Origin
Piru, CA
Morning in Piru on Sunday
Local time
8:48 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Piru, 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 29m
Distance
72.1 mi
116 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$17
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 22m
★
6 AM
1h 29m
8 AM
1h 43m
10 AM
1h 34m
12 PM
1h 32m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 42m
8 PM
1h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Piru, CA
Tomás Asurmendi
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Piru to Long Beach is 72.1 miles and takes about 1h 29m via I 405 Truck, with a fuel budget near $17 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day drive connecting two points within California's Pacific Coast region. Expect a highway-focused experience for the majority of the trip. With a relatively short duration and manageable fuel cost, this route is ideal for a quick transit or a day trip. It's a practical choice for moving between these two Southern California locations with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 405 Truck | 23 mi | 26m |
| San Diego Freeway | 18 mi | 20m |
| Golden State Freeway | 13.3 mi | 15m |
| East Telegraph Road | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| Henry Mayo Drive | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| Long Beach Freeway | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Shoreline Drive | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Korean War Veterans' Memorial Highway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 405 Truck
— 23 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Piru, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on Center Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Center Street
2
Turn right
131 ft
·
6 sec
3
Turn left onto CA 126
5.4 mi
·
6 min
·
East Telegraph Road
4
Continue on CA 126
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Henry Mayo Drive
5
Turn straight onto CA 126
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Korean War Veterans' Memorial Highway
6
Take the exit onto CA 126
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
CA 126
Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
7
Continue on I 5
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Golden State Freeway
8
Merge onto I 5; CA 126
8.7 mi
·
10 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck
0.3 mi
·
17 sec
·
I 5 Truck
Exit 158
Toward I 405 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 Truck
23 mi
·
26 min
·
I 405 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
18 mi
·
20 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
377 ft
·
9 sec
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
Use the slight right lane.
14
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
this road
Exit 32B
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
15
Merge onto I 710
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Long Beach Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Continue on I 710
0.5 mi
·
40 sec
·
Seaside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center, Aquarium
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
18
Continue on Shoreline Drive
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Shoreline Drive
19
Turn left onto South Chestnut Place
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Chestnut Place
Use the left / uturn lanes.
20
Turn right onto West Ocean Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Ocean Boulevard
21
Continue on East Ocean Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
East Ocean Boulevard
Use the left lane.
22
Arrive at destination
East Ocean Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
36 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 36.1 miles from Piru, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 21.2 and 69.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
21.2 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
25.3 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
I 5 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck toward I 405 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 158
Toward I 405 South
6
25.5 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
I 405 Truck
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 Truck
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
48.5 mi into trip
|
~58m in
|
I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
69.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 23m in
Take the exit toward Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center, Aquarium
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center,...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.57 one way
$33.14 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $17.08 | $34.15 |
| premium | $6.18 | $17.53 | $35.07 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.92 | $31.84 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$17
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.6 | 0 | $7.57 | $3.46 |
| Efficient EV | 18 | 0 | $6.31 | $2.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.8 | 0 | $10.09 | $4.61 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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
Morning in Long Beach on Sunday
Local time
8:48 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°F
Mostly Clear
E 5 to 15 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 7:10PM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
68°F
Santa Maria, CA
36 mi in
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
11 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 29m 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 drive is primarily a highway-focused experience, with an 80% highway share. You'll spend most of your time on major freeways like the I 405 Truck, San Diego Freeway, and Golden State Freeway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 23 miles on I 405 Truck. The character of the road remains consistent for the most part, maintaining a steady pace as you cover the distance. It's designed for efficient travel rather than scenic exploration.
80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23 mi on I 405 Truck.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 405 Truck and San Diego Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 21.2 miles in near I 5 / Golden State Freeway.
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 72.1 miles you will encounter 15 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 21.2 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.3 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.5 miles (I 405 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Piru, CA
Full guide →Founded 1887
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 29m. Total distance: 72.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 29m 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 23 miles on I 405 Truck. 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: at 21.2 miles (I 5 / Golden State Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.3 miles (I 5 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.5 miles (I 405 Truck): 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 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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