Origin
Trabuco Canyon, CA
Late night in Trabuco Canyon on Saturday
Local time
1:29 AM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Trabuco Canyon, CA to Long Beach, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 2m
Distance
44.6 mi
72 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Trabuco Canyon, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Long Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Trabuco Canyon to Long Beach is 44.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 2 minutes via San Diego Freeway, Foothill Transportation Corridor, and Eastern Transportation Corridor, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within California, traversing the Pacific Coast region from start to finish. Expect a mixed drive that's efficient for getting between these two points. It's a straightforward journey, ideal for a single-day trip, whether you're heading for the coast or starting from it.
About the Cities
Arriving in Long Beach, CA
Full guide →Founded 1888
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.
Top landmarks
- • RMS Queen Mary — retired British ocean liner
- • Terminal Island — island in Los Angeles County, California, United States
- • Aquarium of the Pacific — public aquarium in Long Beach, California
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 2m. Total distance: 44.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with 56% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on major freeways like the San Diego Freeway, including an uninterrupted segment of 18 miles. The drive transitions between different transportation corridors, suggesting a varied landscape and road conditions. It's designed for efficient travel, balancing speed with accessibility as you move between Orange County and the Long Beach area.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
San Diego Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 18 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in near Santa Margarita Parkway.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 44.6 miles you will encounter 15 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: at 1.8 miles (Santa Margarita Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
1.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Santa Margarita Parkway
Turn right onto Santa Margarita Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
11.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward CA 133 South: Laguna Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 27
Toward CA 133 South: Laguna Beach
8
16.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward I 405 North: Long Beach, San Diego Freeway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 8B
Toward I 405 North: Long Beach, San Diego Freew...
6
25.3 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
37.7 mi into trip
|
~46m in
|
CA 22
Take the exit onto CA 22 toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 23
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 18 mi | 20m |
| Foothill Transportation Corridor | 7.6 mi | 8m |
| Eastern Transportation Corridor | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| East 7th Street | 2.7 mi | 6m |
| I 405 | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| CA 22 | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Santa Margarita Parkway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Trabuco Canyon Road | 1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 18 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Trabuco Canyon, CA and Long Beach, CA.
1
Start on Trabuco Oaks Drive
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
Trabuco Oaks Drive
2
At end of road, turn left onto Trabuco Canyon Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Trabuco Canyon Road
3
Continue on Plano Trabuco Drive
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Plano Trabuco Drive
4
Turn right onto Santa Margarita Parkway
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Santa Margarita Parkway
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward CA 241 Toll North
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto CA 241 Toll
7.6 mi
·
8 min
·
Foothill Transportation Corridor
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
1.1 mi
·
1 min
Exit 27
Toward CA 133 South: Laguna Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on CA 133 Toll
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastern Transportation Corridor
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on CA 133
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
·
Laguna Freeway
10
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 8B
Toward I 405 North: Long Beach, San Diego Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto I 405
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
9.7 mi
·
11 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
I 405
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit onto CA 22
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
CA 22
Exit 23
Toward CA 22 West: Long Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto East 7th Street
2.7 mi
·
6 min
·
East 7th Street
16
Turn left onto Rose Avenue
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Rose Avenue
Use the left lane.
17
At end of road, turn right onto East 4th Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
East 4th Street
18
Turn left onto Alamitos Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Alamitos Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto East Ocean Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Ocean Boulevard
Use the right lane.
20
Arrive at destination
East Ocean Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 22.3 mi from Trabuco Canyon, CA · 29m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.3 miles from Trabuco Canyon, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Long Beach, CA
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.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.25 one way
$20.50 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $10.56 | $21.13 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.85 | $21.69 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.85 | $19.69 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.68 | $2.14 |
| Efficient EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.90 | $1.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.24 | $2.85 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Long Beach, CA
Late night in Long Beach on Saturday
Local time
1:29 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°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
5 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 2m 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 Trabuco Canyon, CA to Long Beach, CA covers 44.6 miles and takes about 1h 2m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are San Diego Freeway, Foothill Transportation Corridor, Eastern Transportation Corridor. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 22.3 miles from Trabuco Canyon, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $10.25 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 44.6 miles you will encounter 15 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: at 1.8 miles (Santa Margarita Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Trabuco Canyon, CA to Long Beach, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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