Origin
Morro Bay, CA
Night in Morro Bay on Thursday
Local time
10:48 PM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Morro Bay, CA to Grover Beach, CA
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
36m
Distance
27.7 mi
45 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Morro Bay, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Grover Beach, CA
Saidamir Mukhitdinov
Trip Overview
The drive from Morro Bay, CA to Grover Beach, CA covers 27.7 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Cabrillo Highway, North Santa Rosa Street, El Camino Real for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21.7 miles on Cabrillo Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.37 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 27.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 36m drive with frequent turns across 27.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Cabrillo Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 21.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Morro Bay Boulevard.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 27.7 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Morro Bay Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Morro Bay Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 12.6 miles (CA 1 / Olive Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Morro Bay Boulevard
Turn right onto Morro Bay Boulevard
Navigation decision point
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Morro Bay Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto Morro Bay Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
12.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
CA 1 / Olive Street
Turn right onto CA 1 / Olive Street
Navigation decision point
4
12.8 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
US 101; CA 1 / Cabrillo Highway
Merge onto US 101; CA 1 / Cabrillo Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining
5
25.9 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
Five Cities Drive
Turn left onto Five Cities Drive
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cabrillo Highway | 21.7 mi | 25m |
| North Santa Rosa Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| El Camino Real | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| North 4th Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Morro Bay Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Grand Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Five Cities Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Olive Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Cabrillo Highway
— 21.7 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Morro Bay, CA and Grover Beach, CA.
1
Start on Main Street
41 ft
·
2 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn right onto Morro Bay Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
Morro Bay Boulevard
3
Enter roundabout onto Morro Bay Boulevard
95 ft
·
2 sec
·
Morro Bay Boulevard
4
Continue on Morro Bay Boulevard
235 ft
·
4 sec
·
Morro Bay Boulevard
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
6
Merge onto CA 1
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Cabrillo Highway
7
Continue on CA 1
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
North Santa Rosa Street
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn right onto CA 1
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Olive Street
9
Merge onto US 101; CA 1
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Cabrillo Highway
10
Continue on US 101
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
El Camino Real
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward Five Cities Drive
12
Turn left onto Five Cities Drive
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Five Cities Drive
13
Turn right onto North 4th Street
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
North 4th Street
14
Turn left onto West Grand Avenue
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
West Grand Avenue
15
Continue on West Grand Avenue
342 ft
·
16 sec
·
West Grand Avenue
16
Arrive at destination
West Grand Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.37 one way
$12.73 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $6.56 | $13.12 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.74 | $13.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.12 | $12.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.91 | $1.33 |
| Efficient EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.42 | $1.11 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.88 | $1.77 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Grover Beach, CA
Night in Grover Beach on Thursday
Local time
10:48 PM
PDT
Current temp
54°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
36m 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 Morro Bay, CA to Grover Beach, CA covers 27.7 miles and takes about 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Cabrillo Highway, North Santa Rosa Street, El Camino Real. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.8 miles from Morro Bay, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.37 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 27.7 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Morro Bay Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Morro Bay Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 12.6 miles (CA 1 / Olive Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Morro Bay, CA to Grover Beach, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Explore more options from Morro Bay, CA or browse trips ending in Grover Beach, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.