Photo: Jengod, CC BY-SA 4.0
Aquarium · 28 min south
Aquarium of the Pacific
Sea lions, sharks, jellyfish and a lorikeet forest in Long Beach.
- 2-3 hrs
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Day Trippin' › California › From Los Angeles › Within 3 hours
Places within 3 hours of Los Angeles
173 places are worth the drive within 3 hours of Los Angeles, counted by road time from ZIP 90012: 53 under 1 hour, 80 1 to 2 hours and 40 2 to 3 hours.
The mix leans toward history, hikes and beaches & lakes, mostly to the southeast and east. Three hours each way makes a long day trip, or an easy overnight if you would rather not drive back the same day.
The headline places are Aquarium of the Pacific, Queen Mary and Disneyland Park, and the closest real day trip is Knott's Soak City (25 min).
Map: places within 3 hours of Los Angeles
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Under 1 hour from Los Angeles 53 places
Photo: Boris Dzhingarov, CC BY 2.0
Theme park · 29 min southeast
Disneyland Park
The original Disney park with classic rides and character meetups.
- Full day
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0
State park · 49 min southeast
Crystal Cove State Park
Beach, tide pools and coastal bluff trails with historic cottages.
- Half day
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Diana Nuttman, CC BY-SA 3.0
Historic site · 53 min southeast
Mission San Juan Capistrano
A historic mission with gardens, the Great Stone Church ruins and swallows legend.
- 2 hrs
- Open daily (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0
Beach · 51 min southeast
Laguna Beach Main Beach
A pretty cove beach in a classic art town with basketball and sand volleyball.
- Half day
- Year-round
- Free; parking is paid
Photo: Contributor19, CC BY 4.0
Family fun · 29 min southeast
Downtown Disney District
Free shops, restaurants and shows outside the park gates.
- 2 hrs
- Year-round
- Free to enter
More under 1 hour from Los Angeles, by type
- Hikes
- Will Rogers State Historic Park (27 min), Placerita Canyon Natural Area (32 min), Terranea and Palos Verdes Coastal Trails (32 min), Topanga State Park (33 min), Malibu Creek State Park (36 min), Chino Hills State Park (38 min), Solstice Canyon (40 min), Icehouse Canyon Trail (52 min) and 5 more
- History
- Getty Villa (26 min), Rancho Los Cerritos (26 min), Queen Mary (29 min), Bowers Museum (31 min), Point Vicente Lighthouse and Interpretive Center (37 min), Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum (37 min), Paramount Ranch and Peter Strauss Ranch (38 min), Planes of Fame Air Museum (42 min) and 3 more
- Beaches & lakes
- Cabrillo Beach and Marine Aquarium (30 min), Malibu Lagoon State Beach (34 min), Huntington Beach Pier and Downtown (41 min), Newport Beach and Balboa Pier (49 min), Leo Carrillo State Park (55 min), Doheny State Beach (1 hr)
- Small towns
- Long Beach Shoreline Village and Rainbow Harbor (28 min), Balboa Island and Ferry (47 min), Mount Baldy Village (48 min), Dana Point Harbor (58 min)
- Biking
- Yorba Linda Santa Ana River Trail (38 min), Santa Ana River Trail (43 min), Newport Back Bay Loop (49 min)
- Theme & water parks
- Knott's Soak City (25 min), Six Flags Magic Mountain (37 min)
- Wildlife
- Santa Ana Zoo (34 min), Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve (37 min)
- Family fun
- Orange County Great Park (43 min), Irvine Regional Park (44 min)
- Mountains & views
- Mount Wilson Observatory (47 min) and 1 more
1 to 2 hours from Los Angeles 80 places
Photo: shadowhound, CC BY-SA 2.0
Small town · 1 hr 26 min east
Lake Arrowhead Village
A lakeside village with shops, restaurants and a pretty mountain setting. Good for a relaxed lunch.
- Half day
- Year-round
- Free to visit
Photo: Coolcaesar, CC BY-SA 3.0
Theme park · 1 hr 30 min southeast
LEGOLAND California
A theme park in Carlsbad built for kids ages 2 to 12, with rides, shows and a water park.
- Full day
- Check calendar; some weekdays closed
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Mfield, Matthew Field, http://www.photography.mattfield.com, CC BY-SA 3.0
Landmark · 1 hr 45 min east
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
A rotating tram car lifts you from desert floor to cool alpine forest in about ten minutes.
- Half day
- Year-round; annual maintenance closure in fall (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Takinzinnia, CC0
Zoo · 1 hr 49 min southeast
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
A big wildlife park in Escondido with African savannah areas and a tram or safari tour.
- Full day
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: H.G. Judd, CC BY-SA 3.0
Lake · 1 hr 41 min east
Big Bear Lake
A mountain lake with boating, fishing, paddleboards and a lively village. Snow play in winter.
- Full day
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Daderot at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Garden · 1 hr 34 min southeast
San Diego Botanic Garden
A large garden in Encinitas with themed areas, a bamboo forest and a children's garden.
