Mesa Verde, CA to Long Beach, CA is 219.1 miles and takes about 4h 14m via Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway, and CA 91, with a fuel budget near $50 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within California, connecting two points in the Pacific Coast region. It's a straightforward drive that should be manageable for most drivers. With a recommended one-day duration and a relatively short travel time, you can easily fit this into your travel plans.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
109.6 miles from Mesa Verde, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 59m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
103.5 mi
1h 50m
Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
33.7 mi
36m
CA 91
16.7 mi
19m
Moreno Valley Freeway
16.5 mi
20m
Riverside Freeway
13.4 mi
15m
Garden Grove Freeway
12.7 mi
14m
Costa Mesa Freeway
4.8 mi
5m
Escondido Freeway
3.9 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
— 103.5 mi, about 1h 50m
Traffic on I-405
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 48 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~7,372 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~476 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 40 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mesa Verde, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on Palowalla Road
196 ft·10 sec·Palowalla Road
2
Continue on Palowalla Road
338 ft·16 sec·Palowalla Road
3
Turn right onto Maple Drive
315 ft·19 sec·Maple Drive
4
Turn left onto Olive Drive
323 ft·15 sec·Olive Drive
5
Turn right onto Pepper Drive
0.1 mi·30 sec·Pepper Drive
6
Turn left onto Mesa Drive
0.3 mi·38 sec·Mesa Drive
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·34 sec
8
Merge onto I 10
86 mi·1 hr 31 min·Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
9
Continue on I 10
34 mi·36 min·Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 10
18 mi·19 min·Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi·13 sec
Exit 93Toward CA 60 West: RiversideUse the slight left lane.
12
Continue on CA 60
0.5 mi·33 sec·Moreno Valley Freeway
13
Continue on CA 60
2.0 mi·2 min·Moreno Valley Expressway
Use the straight lane.
14
Continue on CA 60
16 mi·20 min·Moreno Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Merge onto I 215; CA 60
3.9 mi·4 min·Escondido Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
1.5 mi·3 min
Exit 34BToward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach CitiesUse the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Merge onto CA 91
13 mi·15 min·Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.3 mi·20 sec
Exit 50Toward Main StreetUse the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Continue on CA 91
17 mi·19 min·CA 91
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55
4.8 mi·5 min·Costa Mesa Freeway
Exit 34Toward CA 55 South: Newport BeachUse the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Take the exit
0.5 mi·39 sec
Exit 13Toward CA 22 West: Garden Grove Freeway, Long BeachUse the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Merge onto CA 22
13 mi·14 min·Garden Grove Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Continue on CA 22; I 405
1.7 mi·1 min·San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Take the exit onto CA 22
2.5 mi·3 min·CA 22
Exit 23Toward CA 22 West: Long BeachUse the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Keep slight left at fork onto East 7th Street
2.7 mi·6 min·East 7th Street
26
Turn left onto Rose Avenue
0.3 mi·51 sec·Rose Avenue
Use the left lane.
27
At end of road, turn right onto East 4th Street
0.7 mi·2 min·East 4th Street
28
Turn left onto Alamitos Avenue
0.4 mi·1 min·Alamitos Avenue
Use the left lane.
29
Turn right onto East Ocean Boulevard
0.4 mi·1 min·East Ocean Boulevard
Use the right lane.
30
Arrive at destination
East Ocean Boulevard
Trip Plan
Since this drive is just over 4 hours, you can comfortably complete it in a single day. Aim to depart in the morning to maximize daylight and avoid potential afternoon traffic. With only one recommended stop, you have flexibility in when and where you choose to take a break. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is around $50, and plan your refueling accordingly. The Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway offers the longest continuous stretch, so consider your first break after that segment if needed.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 109.6 miles from Mesa Verde, CA, or about 1h 59m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 103.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 48 miles or 53m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 109.6 miles or 1h 59m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 20m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Long Beach, CA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Mesa Verde, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Mesa Verde, CA
This is one driving day of about 219.1 miles and 4h 14m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 48 miles from Mesa Verde, CA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway for about 103.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 20
5 decision points cluster between mile 138 and 197.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
138 mi into trip|~2h 29m in
Take the exit toward CA 60 West: Riverside
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 93
Toward CA 60 West: Riverside
8
160.7 mi into trip|~2h 57m in
Take the exit toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
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 34B
Toward CA 91 West: Riverside, Beach Cities
7
175.6 mi into trip|~3h 16m in
Take the exit toward Main Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 50
Toward Main Street
8
192.5 mi into trip|~3h 35m in|CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 34
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
8
197.4 mi into trip|~3h 41m in
Take the exit toward CA 22 West: Garden Grove Freeway, Long Beach
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 13
Toward CA 22 West: Garden Grove Freeway, Long B...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$45.84 one way
$91.68 round trip
$5.31/gal25.4 MPG avg77 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.52
$47.61
$95.21
premium
$5.67
$48.87
$97.73
diesel
$4.80
$41.37
$82.74
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$46
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$71–$96
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 76.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
65.7
0
$23.01
$10.52
Efficient EV
54.8
0
$19.17
$8.76
EV Truck/SUV
87.6
1
$30.67
$14.02
Gas CO2
77 kg
EV CO2
26 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Mesa Verde, CA
Night
in Mesa Verde on Sunday
Local time
11:34 PM
PDT
Current temp
106°F
Sunny
SSE 10 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 18 at 12:55PM PDT until July 21 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Destination
Long Beach, CA
Night
in Long Beach on Sunday
Local time
11:34 PM
PDT
Current temp
81°F
Patchy Fog
SW 10 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 18 at 12:55PM PDT until July 21 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
25 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
4h 14m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Joshua Tree National Park
National Park
Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in Joshua Tree National Park. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
About half of this 219.1-mile drive, specifically 49% of it, is on highways. You'll encounter a mixed highway and surface road profile. The longest stretch without a significant change in road type is 103.5 miles on the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. Expect to transition from highway cruising to surface streets as you get closer to your destination.
49% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 103.5 mi on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 138 miles in.
Driving Effort9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 20 significant decision points across 219.1 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 138 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 160.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 175.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Hilly terrain with moderate elevation changes
2,308 ft33 ft
Total Climb
3,445 ft
Total Descent
3,803 ft
Highest Point
2,308 ft
~140.9 mi in
Elevation Range
2,275 ft
Notable High Points
2,308 ft at ~140.9 miles+543 ft prominence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Mesa Verde, CA to Long Beach, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Beach Cities along the way.
Beach Cities
160.7 mi in|~2h 57m
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Mesa Verde National Park is a United States national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the southwestern corner of the state of Colorado. Mesa Verde was the first park in the United States dedicated to preserving archeological remains rather than nature itself. The park is world-renowned for the incredibly well-preserved cliff dwellings it protects. Indeed, they are some of the most interesting archeological sites in North America. Mesa Verde is also notable for its desert landscape of tall mesas and steep canyons.
Visitors should be aware that access to the cliff houses involves navigating many wooden ladders (Remember: what goes down must also come up). Travelers with mobility issues may not be able to access all of the park.
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
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 14m. Total distance: 219.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 103.5 miles on Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 10 rest areas or service plazas 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 Long Beach, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 10 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 138 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 160.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 175.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Joshua Tree National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.2 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.5 hours — manageable with a long break at Long Beach, CA, but most travelers stay overnight.
