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City guide

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 450,469 as of 2025.

Type CityPopulation 450,469

Why go

  • City in California, United States.
  • 1 recommended spot to eat and drink.
  • Served by Long Beach Airport (LGB).

History

Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 450,469 as of 2025. A charter city, Long Beach is the 7th-most populous city in California, the 2nd-most populous city in Los Angeles County, and the largest city in California that is not a county seat.

Eat & drink

Restaurant — 777 Deep Valley Dr, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
Indoor

Airports

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 18 mi to the centre
Los Angeles, CA, US — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 62 airlines (United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways…) · direct flights to 149 destinations incl. London, Atlanta, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Tokyo… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 62 airlines, 149 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
John Wayne Airport Orange County (SNA) 18 mi to the centre
Santa Ana, CA, US — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 13 airlines (Southwest Airlines, AirTran Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines…) · direct flights to 21 destinations incl. Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves Los Angeles (34 mi) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 13 airlines, 21 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Long Beach Airport (LGB) 1.7 mi to the centre
4100 Donald Douglas Dr, Long Beach, CA 90808 — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 5 airlines (JetBlue Airways, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines…) · direct flights to 12 destinations incl. Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Austin… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves Riverside (44 mi) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 5 airlines, 12 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR) 14 mi to the centre
Hawthorne, CA, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) 23 mi to the centre
Santa Monica, CA, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
Compton Woodley Airport (CPM) 8.6 mi to the centre
Compton, CA, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Aquarium Dock 4
Ferry terminal · 3 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Shoreline Village Dock 9
Ferry terminal · 3 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Catalina Express Long Beach Downtown Landing
Ferry terminal · 3.2 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Catalina Express
Ferry terminal · 3.2 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Queen Mary
Ferry terminal · 3.4 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Alamitos Bay Landing Berth 3
Ferry terminal · 3.7 mi from the centre
Outdoor
Aquabus
Ferry route · Long Beach Transit
Outdoor
Aqualink
Ferry route · Long Beach Transit
Outdoor
Long Beach - Two Harbors
Ferry route · Catalina Express
Outdoor
Long Beach - Avalon
Ferry route · Catalina Express
Outdoor
San Pedro - Two Harbors
Ferry route · Catalina Express
Outdoor
San Pedro - Avalon
Ferry route · Catalina Express
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Long Beach Airport (LGB). Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: LGB has direct flights to 12 destinations on 5 airlines (incl. Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Austin…). By water: 6 ferry terminals within 12 mi (nearest: Aquarium Dock 4, 3 mi); routes include Aquabus, Aqualink, Long Beach - Two Harbors.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Long Beach, California. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Local transit

Metro, Rail · Los Angeles, California · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)
Bus · Long Beach, California · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)
Bus · California · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)
Bus · San Diego, California · Schedules & GTFS data

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Fractional, jet card · Embraer Phenom 300, Challenger 350 · Fractional and jet card programme centred on the US Midwest and East.
Charter, shared flights · Light to large-cabin via partner fleet · Vista Global's on-demand charter and by-the-seat shared flights, app-based.
Semi-private scheduled · Embraer 135/145, 30 seats · Scheduled "hop-on" jet service from private terminals in the western US and Texas — no TSA lines.
Fractional, jet card · Cessna Citation, Embraer Phenom, Bombardier Challenger & Global · The largest private-jet operator in the world; fractional shares and the NetJets card, US and Europe.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.