Origin
Norco, CA
Afternoon in Norco on Sunday
Local time
1:57 PM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Norco, CA to Long Beach, 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 6m
Distance
46.5 mi
75 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 1m
★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 11m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Norco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Norco, CA to Long Beach, CA is 46.5 miles and takes about 1h 6m via the Riverside Freeway, Garden Grove Freeway, and Costa Mesa Freeway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward journey between two Southern California cities. Expect an 80% highway experience, making it a quick and efficient trip for those looking to connect these areas. With only one recommended day, this route is ideal for a day trip or a short transfer, minimizing travel time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Freeway | 15.4 mi | 17m |
| Garden Grove Freeway | 12.7 mi | 14m |
| Costa Mesa Freeway | 4.8 mi | 5m |
| East 7th Street | 2.7 mi | 6m |
| CA 22 | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Hamner Avenue | 2 mi | 3m |
| San Diego Freeway | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| North Main Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Riverside Freeway
— 15.4 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Norco, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on 5th Street
33 ft
·
7 sec
·
5th Street
2
Turn left onto Aryana Avenue
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
Aryana Avenue
3
Continue on Valley View Avenue
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Valley View Avenue
4
Turn right onto 4th Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
4th Street
5
Turn left onto Hamner Avenue
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Hamner Avenue
6
Continue on North Main Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Main Street
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
Toward CA 91 West: Beach Cities
8
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
29 sec
·
this road
Toward CA 91 West: Beach Cities
9
Merge onto CA 91
15 mi
·
17 min
·
Riverside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 55
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Costa Mesa Freeway
Exit 34
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 13
Toward CA 22 West: Garden Grove Freeway, Long Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto CA 22
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Garden Grove Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on CA 22; I 405
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit onto CA 22
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
CA 22
Exit 23
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto East 7th Street
2.7 mi
·
6 min
·
East 7th Street
16
Turn left onto Rose Avenue
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Rose Avenue
Use the left lane.
17
At end of road, turn right onto East 4th Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
East 4th Street
18
Turn left onto Alamitos Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Alamitos Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto East Ocean Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Ocean Boulevard
Use the right lane.
20
Arrive at destination
East Ocean Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.3 miles from Norco, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 44.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Aryana Avenue
Turn left onto Aryana Avenue
Navigation decision point
8
19.9 mi into trip
|
~27m 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
24.8 mi into trip
|
~33m 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...
7
39.6 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
CA 22
Take the exit onto CA 22 toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 23
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
6
44.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
|
Rose Avenue
Turn left onto Rose Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.69 one way
$21.38 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $11.01 | $22.03 |
| premium | $6.18 | $11.31 | $22.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.27 | $20.53 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14 | 0 | $4.88 | $2.23 |
| Efficient EV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.07 | $1.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.6 | 0 | $6.51 | $2.98 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Long Beach, CA
Afternoon in Long Beach on Sunday
Local time
1:57 PM
PDT
Current temp
58°F
Partly Cloudy
NE 5 mph
1% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 5:29AM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 5:29AM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
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
14 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 6m 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?
This is primarily a highway-focused drive, with 80% of the route utilizing major freeways like the Riverside Freeway, Garden Grove Freeway, and Costa Mesa Freeway. You'll experience a consistent flow on these well-traveled roads, with the longest uninterrupted stretch measuring 15.4 miles on the Riverside Freeway. The character of the drive is largely urban and suburban, characterized by multi-lane highways and the typical traffic patterns of Southern California. While it's a highway-centric experience, it provides a direct and efficient connection between your starting and ending points.
80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.4 mi on Riverside Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Riverside Freeway and Garden Grove Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Aryana Avenue.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 46.5 miles you will encounter 14 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: near the start (Aryana Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 19.9 miles (CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Norco, CA
Full guide →Norco is a city of 27,000 people (2019) in California. As a horse community, there are few sidewalks in the city of Norco; instead there are horse trails, and riders can ride to town and tie their horses at the many hitching rails and corrals placed close to businesses.
Arriving 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 1h 6m. Total distance: 46.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.4 miles on Riverside Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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.
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: near the start (Aryana Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 19.9 miles (CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Long Beach, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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