Origin
Topanga Oaks, CA
Late night in Topanga Oaks on Tuesday
Local time
3:42 AM
PDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Topanga Oaks, CA to Long Beach, 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
1h 2m
Distance
42.6 mi
69 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Topanga Oaks, CA
Robert So
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 42.6-mile drive from Topanga Oaks, CA to Long Beach, CA is a straightforward, single-day excursion. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 2 minutes on the road, with a fuel cost estimated at $10. The route primarily utilizes the San Diego Freeway, North Topanga Canyon Boulevard, and Pacific Coast Highway, making it a highway-focused journey. Given its manageable distance and duration, this trip is perfectly suited for a single day, allowing for flexibility in your schedule. You'll be traveling within the Pacific Coast region for the entirety of this journey through California.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 21.6 mi | 24m |
| North Topanga Canyon Boulevard | 5.7 mi | 11m |
| Pacific Coast Highway | 5.6 mi | 11m |
| Santa Monica Freeway | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| Long Beach Freeway | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Shoreline Drive | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West Ocean Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Seaside Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 21.6 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Topanga Oaks, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on Fontaine Road
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Fontaine Road
2
Turn sharp left onto CA 27
5.7 mi
·
11 min
·
North Topanga Canyon Boulevard
3
At end of road, turn left onto CA 1
5.6 mi
·
11 min
·
Pacific Coast Highway
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on I 10
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Santa Monica Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 3B
Toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Use the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto I 405
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
18 mi
·
20 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
377 ft
·
9 sec
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
Use the slight right lane.
9
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
this road
Exit 32B
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
10
Merge onto I 710
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Long Beach Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 710
0.5 mi
·
40 sec
·
Seaside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center, Aquarium
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
13
Continue on Shoreline Drive
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Shoreline Drive
14
Turn left onto South Chestnut Place
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Chestnut Place
Use the left / uturn lanes.
15
Turn right onto West Ocean Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Ocean Boulevard
16
Continue on East Ocean Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
East Ocean Boulevard
Use the left lane.
17
Arrive at destination
East Ocean Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 42.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.3 miles from Topanga Oaks, 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 5.9 and 40.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
5.9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
CA 1 / Pacific Coast Highway
At end of road, turn left onto CA 1 / Pacific Coast Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
15.1 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 3B
Toward I 405 South: Long Beach
6
19 mi into trip
|
~32m 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.
6
37 mi into trip
|
~52m in
Take the exit toward I 710 South: Long Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
7
40.2 mi into trip
|
~57m 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
$9.79 one way
$19.58 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $10.09 | $20.18 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.36 | $20.72 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.41 | $18.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.47 | $2.04 |
| Efficient EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.73 | $1.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17 | 0 | $5.96 | $2.73 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% 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 Tuesday
Local time
3:42 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
5 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 2m 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 66% of the journey on freeways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 21.6 miles on the San Diego Freeway, offering a consistent cruising speed. While the majority is highway, the inclusion of North Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway introduces some variations in the driving experience. The transition between these road types is smooth, providing a good balance between efficient travel and a slightly more local feel as you approach your destination.
66% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.6 mi on San Diego Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and North Topanga Canyon Boulevard. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.9 miles in near CA 1 / Pacific Coast Highway.
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 42.6 miles you will encounter 12 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 5.9 miles (CA 1 / Pacific Coast Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles (I 405 / San Diego Freeway): 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 Topanga Oaks, CA and Long Beach, CA, road signs point toward Convention Center and Aquarium.
Convention Center
40.2 mi in
|
~57m
Aquarium
40.2 mi in
|
~57m
About the Cities
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 2m. Total distance: 42.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (66%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.6 miles on San Diego 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: at 5.9 miles (CA 1 / Pacific Coast Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles (I 405 / San Diego Freeway): 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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