- 2-3 hrs
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
More 1 to 2 hours from Los Angeles, by type
- History
- March Field Air Museum (1 hr 3 min), Ventura Pier (1 hr 6 min), Mission San Buenaventura (1 hr 7 min), Orange Empire Railway Museum (1 hr 14 min), Oceanside Pier and Harbor (1 hr 20 min), Mission San Luis Rey de Francia (1 hr 24 min), Cabazon Dinosaurs (1 hr 25 min), Stearns Wharf (1 hr 32 min) and 14 more
- Beaches & lakes
- Lake Elsinore (1 hr 10 min), Lake Perris State Recreation Area (1 hr 13 min), Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area (1 hr 15 min), Lake Gregory Regional Park (1 hr 17 min), Carpinteria State Beach (1 hr 23 min), East Beach Santa Barbara (1 hr 31 min), Torrey Pines State Beach (1 hr 41 min), La Jolla Cove (1 hr 50 min) and 4 more
- Hikes
- Mount Baldy and Baldy Notch (1 hr 4 min), Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve (1 hr 17 min), Whitewater Preserve (1 hr 44 min), Indian Canyons (1 hr 46 min), Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail (1 hr 51 min), Daley Ranch (1 hr 51 min), Mount San Jacinto State Park (1 hr 53 min), Red Rock Canyon State Park (1 hr 54 min) and 3 more
- Small towns
- Ventura Harbor Village (1 hr 6 min), Old Town Temecula (1 hr 22 min), Carlsbad Village (1 hr 23 min), Ojai Valley (1 hr 24 min), Encinitas (1 hr 33 min), Idyllwild (1 hr 47 min), Pioneertown (1 hr 57 min)
- Wildlife
- Santa Barbara Zoo (1 hr 31 min), Big Morongo Canyon Preserve (1 hr 39 min), Birch Aquarium at Scripps (1 hr 46 min), Big Bear Alpine Zoo (1 hr 52 min), The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (1 hr 57 min) and 2 more
2 to 3 hours from Los Angeles 40 places
Photo: Blervis, CC0
National park · 2 hr 2 min southeast
Cabrillo National Monument
A historic lighthouse and tide pools at Point Loma with a big view over San Diego bay.
- 2-3 hrs
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Allie_Caulfield, CC BY 2.0
Small town · 2 hr 9 min west
Solvang
Danish-style village with bakeries, windmills and shops in the Santa Ynez Valley.
- 3-5 hrs
- Year-round
- Free
Photo: William Henry Jackson, Public domain
Beach · 2 hr 2 min southeast
Coronado Beach and Hotel del Coronado
A wide sandy beach in front of a famous Victorian hotel, with calm water and tide pools.
- Half day
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Historic site · 2 hr 8 min west
Santa Barbara Mission
Large, elegant mission church often called the Queen of the Missions.
- 1-2 hrs
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: --Microsomen 17:11, 31 May 2005 (UTC), CC BY 2.0
Food town · 2 hr 24 min southeast
Julian
An old gold-mining mountain town known for apple pie, cider and fall color.
- Full day
- Year-round; busy in fall
- Free to visit
Photo: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hike · 2 hr 26 min east
Barker Dam
A loop to an old dam with petroglyphs and sometimes water that draws birds.
- 1-2 hrs
- Best Oct-Apr
- See the official site for current fees
More 2 to 3 hours from Los Angeles, by type
- Hikes
- Potato Chip Rock via Mount Woodson (2 hr 2 min), Gaviota State Park (2 hr 5 min), Palomar Mountain State Park (2 hr 10 min), Oasis of Mara (2 hr 20 min), Cottonwood Spring Oasis (2 hr 30 min), Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (2 hr 31 min), Laguna Mountains Recreation Area (2 hr 40 min), Hidden Valley Nature Trail (2 hr 46 min) and 3 more
- Beaches & lakes
- Imperial Beach Pier (2 hr 9 min), Catalina Island Avalon (2 hr 12 min), Anacapa Island Day Trip (2 hr 51 min), Santa Cruz Island Day Trip (2 hr 51 min), Lake Isabella (2 hr 52 min), Pismo Beach Pier and Monarch Grove (2 hr 57 min), Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (2 hr 58 min)
- History
- Mission Santa Ines (2 hr 9 min), La Purisima Mission State Historic Park (2 hr 27 min), Maturango Museum (2 hr 28 min), Trona Pinnacles (2 hr 49 min), Borrego Springs Sculptures (2 hr 50 min)
- Small towns
- Santa Ysabel (2 hr 14 min), Lompoc Murals and Flower Fields (2 hr 25 min), Kernville (2 hr 43 min), Kingsburg (2 hr 59 min)
- Food & wine
- Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country (2 hr 7 min), Los Olivos (2 hr 8 min), Edna Valley Wine Country (2 hr 59 min)
- Mountains & views
- Keys View (2 hr 34 min), Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (2 hr 36 min)
- Wildlife
- Kern National Wildlife Refuge (2 hr 36 min)
- Family fun
- Mooney Grove Park (2 hr 44 min)
Questions about places within 3 hours of Los Angeles
What are the best places within 3 hours of Los Angeles?
Our picks, by drive time, include Aquarium of the Pacific (28 min), Disneyland Park (29 min), Crystal Cove State Park (49 min), Mission San Juan Capistrano (53 min) and Laguna Beach Main Beach (51 min). The full list on this page has 173 places, each with its drive time and direction from Los Angeles.
How many places are within 3 hours of Los Angeles?
133 places within 2 hours, 173 within 3 hours and 210 within 4 hours of Los Angeles, by road from ZIP 90012.
Are there free places within 3 hours of Los Angeles?
52 of the 173 places need no pass or fee, such as East Beach Santa Barbara, Lompoc Murals and Flower Fields and Pismo Beach Pier and Monarch Grove. Fees and passes change, so check each place before you go.
What can I do with kids within 3 hours of Los Angeles?
150 places are marked good for kids, including Carpinteria State Beach, East Beach Santa Barbara and Gaviota State Park.
How are the drive times worked out?
They are by real roads on a typical day, from the middle of ZIP 90012 to each place (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Traffic, weather and closures can change them. Places under 25 minutes from the city center count as in town, not a day trip, so they are left out.
Can I see places within 3 hours of my own home?
Yes. Type your ZIP code into Day Trippin' and it shows everything by drive time. Your ZIP is used for that one search and is not saved.
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- Best small towns near Los Angeles
- Best history spots near Los Angeles
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.