Los Angeles International Airport to Port of Long Beach
Getting from Los Angeles International Airport to Port of Long Beach — 30-75 min, 25 miles
CruiseDayGuide · Updated August 11, 2026 · sources checked August 11, 2026
LAX has the flights, Long Beach has the ship, and the 23 miles between them run through some of the worst traffic in the country. What that transfer costs depends far more on when you land than on which mode you pick, so both are priced here.
LAX to the Long Beach Cruise Terminal, mode by mode
Each figure below was read on the operator's own page on the date shown in the sources at the foot of this page. The terminal's own site puts the airport 23 miles away; the badge above quotes 25 for the usual I-405 and I-710 routing.
| How you travel | Price as published | Time and distance | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uber or Lyft | Price as publishedNo published fare — both price by demand at the moment you book | Time and distance30-75 min, 23 miles, door to door | What the source saysThe variable is the freeway, not the mode: the same trip runs 30 minutes clear and over an hour on a weekday afternoon. |
| Taxi | Price as publishedMetered — no flat fare published for this route on the check date | Time and distance30-75 min, 23 miles, door to door | What the source saysThe terminal's own information page publishes no taxi fare, and we found no Long Beach flat rate to read at the source. |
| Metro rail plus the free LAX shuttle | Price as published$1.75 regular Metro fare, transfers free within two hours when you tap | Time and distanceThe slowest option, and the one that hates luggage | What the source saysThe free LAX shuttle leaves Bus Bays 1 and 2 every 10 minutes and stops at every terminal. Take the C Line from LAX/Metro Transit Center, then transfer to the A Line, which ends in Long Beach. |
| Long Beach Transit, for the last leg | Price as published$1.25 single ride, $4 day pass | Time and distanceDowntown Long Beach to the terminal is roughly two miles | What the source saysLong Beach Transit publishes its fares, but we could not confirm a published route to the terminal itself on the check date. Plan the last two miles separately. |
| Rental car | Price as publishedNot published — rates move by company, date and drop-off | Time and distance30-75 min, 23 miles on the I-405 south to the I-710 south | What the source saysAdd terminal parking at $23 per day if you keep the car for the sailing rather than dropping it back at the airport. |
| Your own car | Price as published$23 per day in the terminal garage | Time and distance30-75 min, 23 miles on the I-405 south to the I-710 south | What the source says231 Windsor Way. The terminal's published directions are the I-405 south to the I-710 south, which ends at the port complex. |
| Airport shuttle sold by the terminal | Price as publishedNone published | Time and distance— | What the source saysThe terminal's own information page names no shuttle or transfer service from LAX or from Long Beach Airport. Cruise lines that sell transfers price them inside their own booking flow. |
marks a row we read on the operator’s or the airport’s own page during the source check — including the rows where that page turns out to publish no price at all. Neither the rideshare apps nor a regulated flat fare covers this route, so no range is shown for either — a number we cannot read at the source is left out rather than approximated.
Transfer Options
Hotel Shuttle Services
Several Long Beach hotels offer Park & Cruise packages that include one night, parking for the duration of your cruise, and a shuttle to the terminal. The Cove Hotel and Residence Inn Downtown are the most popular options.
The Cove Hotel's package states one night plus free parking for up to seven nights while you sail, with transportation to and from the terminal included — that is the clearest set of inclusions published nearby. The Queen Mary's Stay and Cruise package is the trap: it does not include parking during your sailing, which is sold separately. Verify shuttle departure times when you book, since most run on a schedule rather than on demand, and price any package against $23 a day in the terminal garage plus the room.
Uber/Lyft from Anywhere
Rideshare is widely available throughout Long Beach and greater LA. The terminal has a designated drop-off area. Pricing varies wildly depending on where you're coming from and LA traffic conditions.
Check prices the night before and again in the morning — surge pricing on embarkation days (especially Saturdays) is real. Coming from LAX, there is no published fare to compare against, so take the app's estimate and weigh it against the meter on a taxi. For groups of 3+, UberXL usually beats buying seats one at a time.
From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX is about 25 miles north of the cruise terminal — 30-75 min by car depending on traffic. Without traffic that's 30-40 minutes; with typical LA congestion on the 405 and 710, budget the full 75. The terminal's own site measures the same trip at 23 miles and sends you down the I-405 to the I-710.
