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Create accountDrive Time
50m
Distance
32.6 mi
52 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Excellent
11 DC fast
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Long Beach, CA
Saidamir Mukhitdinov
Altadena, CA
Stephen Leonardi
The drive from Long Beach, CA to Altadena, CA covers 32.6 miles and takes about 50m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Long Beach Freeway, South Fremont Avenue, North Lake Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21 miles on Long Beach Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.55 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
0 planned breaks
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
16.3 miles from Long Beach, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 21m into the drive .
This is a 50m highway drive covering 32.6 miles, with most of the trip on Long Beach Freeway and South Fremont Avenue. The longest continuous stretch is about 21 miles on Long Beach Freeway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Beach Freeway and South Fremont Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
This is a demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 32.6 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 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 26.8 miles (Columbia Street): Lane positioning matters here.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Keep slight left at fork toward I 710 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Keep slight left at fork toward I 710 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
At end of road, turn left onto Columbia Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 210 East: San Bernardino
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Lake Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach Freeway | 21 mi | 25m |
| South Fremont Avenue | 3.3 mi | 7m |
| North Lake Avenue | 2.7 mi | 6m |
| South Pasadena Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| East Ocean Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| West Valley Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Shoreline Drive | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Seaside Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Long Beach, CA and Altadena, CA.
Start on East Ocean Boulevard
Turn right onto North Golden Avenue
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto Shoreline Drive
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 710
Continue on I 710
Turn right onto West Valley Boulevard
Turn left onto South Fremont Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Columbia Street
Turn right onto South Pasadena Avenue
Turn slight left onto Long Beach Freeway
Take the exit
Merge onto CA 134
Merge onto I 210
Take the exit
Turn straight onto East Corson Street
Turn left onto North Lake Avenue
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 32.6 miles or 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 16.3 miles or 21m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 40m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Altadena, CA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Long Beach, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Long Beach, CA
This is one driving day of about 32.6 miles and 50m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 16.3 mi from Long Beach, CA · 21m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 32.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 16.3 miles from Long Beach, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
The final approach into Altadena, 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 Altadena, CA.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$7.55 one way
$15.10 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.07 | $7.79 | $15.57 |
| premium | $6.24 | $8.01 | $16.03 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $7.24 | $14.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$8
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$33–$58
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
EV Charging Along Route
11 DC fast chargers · Coverage: excellent
Marketplace Long Beach - Tesla Supercharger
Long Beach, CA
20 DCFC
East Anaheim St - Tesla Supercharger
Long Beach, CA
12 DCFC
Los Altos Market Center
Long Beach, CA
6 DCFC
Chase Bank - 4501 E Pacific Coast Hwy
Long Beach, CA
4 DCFC
7Charge - Long Beach 38101
Long Beach, CA
2 DCFC
US Bank Naples
Long Beach, CA
2 DCFC
LONG BEACH NIETO DC 01
Long Beach, CA
1 DCFC
LONG BEACH GRENADA DC 1
Long Beach, CA
1 DCFC
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.42 | $1.56 |
| Efficient EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.85 | $1.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13 | 0 | $4.56 | $2.09 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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 Long Beach on Monday
Local time
3:10 AM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Slight Chance Light Rain
Destination
Late night in Altadena on Monday
Local time
3:10 AM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
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.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
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.
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