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Trip from Long Beach, CA to Santa Clarita, CA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 11m

Distance

56.7 mi

91 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$13

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 6m ★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 16m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Download GPX
city in Los Angeles County, California, United States

Long Beach, CA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Los Angeles County, California, USA

Santa Clarita, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Long Beach to Santa Clarita covers 56.7 miles, typically taking about 1 hour and 11 minutes of driving time. Because this trip is short and entirely within the Pacific Coast region, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. You can expect to spend approximately $13 on fuel for the journey, making it a very affordable commute between these two Southern California hubs. The route relies heavily on major infrastructure, including the San Diego Freeway, I-5 Truck, and the Long Beach Freeway. Since there are no required stops, you have the flexibility to complete the drive in one straightforward push. It is a practical, no-nonsense connection that gets you from the coast to the valley efficiently.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
San Diego Freeway 40.8 mi 47m
I 5 Truck 7.9 mi 8m
Long Beach Freeway 2.3 mi 3m
Wiley Canyon Road 1.1 mi 2m
East Ocean Boulevard 0.7 mi 2m
Shoreline Drive 0.5 mi <1m
Seaside Freeway 0.5 mi <1m
16th Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: San Diego Freeway — 40.8 mi, about 47m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Long Beach, CA and Santa Clarita, 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 Diego Use 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 Monica Use the straight lane.
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 32 sec
Toward I 405 North: Santa Monica Use the sharp right lane.
11

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Toward I 405 North: Santa Monica Use the straight lane.
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Toward I 405 North Use 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 161A Toward I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 Truck

4.8 mi · 5 min · I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Exit 167 Toward Lyons Avenue, Pico Canyon Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Keep slight right at fork

490 ft · 11 sec
Toward Lyons Avenue, Newhall, William S. Hart Park, The Master's University
19

Turn straight onto Lyons Avenue

0.3 mi · 36 sec · Lyons Avenue
20

Turn left onto Wiley Canyon Road

1.1 mi · 2 min · Wiley Canyon Road
Use the left lane.
21

Turn right onto Orchard Village Road

0.2 mi · 25 sec · Orchard Village Road
22

Turn left onto 16th Street

0.3 mi · 46 sec · 16th Street
23

Turn left onto Newhall Avenue

451 ft · 19 sec · Newhall Avenue
24

Arrive at destination

Newhall Avenue

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Hollywood, CA

28 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Torrance, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Santa Maria, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28.4 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.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 20

5 decision points cluster between mile 4.8 and 54.5 — 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
8
54.5 mi into trip | ~1h 6m in

Take the exit toward Lyons Avenue, Pico Canyon Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 167 Toward Lyons Avenue, Pico Canyon Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$13.03 one way

$26.06 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $13.43 $26.86
premium $6.18 $13.79 $27.58
diesel $5.61 $12.52 $25.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$13

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17 0 $5.95 $2.72
Efficient EV 14.2 0 $4.96 $2.27
EV Truck/SUV 22.7 0 $7.94 $3.63

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (65% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Long Beach, CA

Morning in Long Beach on Sunday

Local time

7:20 AM

PDT

Current temp

58°F

Partly Cloudy

NE 5 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 3:02AM MST until April 17 at 1:00PM MST by NWS Phoenix AZ

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 2:56AM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Destination

Santa Clarita, CA

Morning in Santa Clarita on Sunday

Local time

7:20 AM

PDT

Current temp

48°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

10 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

1h 11m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a high-speed, highway-focused experience with 91% of your journey spent on major thoroughfares. You will settle into a rhythm quickly, as the longest uninterrupted stretch spans 40.8 miles on the San Diego Freeway. The road feels like a classic interstate grind, prioritizing speed and directness over winding, technical paths. Because the route is dominated by heavy-duty transit corridors like the I-5 Truck route, the driving environment remains consistent throughout the 56.7-mile trek. You won't encounter significant shifts in road type, meaning you can keep your focus on steady highway navigation from start to finish.

91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 40.8 mi on San Diego Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and I 5 Truck. 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 Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 56.7 miles you will encounter 20 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 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.

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 Santa Clarita, CA, road signs point toward San Diego and Santa Monica.

San Diego

4.7 mi in | ~7m

Santa Monica

4.8 mi in | ~7m

About the Cities

Starting 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

Arriving in Santa Clarita, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1987

Santa Clarita is the third largest city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, with a population of 229,000 in 2020. It is generally considered to be a suburb of Greater Los Angeles. It consists of the neighborhoods of Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus, and Valencia. It is part of the Santa Clarita Valley, which also includes the unincorporated "satellite communities" of Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, Val Verde, and Agua Dulce.

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 1h 11m. Total distance: 56.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 11m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 40.8 miles on San Diego Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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 Santa Clarita, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

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 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 — Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Santa Clarita, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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