Skip to main content

Trip from Cool, CA to Long Beach, CA

Data updated 0 seconds ago

Drive Time

8h 24m

Distance

447.8 mi

721 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$103

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 23 min
4 AM
8h 17m ★
6 AM
8h 25m
8 AM
8h 40m
10 AM
8h 30m
12 PM
8h 28m
3 PM
8h 31m
5 PM
8h 39m
8 PM
8h 20m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Cool, CA, CA

Cool, CA

Dominik Gryzbon

city in Los Angeles County, California, United States

Long Beach, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Cool, CA to Long Beach, CA covers 447.8 miles and takes about 8h 24m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on Westside Freeway, I 5 Truck, I 405 Truck for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 296.3 miles on Westside Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $102.92 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Best split across 2 days

Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.

Break Rhythm

2 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

223.9 miles from Cool, CA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 12m into the drive .

Loading map...

Drive Character

This is a 8h 24m highway drive covering 447.8 miles, with most of the trip on Westside Freeway and I 5 Truck. The longest continuous stretch is about 296.3 miles on Westside Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 33 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Westside Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 296.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and I 5 Truck. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 30.7 miles in near I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway.

Route Complexity 9/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 25 significant decision points across 447.8 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 30.7 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.3 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 25 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

8
30.7 mi into trip | ~42m in | I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 95 Toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento
8
39.3 mi into trip | ~52m in | I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway toward US 50 East, I 80 West: South Lake Tahoe, San Francisco

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward US 50 East, I 80 West: South Lake Tahoe,...
8
41.3 mi into trip | ~54m in

Take the exit toward I 5: Los Angeles, Redding

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 4A Toward I 5: Los Angeles, Redding
8
41.4 mi into trip | ~54m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Los Angeles

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Exit 4A Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
8
401 mi into trip | ~7h 27m 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

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Cool, CA and Long Beach, CA, road signs point toward San Francisco and Redding.

San Francisco

39.3 mi in | ~52m | via I 80 Business

Redding

41.3 mi in | ~54m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Westside Freeway 296.3 mi 5h 19m
I 5 Truck 58.6 mi 1h 7m
I 405 Truck 23 mi 26m
San Diego Freeway 18 mi 20m
Alan S. Hart Freeway 17.1 mi 19m
Capital City Freeway 10.6 mi 11m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 7.1 mi 8m
Golden State Freeway 4.1 mi 4m
Longest stretch: Westside Freeway — 296.3 mi, about 5h 19m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cool, CA and Long Beach, CA.

1

Start on CA 193

353 ft · 10 sec · Georgetown Road
2

Turn right onto CA 49

0.2 mi · 19 sec · CA 49
3

Continue on CA 49

3.4 mi · 7 min · CA 49
4

Continue on CA 49

2.3 mi · 5 min · El Dorado Street
5

Enter roundabout onto CA 49

78 ft · 2 sec · El Dorado Street
6

Continue on CA 49

0.2 mi · 32 sec · El Dorado Street
7

Turn right onto CA 49

0.3 mi · 1 min · Elm Avenue
8

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 17 sec
Toward I 80 West: Sacramento
9

Merge onto I 80; CA 49

17 mi · 19 min · Alan S. Hart Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Continue on I 80

7.1 mi · 8 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business

4.9 mi · 5 min · Capital City Freeway
Exit 95 Toward I 80 Business West: Sacramento Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto I 80 Business

3.7 mi · 4 min · Capital City Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 Business

1.9 mi · 2 min · Capital City Freeway
Toward US 50 East, I 80 West: South Lake Tahoe, San Francisco Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 15 sec
Exit 4A Toward I 5: Los Angeles, Redding Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight left at fork

0.8 mi · 1 min
Exit 4A Toward I 5 South: Los Angeles Use the slight left lane.
16

Merge onto I 5

59 mi · 1 hr 5 min · Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5

0.8 mi · 48 sec · Westside Freeway
18

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5

237 mi · 4 hr 13 min · Westside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 Truck

