive, right off the route
Irvine, CA
Cuisine: mexican
Hours: Mo-Su 10:30-22:00
Visit websiteFast_food
Later in the drive, right off the route
Irvine, CA
Cuisine: asian
Restaurant
Later in the drive, right off the route
Irvine
Cuisine: chinese
Park
Near the start, right off the route
Picnic_site
Near the start, short detour
Park
Near the start, short detour
Attraction
Near the start, short detour
Park
Near the end, short detour
Park
Near the end, short detour
Museum
Near the start, right off the route
CA
Visit websiteArtwork
Near the start, right off the route
Icon
Near the start, right off the route
Hotel
Early in the drive, ~9 min detour
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 40.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). 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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