Origin
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Late night in San Juan Capistrano on Sunday
Local time
2:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from San Juan Capistrano, 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
56m
Distance
40.2 mi
65 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Spanning 40.2 miles along the Southern California Pacific Coast, this drive from San Juan Capistrano to Long Beach is a straightforward journey typically taking about 56 minutes. Given the short duration, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You can expect to spend roughly $9 on fuel for the transit, making it a budget-friendly option for your itinerary. The path keeps you within the Pacific Coast region for the duration of the trip, offering a consistent coastal experience. Because the drive is relatively brief and direct, it serves as an efficient connection between these two coastal hubs rather than a long-haul excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor | 14.1 mi | 16m |
| San Diego Freeway | 10.6 mi | 12m |
| Corona Del Mar Freeway | 4 mi | 4m |
| East 7th Street | 2.7 mi | 6m |
| I 405 | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| CA 22 | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Camino Capistrano | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| East 4th Street | 0.7 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor
— 14.1 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between San Juan Capistrano, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on Camino Capistrano
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Camino Capistrano
Use the straight lane.
2
Turn right onto Junipero Serra Road
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Junipero Serra Road
Use the right lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto I 5
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
San Diego Freeway
5
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 73
14 mi
·
16 min
·
San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor
Toward CA 73 North: Long Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on CA 73
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Corona Del Mar Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 405
9.6 mi
·
11 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
I 405
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
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.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto East 7th Street
2.7 mi
·
6 min
·
East 7th Street
11
Turn left onto Rose Avenue
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Rose Avenue
Use the left lane.
12
At end of road, turn right onto East 4th Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
East 4th Street
13
Turn left onto Alamitos Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Alamitos Avenue
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto East Ocean Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Ocean Boulevard
Use the right lane.
15
Arrive at destination
East Ocean Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.1 miles from San Juan Capistrano, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 38.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
7
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
CA 73 / San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 73 / San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor toward CA 73 North: Long Beach
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 73 North: Long Beach
6
30.6 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
I 405
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
33.3 mi into trip
|
~40m 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
38.6 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
Rose Avenue
Turn left onto Rose Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.24 one way
$18.48 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $9.52 | $19.04 |
| premium | $6.18 | $9.78 | $19.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.88 | $17.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 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 | 12.1 | 0 | $4.22 | $1.93 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.52 | $1.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.63 | $2.57 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Long Beach, CA
Late night in Long Beach on Sunday
Local time
2:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°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
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
56m 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?
Expect a mixed driving experience as you navigate a combination of major arteries, including the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor, the San Diego Freeway, and the Corona Del Mar Freeway. With 49% of the journey spent on highways, the drive balances high-speed stretches with varied local road conditions. Your longest uninterrupted segment is a 14.1-mile stretch along the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor, which provides the most consistent pace of the trip. Behind the wheel, you will notice the character of the road shifting as you transition between these key freeways. It is a functional, utility-focused drive that moves you efficiently through the coastal urban landscape.
49% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.1 mi on San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 1.6 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 12 decision points packed into just 40.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (CA 73 / San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.6 miles (I 405): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
856 ft
24 ft
Total Climb
796 ft
Total Descent
880 ft
Highest Point
856 ft
~11.5 mi in
Elevation Range
832 ft
About the Cities
Starting in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Full guide →San Juan Capistrano is a city in Orange County in Southern California.
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 56m. Total distance: 40.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (49%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.1 miles on San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor. 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 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (CA 73 / San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.6 miles (I 405): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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