Origin
Tustin, CA
Late night in Tustin on Tuesday
Local time
3:18 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tustin, 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
36m
Distance
23.1 mi
37 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tustin, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 23.1-mile drive from Tustin, CA to Long Beach, CA is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 36 minutes. The route primarily utilizes the Garden Grove Freeway (CA 22) and East 7th Street, with a significant 73% of the journey on highways. Expect a fuel cost of around $5 for this relatively short distance. Given its proximity within the Pacific Coast region of California, this trip is perfect for a quick excursion or a segment of a larger coastal adventure. It offers a straightforward transit between two Southern California cities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden Grove Freeway | 10.2 mi | 11m |
| East 7th Street | 2.7 mi | 6m |
| CA 22 | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| San Diego Freeway | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| East 4th Street | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| Alamitos Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| East Ocean Boulevard | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden Grove Freeway
— 10.2 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tustin, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on West 1st Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
West 1st Street
2
Turn right onto Yorba Street
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Yorba Street
3
Turn left onto Irvine Boulevard
470 ft
·
17 sec
·
Irvine Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Continue on East 4th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 4th Street
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
Toward I 5 North
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto I 5
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
0.8 mi
·
53 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 106
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
414 ft
·
8 sec
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto CA 22
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Garden Grove Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on CA 22; I 405
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
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.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto East 7th Street
2.7 mi
·
6 min
·
East 7th Street
14
Turn left onto Rose Avenue
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Rose Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
At end of road, turn right onto East 4th Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
East 4th Street
16
Turn left onto Alamitos Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Alamitos Avenue
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto East Ocean Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Ocean Boulevard
Use the right lane.
18
Arrive at destination
East Ocean Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 16.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 5 North
6
2.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
7
3.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit 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 106
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
7
4.2 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
7
16.2 mi into trip
|
~20m 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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.31 one way
$10.62 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.47 | $10.94 |
| premium | $6.18 | $5.62 | $11.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.10 | $10.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.43 | $1.11 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
3:18 AM
PDT
Current temp
58°F
Partly Cloudy
E 5 to 10 mph
1% chance
Live forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 12:31AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 12:31AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV
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
36m 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?
The personality of this drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 73% of the route consisting of freeway travel. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 10.2 miles on the Garden Grove Freeway, offering a period of consistent speed. While much of the journey involves freeway driving, transitions onto roads like East 7th Street will introduce more local traffic conditions. The overall feel is one of efficient transit, moving you steadily towards your destination with minimal scenic diversions.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.2 mi on Garden Grove Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden Grove Freeway and East 7th Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 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 14 decision points packed into just 23.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Tustin, CA
Full guide →Tustin is a suburban city in Orange County, California. It is located on I-5 3 miles southeast of Santa Ana, 9 miles southeast of Disneyland, 6 miles north of John Wayne Airport.
Top landmarks
- • Artz Building — historic building in Tustin, 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 36m. Total distance: 23.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.2 miles on Garden Grove 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 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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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