Origin
Mira Monte, CA
Late night in Mira Monte on Saturday
Local time
12:55 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 4m
Distance
100.9 mi
162 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$23
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mira Monte, CA
Robert So
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
This 100.9-mile drive from Mira Monte, CA to Long Beach, CA is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 2 hours and 4 minutes. You'll primarily be on the Ventura Freeway and San Diego Freeway, with a small portion on North Ventura Avenue, making it a largely highway-focused experience. With an estimated fuel cost of $23, this route offers an efficient way to travel between the Pacific Coast regions. The relatively short distance and straightforward path mean you can focus on reaching your destination without significant planning for overnight stays. It's a practical option for getting from the inland valleys to the coastal urban areas.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
50.5 miles from Mira Monte, CA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 2m into the drive .
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.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 4m. Total distance: 100.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 4m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Expect a predominantly highway-focused drive, with 90% of the journey on major freeways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 51.2 miles on the Ventura Freeway. This means you'll experience consistent speeds for significant portions of the trip. While the route utilizes major arteries like the San Diego Freeway, it also incorporates segments of North Ventura Avenue, offering a slight variation in road type. Overall, the character is that of efficient, high-speed travel connecting two points in Southern California.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
998 ft
Total Descent
1,605 ft
Highest Point
949 ft
~43.2 mi in
Elevation Range
928 ft
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Ventura Freeway and San Diego Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.6 miles in.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 100.9 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 11.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 63.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 63.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Keep slight left at fork toward US 101 South: Los Angeles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 405 North, I 405 South: Sacramento, Santa Monica
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 405 South: San Diego Freeway, Santa Monica
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 405 South: San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
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
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Mira Monte, CA to Long Beach, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Santa Monica along the way.
Santa Monica
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ventura Freeway | 51.2 mi | 59m |
| San Diego Freeway | 31.3 mi | 36m |
| North Ventura Avenue | 5.7 mi | 10m |
| Ojai Freeway | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| Long Beach Freeway | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Shoreline Drive | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West Ocean Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Seaside Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Mira Monte, CA and Long Beach, CA.
Start on Cruzero Street
Turn right onto Tico Road
Turn right onto CA 33; CA 150
Turn straight onto CA 33
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto US 101
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 405
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
Take the exit
Continue on this road
Merge onto I 710
Continue on I 710
Take the exit
Continue on Shoreline Drive
Turn left onto South Chestnut Place
Turn right onto West Ocean Boulevard
Continue on East Ocean Boulevard
Arrive at destination
Given its 2-hour duration, this route works well as a single-day trip, and you can depart at your convenience. Consider leaving earlier in the day to avoid potential traffic congestion, especially as you approach the Long Beach area. Since it's not an excessively long drive, you have flexibility with stops, but planning for one break around the halfway point could be beneficial. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, with an estimated cost of $23 for the 100.9 miles, and ensure you have enough before embarking on the longest stretch. A practical tip is to check real-time traffic conditions before you leave, as freeway speeds can vary significantly in this region.
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 22 miles or 29m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 50.5 miles or 1h 2m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 40m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Long Beach, CA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Mira Monte, 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 Mira Monte, CA
This is one driving day of about 100.9 miles and 2h 4m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 50.5 mi from Mira Monte, CA · 1h 2m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
50 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 22 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 50.5 miles from Mira Monte, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
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.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$23.19 one way
$46.38 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $23.90 | $47.80 |
| premium | $6.18 | $24.54 | $49.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $22.28 | $44.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$48–$73
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 35.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 30.3 | 0 | $10.59 | $4.84 |
| Efficient EV | 25.2 | 0 | $8.83 | $4.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 40.4 | 0 | $14.13 | $6.46 |
Gas CO2
35 kg
EV CO2
12 kg (66% 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 Mira Monte on Saturday
Local time
12:55 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Long Beach on Saturday
Local time
12:55 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°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
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Mira Monte, CA or browse trips ending in Long Beach, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.