Origin
Morro Bay, CA
Night in Morro Bay on Thursday
Local time
9:51 PM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Morro Bay, CA to Pismo Beach, CA
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
32m
Distance
25 mi
40 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 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Morro Bay, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Pismo Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Morro Bay, CA to Pismo Beach, CA covers 25 miles and takes about 32m 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, Morro Bay Boulevard 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 $5.75 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 25 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (2%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 32m drive with frequent turns across 25 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 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 25 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 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
US 101 Business / Price Street
Turn right onto US 101 Business / Price Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cabrillo Highway | 21.7 mi | 25m |
| North Santa Rosa Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Morro Bay Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| CA 1 | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Olive Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Pismo Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Price Street | <0.1 mi | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Cabrillo Highway
— 21.7 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Morro Bay, CA and Pismo 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
Take the exit onto CA 1
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
CA 1
Toward CA 1 South: Pismo Street
11
Turn left onto Pismo Avenue
426 ft
·
24 sec
·
Pismo Avenue
12
Turn right onto US 101 Business
7 ft
·
0 sec
·
Price Street
13
Arrive at destination
US 101 Business
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.75 one way
$11.49 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.92 | $11.84 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.08 | $12.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.52 | $11.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.19 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.50 | $1.60 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Pismo Beach, CA
Night in Pismo Beach on Thursday
Local time
9:51 PM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Mostly Clear
NNW 5 to 15 mph
3% chance
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
7 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
32m on the road
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Morro Bay, CA to Pismo Beach, CA covers 25 miles and takes about 32m 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, Morro Bay Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.5 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 $5.75 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 25 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 Pismo 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
Continue From Pismo Beach, CA
More trips to Pismo Beach, CA
Explore more options from Morro Bay, CA or browse trips ending in Pismo Beach, CA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CA road trips.