Origin
Long Beach, CA
Late night in Long Beach on Tuesday
Local time
5:13 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Long Beach, CA to Westwood, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
29.7 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Westwood, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
Long Beach, CA to Westwood, CA is 29.7 miles and takes about 39m via the San Diego Freeway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive takes you from the Pacific Coast region to another part of the Pacific Coast, staying within California. It's a relatively short trip, mostly on well-traveled freeways, making it a straightforward option for getting from one Southern California locale to another. Consider this route if you're looking for an efficient and predictable journey with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 22.3 mi | 25m |
| Long Beach Freeway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Santa Monica Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| East Ocean Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Shoreline Drive | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Seaside Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Westholme Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Cotner Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 22.3 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Long Beach, CA and Westwood, 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
22 mi
·
25 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 55A
Toward CA 2: Santa Monica Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on Cotner Avenue
435 ft
·
7 sec
·
Cotner Avenue
16
Turn right onto US 66 Hist
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Santa Monica Boulevard
Use the right lane.
17
Turn left onto Westholme Avenue
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
Westholme Avenue
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto Kinnard Avenue
165 ft
·
7 sec
·
Kinnard Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
Kinnard Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 4.7 and 5.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
4.7 mi into trip
|
~7m in
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
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 405 North, I 405 South: Santa Monica,...
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
7
5.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 405 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 405 North
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.83 one way
$13.65 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $7.03 | $14.07 |
| premium | $6.18 | $7.22 | $14.45 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.56 | $13.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.16 | $1.90 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Destination
Westwood, CA
Late night in Westwood on Tuesday
Local time
5:13 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°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
12 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
39m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 85% of the journey on major freeways. You'll experience a long, uninterrupted stretch of 22.3 miles on the San Diego Freeway, offering a consistent cruising experience. The primary roads include the San Diego Freeway, Long Beach Freeway, and Santa Monica Boulevard, suggesting a transition from freeway speeds to a more arterial road as you near your destination. Expect a driving personality defined by efficiency and steady progress rather than winding scenic byways.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.3 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 Long Beach Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 15 decision points packed into just 29.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Westwood, 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
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 39m. Total distance: 29.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.3 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 Westwood, 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 4.7 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.
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 Westwood, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
More trips to Westwood, CA
Explore more options from Long Beach, CA or browse trips ending in Westwood, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.