If your flight lands after 3 PM on a weekday you'll hit peak rush hour and the ride can take 90+ minutes — book an early flight, or stay overnight near LAX or in Long Beach. The terminal's own information page names no airport shuttle, so if you want a transfer arranged, check whether your cruise line sells one before you land.
Driving & Port Parking
The terminal is at 231 Windsor Way, right next to the Queen Mary. Take I-710 South, exit at Harbor Scenic Drive (Exit 1A), and follow it all the way to the end. At the Queen Mary entrance, stay far right for the cruise terminal lane. The parking garage is $23/day.
The garage has a strict 7-foot height limit, and the terminal separately turns away any vehicle that uses more than one space — so a roof box, a shell, a hitch bike rack or an RV is out. If your vehicle is anywhere near either line, call 800-764-7419 before you book: the local off-site lots refuse RVs too, and the nearest facility that takes them serves a different port about 25 minutes away. Drop luggage and passengers at the terminal curbside before parking; the garage is at the terminal address itself, so it is a short walk back.
Long Beach Transit
Long Beach Transit runs the Passport shuttle on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, which is free and connects downtown Long Beach to the waterfront area near the terminal. The AquaBus water taxi also connects Shoreline Village to the Queen Mary area for $1.
The Passport shuttle doesn't go directly to the cruise terminal — you'll still need to walk or grab a short rideshare from the Queen Mary area. Fine if you're traveling light, but not practical with heavy luggage.
Questions people ask about this route
How much is an Uber from LAX to the Long Beach cruise terminal?
Neither Uber nor Lyft publishes a fare for this run, and we found no flat taxi rate for it either, so the meter and the freeway decide. The 23 miles down the I-405 and I-710 take about 30 minutes clear and over an hour on a weekday afternoon.
What is the cheapest way to get from LAX to Long Beach?
Metro, if you have the time and light bags. The free LAX shuttle leaves Bus Bays 1 and 2 every 10 minutes, the C Line and then the A Line costs $1.75 with free transfers for two hours, and Long Beach Transit charges $1.25 for the last leg.
How far is LAX from the Long Beach cruise terminal?
Twenty-three miles by the terminal's own reckoning, to 231 Windsor Way. Its published directions are the I-405 south to the I-710 south, which ends at the port complex. Budget 30 to 75 minutes, because the distance never changes and the traffic always does.
Is there a shuttle from LAX to the Long Beach cruise terminal?
Not one the terminal publishes. Its own information page names no shuttle or transfer service from LAX or from Long Beach Airport. Cruise lines that sell airport transfers quote them inside their booking flow, so check there before assuming a shuttle will be waiting.
How do I get from the Long Beach cruise terminal back to LAX?
Reverse the outbound and leave more room. Debarkation puts a whole ship on one curb inside an hour, and the I-710 and I-405 north are the same congested stretch. For a flight before noon, arrange the car the night before rather than opening an app on the pier.
Where these figures come from
- cruisesfromlongbeach.com — Cruise Terminals, directions and parking · read August 11, 2026
- metro.net — Go Metro to LAX · read August 11, 2026
- metro.net — C Line · read August 11, 2026
- ridelbt.com — Fares · read August 11, 2026
Published fares, shuttle windows and parking rates change without notice. We date every figure we take from an operator so you can tell how fresh it is, and we leave one out entirely rather than repeat a number we could not read at the source. Reconfirm anything time-sensitive before you travel.
Local Tip
Rideshare pickup at LAX is the LAX-it lot, reached by a free shuttle from every terminal — it is not curbside, so budget extra time to find the shuttle stop. Carnival's official shuttle runs a scheduled departure tied to the boarding window, not on demand, so confirm your pickup time when you book. LAX is a major international gateway — budget 60-90 minutes for immigration and customs before you even reach the shuttle to LAX-it. If you are flying in from outside the US, sort your entry authorization before you book: most visa-waiver travelers need an approved ESTA, it is not issued at the airport, and without one the airline will not board you. Apply through the official CBP site at esta.cbp.dhs.gov — never a paid intermediary.
Once you arrive, find your terminal:
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