Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 1m
Distance
41.4 mi
67 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
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
Topanga, CA
Lindsey Willard
This 41.4-mile drive from Long Beach to Topanga, California, is a straightforward trip estimated to take about 1 hour and 1 minute. With a modest fuel cost of around $10, it's a perfect candidate for a day trip, requiring no overnight stays. The journey primarily follows the San Diego Freeway, then transitions to Pacific Coast Highway before concluding on Topanga Canyon Boulevard. You'll experience a highway-focused drive that efficiently connects two points within the Pacific Coast region. This route offers a practical way to travel between these Southern California locales without significant time or financial commitment.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 20.8 mi | 24m |
| Pacific Coast Highway | 5.6 mi | 11m |
| Topanga Canyon Boulevard | 4.6 mi | 9m |
| Santa Monica Freeway | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| Long Beach Freeway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| East Ocean Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Shoreline Drive | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Seaside Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Long Beach, CA and Topanga, CA.
Start on East Ocean Boulevard
Turn right onto North Golden Avenue
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto Shoreline Drive
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 710
Continue on I 710
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 405
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 10
Continue on CA 1
Take the exit
Turn slight right onto CA 27
Turn right onto Entrada Road
Turn right onto Poquito Lane
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 41 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 20.7 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 4.7 and 26.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward I 405 North, I 405 South: Santa Monica, San Diego
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 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
Keep slight right at fork toward I 405 North: Santa Monica
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward I 405 North: Santa Monica
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 10: Santa Monica, Los Angeles
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$9.52 one way
$19.03 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $9.81 | $19.61 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.07 | $20.14 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.14 | $18.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 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 | 12.4 | 0 | $4.35 | $1.99 |
| Efficient EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.62 | $1.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.6 | 0 | $5.80 | $2.65 |
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
2:09 AM
PDT
Current temp
58°F
Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Topanga on Tuesday
Local time
2:09 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°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 predominantly highway-focused experience on this 41.4-mile route, with 66% of the drive utilizing freeways. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 20.8 miles, occurring on the San Diego Freeway, allowing for consistent progress. As you transition to Pacific Coast Highway and then Topanga Canyon Boulevard, the character of the drive may shift, offering a change from the faster freeway pace. This blend means you'll spend a good portion of your time on high-speed roads before potentially encountering more local traffic as you near your destination.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and Pacific Coast Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.7 miles in.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 41.4 miles you will encounter 17 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 4.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; 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.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Long Beach, CA and Topanga, CA, road signs point toward San Diego, Santa Monica and Los Angeles.
San Diego
Santa Monica
Los Angeles
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 1h 1m. Total distance: 41.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (66%). 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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