Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
57m
Distance
41.7 mi
67 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tujunga, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
This 41.7-mile drive from Tujunga, CA to Long Beach, CA is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in under an hour, making it a perfect day trip. You'll primarily navigate via the Glendale Freeway, Golden State Freeway, and the Long Beach Freeway, with 81% of the journey on highways. With an estimated fuel cost of just $10, this route is budget-friendly and offers a direct connection between the Pacific Coast regions of Southern California. You won't need to worry about overnight stays; this is a simple point-to-point journey designed for efficiency.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach Freeway | 16.1 mi | 20m |
| Glendale Freeway | 7 mi | 8m |
| Golden State Freeway | 6 mi | 7m |
| Foothill Freeway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Foothill Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Shoreline Drive | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Lowell Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Tujunga, CA and Long Beach, CA.
Start on Valmont Street
Turn left onto Commerce Avenue
Turn left onto Foothill Boulevard
Turn right onto Lowell Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 210
Take the exit
Merge onto Hillard Avenue
Merge onto CA 2
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
Merge onto I 5
Take the exit
Merge onto I 710
Continue on I 710
Take the exit
Continue on Shoreline Drive
Turn left onto South Chestnut Place
Turn right onto West Ocean Boulevard
Continue on East Ocean Boulevard
Arrive at destination
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.
A short stop after about 41.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 20.9 miles from Tujunga, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 5.1 and 19.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward CA 2 South: Los Angeles
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 5: Golden State Freeway, Los Angeles, Sacramento
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Golden State Freeway, Los Angeles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 / Golden State Freeway toward CA 60 East, I 5 South: Pomona, Soto Street, Santa Ana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$9.58 one way
$19.17 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $9.88 | $19.75 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.14 | $20.28 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.21 | $18.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.6 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 | 12.5 | 0 | $4.38 | $2.00 |
| Efficient EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.65 | $1.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.84 | $2.67 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Tujunga on Tuesday
Local time
5:00 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Late night in Long Beach on Tuesday
Local time
5:00 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Expect a highway-focused drive for most of this 41.7-mile stretch. With 81% of the route utilizing freeways like the Long Beach Freeway, Glendale Freeway, and Golden State Freeway, you'll experience consistent high-speed travel. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 16.1 miles on the Long Beach Freeway, offering a good opportunity to settle in. This isn't a winding scenic byway, but rather a functional corridor connecting two points within California.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Beach Freeway and Glendale Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.1 miles in.
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 21 decision points packed into just 41.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Tujunga, CA and Long Beach, CA, road signs point toward Los Angeles, Sacramento, Santa Ana, Convention Center and Aquarium.
Los Angeles
Sacramento
Santa Ana
Convention Center
Aquarium
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 57m. Total distance: 41.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
57m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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