58 mi · 1 hr 6 min · I 5 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20

Keep slight left at fork onto I 5

4.1 mi · 4 min · Golden State Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21

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.
22

Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 Truck

23 mi · 26 min · I 405 Truck
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23

Keep slight right at fork onto I 405

18 mi · 20 min · San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24

Take the exit

377 ft · 9 sec
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach Use the slight right lane.
25

Continue on this road

0.3 mi · 39 sec · this road
Exit 32B Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
26

Merge onto I 710

2.4 mi · 3 min · Long Beach Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
27

Continue on I 710

0.5 mi · 40 sec · Seaside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
28

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Toward Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center, Aquarium Use the slight left / straight lanes.
29

Continue on Shoreline Drive

1.3 mi · 2 min · Shoreline Drive
30

Turn left onto South Chestnut Place

0.2 mi · 30 sec · South Chestnut Place
Use the left / uturn lanes.
31

Turn right onto West Ocean Boulevard

0.5 mi · 1 min · West Ocean Boulevard
32

Continue on East Ocean Boulevard

0.1 mi · 21 sec · East Ocean Boulevard
Use the left lane.
33

Arrive at destination

East Ocean Boulevard

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Evening Departure

This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 223.9 miles from Cool, CA, or about 4h 12m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 296.3 miles.

Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 99 miles or 1h 58m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 223.9 miles or 4h 12m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Overnight split

Day 1 wrap after about 223.9 miles or 4h 12m

Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 7h 12m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Long Beach, CA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Cool, CA so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

+

Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.

+

Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Cool, CA

Aim for roughly 224 miles and 4.2 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Long Beach, CA

Aim for roughly 224 miles and 4.2 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 99 miles from Cool, CA.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Westside Freeway for about 296.3 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 223.9 mi from Cool, CA · 4h 12m into the drive

county seat of Fresno County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Overnight candidate

Fresno, CA

224 mi into the route

Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start

This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.

Find hotels in Fresno, CA

Popular next leg

Fresno, CA to Long Beach, CA

242.8 mi · 4h 35m

Overnight Options

Night 1

Fresno, CA

224 mi · about 4.2h in

A practical overnight split lands near Fresno, CA after about 224 miles or 4.2 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Lathrop, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 99 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Modesto, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 223.9 miles from Cool, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Westside Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 296.3 miles.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 224 miles or 4.2 hours on the road.

Arriving in Long Beach, CA

The final approach into Long Beach, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Long Beach, CA.

On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Long Beach, CA with some flexibility left in the schedule.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$102.92 one way

$205.85 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 157 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $106.06 $212.12
premium $6.18 $108.90 $217.80
diesel $5.61 $98.87 $197.74

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$103

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$233–$343

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 156.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $47 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 134.3 1 $47.02 $21.49
Efficient EV 112 1 $39.18 $17.91
EV Truck/SUV 179.1 2 $62.69 $28.66

Gas CO2

157 kg

EV CO2

52 kg (67% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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.

Forecast data refreshed 17 hours ago

Origin

Cool, CA

Evening in Cool on Tuesday

Local time

8:05 PM

PDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Long Beach, CA

Evening in Long Beach on Tuesday

Local time

8:05 PM

PDT

Current temp

55°F

Mostly Clear

NNW 0 to 10 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Lake Wind Advisory

Lake Wind Advisory issued April 14 at 12:37AM PDT until April 15 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Reno NV

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 14 at 12:37AM PDT until April 15 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Reno NV

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.

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

9 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

8h 24m on the road

This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Cool, CA to Long Beach, CA covers 447.8 miles and takes about 8h 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Westside Freeway, I 5 Truck, I 405 Truck. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 224 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 223.9 miles from Cool, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $102.92 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 25 significant decision points across 447.8 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 30.7 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.3 miles (I 80 Business / Capital City Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Cool, CA and Long Beach, CA, road signs point toward San Francisco and Redding.

Was this route helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Cool, CA or browse trips ending in Long Beach, CA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.

Explore maps for Cool, CA or Long Beach, CA on MapSof.net.