Origin
Long Beach, CA
Late night in Long Beach on Friday
Local time
3:08 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Long Beach, CA to Universal City, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
34.3 mi
55 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Universal City, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Trip Overview
The drive from Long Beach, CA to Universal City, CA covers 34.3 miles and takes about 49m 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, Hollywood Freeway, Santa Ana Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.1 miles on Long Beach Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.88 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 34.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 49m highway drive covering 34.3 miles, with most of the trip on Long Beach Freeway and Hollywood Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 16.1 miles on Long Beach Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Long Beach Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 16.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Beach Freeway and Hollywood Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 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 34.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 18.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.8 miles (US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 710 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 710 North
6
18.5 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
6
20.8 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
33.4 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Take the exit toward Lankershim Boulevard, Universal City
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 12A
Toward Lankershim Boulevard, Universal City
6
33.6 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
Lankershim Boulevard
Turn right onto Lankershim Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach Freeway | 16.1 mi | 19m |
| Hollywood Freeway | 8.3 mi | 11m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 6.1 mi | 8m |
| East Ocean Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Shoreline Drive | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Seaside Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Kirk Douglas Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Lankershim Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Long Beach Freeway
— 16.1 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Long Beach, CA and Universal City, CA.
1
Start on East Ocean Boulevard
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
East Ocean Boulevard
2
Turn right onto North Golden Avenue
414 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Golden Avenue
3
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 710 North
4
Merge onto Shoreline Drive
0.5 mi
·
47 sec
·
Shoreline Drive
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 710 North
6
Merge onto I 710
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
·
Seaside Freeway
7
Continue on I 710
16 mi
·
19 min
·
Long Beach Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 5 North: Los Angeles
Use the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto I 5
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto US 101
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on US 101
8.3 mi
·
11 min
·
Hollywood Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 12A
Toward Lankershim Boulevard, Universal City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn right onto Lankershim Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Lankershim Boulevard
Use the right lane.
14
Turn right onto Main Street
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
15
Turn right onto Kirk Douglas Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Kirk Douglas Drive
16
Turn left onto Cylon Drive
525 ft
·
47 sec
·
Cylon Drive
17
Turn left
83 ft
·
9 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.2 mi from Long Beach, CA · 22m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.2 miles from Long Beach, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Universal City, CA
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Universal City, CA if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.88 one way
$15.77 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.12 | $16.25 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.34 | $16.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.57 | $15.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 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 | 10.3 | 0 | $3.60 | $1.65 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.80 | $2.20 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Universal City, CA
Late night in Universal City on Friday
Local time
3:08 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°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
1 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
49m 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 Long Beach, CA to Universal City, CA covers 34.3 miles and takes about 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Long Beach Freeway, Hollywood Freeway, Santa Ana Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.2 miles from Long Beach, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.88 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 14 decision points packed into just 34.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 18.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.8 miles (US 101 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Long Beach, CA to Universal City, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Universal City, CA
More trips to Universal City, CA
Explore more options from Long Beach, CA or browse trips ending in Universal City, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.