Origin
Hawthorne, CA
Late night in Hawthorne on Saturday
Local time
1:12 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hawthorne, CA to Long Beach, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
17.8 mi
29 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hawthorne, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 17.8-mile drive from Hawthorne to Long Beach in California is designed for a single day, taking about 25 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate using the San Diego Freeway and the Long Beach Freeway, with Hawthorne Boulevard also playing a role. With a modest fuel cost of around $4, this journey is an easy addition to your Pacific Coast exploration. The route's high highway share means it's a quick transit, perfect for getting between these two Southern California locales efficiently. Expect a functional, highway-focused experience for this short hop.
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 25m. Total distance: 17.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This drive is predominantly a highway-focused experience, with 71% of the journey taking place on major freeways. You'll encounter stretches of efficient travel, including a continuous 9.7-mile segment on the San Diego Freeway. While the majority is on these main arteries, parts of Hawthorne Boulevard will offer a slightly different feel before you merge back onto faster routes. It's a route built for getting from point A to point B with minimal fuss, characterized by its directness and reliance on freeway systems.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
San Diego Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 9.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and Long Beach Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Hawthorne Boulevard.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 17.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Hawthorne Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (I 405 / San Diego Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Hawthorne Boulevard
Turn left onto Hawthorne Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 405 South: Long Beach
5
2.4 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Merge onto I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
12.1 mi into trip
|
~15m 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
15.3 mi into trip
|
~20m 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,...
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Hawthorne, CA and Long Beach, CA, road signs point toward Convention Center and Aquarium.
Convention Center
15.3 mi in
|
~20m
Aquarium
15.3 mi in
|
~20m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 9.7 mi | 11m |
| Long Beach Freeway | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Hawthorne Boulevard | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Shoreline Drive | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West Ocean Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Seaside Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| South Chestnut Place | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Ocean Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 9.7 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hawthorne, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on West El Segundo Boulevard
46 ft
·
6 sec
·
West El Segundo Boulevard
2
Turn left onto Hawthorne Boulevard
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Hawthorne Boulevard
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 405
9.7 mi
·
11 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
377 ft
·
9 sec
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
Use the slight right lane.
6
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
this road
Exit 32B
Toward I 710 South: Long Beach
7
Merge onto I 710
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Long Beach Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 710
0.5 mi
·
40 sec
·
Seaside Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center, Aquarium
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
10
Continue on Shoreline Drive
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Shoreline Drive
11
Turn left onto South Chestnut Place
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Chestnut Place
Use the left / uturn lanes.
12
Turn right onto West Ocean Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Ocean Boulevard
13
Continue on East Ocean Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
East Ocean Boulevard
Use the left lane.
14
Arrive at destination
East Ocean Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.09 one way
$8.18 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.22 | $8.43 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.33 | $8.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.93 | $7.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.56 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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 Saturday
Local time
1:12 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
12 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
25m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Hawthorne, CA to Long Beach, CA covers 17.8 miles and takes about 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are San Diego Freeway, Long Beach Freeway, Hawthorne Boulevard. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.9 miles from Hawthorne, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.09 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 17.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Hawthorne Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (I 405 / San Diego Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Hawthorne, CA and Long Beach, CA, road signs point toward Convention Center and Aquarium.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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