Destination Guides: Long Beach, United States - City Information

Long Beach City Facts

Population:                  429,400  

Elevation:                    29 feet

Land area:                   50.4 square miles

Location:                     Located 21 miles south of Los Angeles at the southern tip of L.A. County.  It is on San Pedro Bay on the Pacific Ocean.

Weather:

Climate: 

Local Seasons:

Enjoy a cool ocean breeze with nearly 345 days of sunshine every year. Summer temperatures range in the comfortable range of 70-80 degrees F, and winter temperatures are quite enjoyable at 55-65 degrees F, making Long Beach the ultimate year-round vacation destination.  You can expect the summer to be the most crowded with tourists visiting many of the local and nearby attractions, enjoying the beach, and “star watching”.  The fall becomes a little less crowded with a slight change in the temperature but not the activity.  The fall in Long Beach is a peak time for events, including the annual Lobster Festival.  Spring brings more of the same and is the perfect time for a romantic stroll on the beach.  Whatever the time of year, the weather in Long Beach is beautiful!

Getting There:

By Car

Getting to and around Long Beach is easy! To get to Long Beach take the 405 south from Los Angeles or take the 405 north from Orange County. Then take the 710 south and Long Beach is located at the end of the 710 freeway.

By Air

Long Beach Airport

4100 Donald Douglas Drive

Long Beach, California 90809

562-570-2600

This is the most convenient airport  for air travel into the Los Angeles/ Orange County area. Offering several daily flights on many of the largest airlines as well as regional carriers, Long Beach airport is the “plane easy” way to travel.

These alternative area airports offer hundreds of flights into and out of the area and are only a quick 25 minutes from Long Beach.

Los Angeles International (LAX)

1 World Way

Los Angeles, California

310-646-5252

Santa Ana/Orange County (SNA))
18601 Airport Way, Santa Ana, CA 92707

949-252-5200

Car Rental:

All of the major car rental companies are available at or near all three airports.

Getting Around:

By Car

To access over 5 1/2 miles of beach is easy.  Let's start at the heart of Long Beach. You can access the beach by going to Marina Green Park off of Shoreline Drive, or continue driving to Bluff Park at the corner of Ocean Blvd. and Junipero Avenue or proceed on Ocean Blvd. towards the peninsula and park in one of many parking lots available for the beachgoer.

By shuttle

Long Beach Transit

1963 E. Anaheim Street
Long Beach, CA 90813
562-591-8753

It is possible to conquer Long Beach without a car. Catch the convenient Passport shuttle, which runs approximately every 5-10 minutes. It’s free in the Downtown area and transports visitors to all of the must-see Long Beach attractions, including the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, Shoreline Village, and Pine Avenue.

Take advantage of the city's bright red Passport Shuttle, a "free" transportation system that offers service to major Long Beach attractions. The new Purple Pine Avenue Link is also a "free" service from downtown to the Convention Center, Shoreline Village and the Aquarium of the Pacific. Or, let the Passport Tour D'Art whisk you quickly to downtown's cultural spots.

By Water Taxi

Long Beach Transit and Catalina Express

562-591-2301

Service frequency is every 90 minutes

Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 5:40 p.m.

Fares Charged

Or visit us at the Transit Information Center on First Street and Promenade

You can hop on board the Aquabus between the downtown waterfront attractions such as the Aquarium of The Pacific and the Queen Mary. For a high-speed trip to the south end of Long Beach, you can catch the Aqualink, the link between downtown and Alamitos Bay.

The AquaBus is the red 40-foot harbor shuttle in Queensway Bay connecting the Queen Mary / Catalina Express, the Coast Hotel, Catalina Landing, The Aquarium of the Pacific, Pine Avenue Circle at the Pike, and Shoreline Village. Service frequency is hourly and hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Children 2 years and under ride free.

National Holidays

New Year's Day: Jan. 1

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day: 3rd Mon. in Jan.

President's Day:  3rd Mon. in Feb.

Memorial Day: last Mon. in May

Independence Day: July 4

Labor Day: 1st Mon. in Sept.

Thanksgiving Day:  4th Thurs. in Nov.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Dec. 24 and 25

New Year's Eve: Dec. 31