Back
Highway 1: Malibu to Point Mugu, Malibu Coast, California
Photo: King of Hearts · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped

Drives California Los Angeles

Highway 1: Malibu to Point Mugu

Pacific Coast Highway, CA 1 · Malibu → Point Mugu

Leisurely23 mi30 min1,700 ft climbHigh point ≈ 200 ftOne way
Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.
Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

Drive this road
in the appOpen

The drive

This is the Malibu coast on Pacific Coast Highway, heading west from the middle of Malibu to Point Mugu. Near the start it passes Zuma Beach, one of the largest and most popular beaches in Los Angeles County, and Point Dume, the headland just southeast of it.

West of Zuma, the city thins out and the road runs along the bluffs past small coves to Leo Carrillo State Park and over the county line into Ventura County. Neptune's Net, a seafood stop from 1956, sits across from County Line Beach. Then it's Point Mugu State Park, five miles of beaches, dunes and rocky bluffs at the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains.

The drive ends just past Mugu Rock, where the highway cuts between the rock and the mountain. The road was first blasted around the point in the 1920s; today Mugu Rock is a familiar sight from film shoots and TV commercials.

Along the way

  1. Malibu (Webb Way)
  2. Neptune's Net
  3. Point Mugu
Elevation
1,700 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 200 ft
MalibuPoint Mugu
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
MalibuPoint Mugu
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Malibu has installed speed cameras along PCH in the city, ticketing drivers 11 mph or more over the limit.
  • Traffic is heavy through Malibu, especially on summer weekends; it's quieter west of Zuma.
  • Point Mugu State Park charges a day-use fee per vehicle for its beach parking.
  • Through trucks with four or more axles are banned on PCH through Malibu, from Topanga Canyon Boulevard to Decker Road.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Caltrans highway conditions: Highway 1.

Questions about this drive

How long does it take to drive PCH from Malibu to Point Mugu?

Highway 1 from Malibu to Point Mugu is 23 miles and takes about 30 minutes without traffic or stops.

Are there speed cameras on PCH in Malibu?

Yes. Malibu has installed speed cameras at several spots on Pacific Coast Highway, which ticket drivers going 11 mph or more over the limit.

What is Mugu Rock?

Mugu Rock is the rocky point at the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains where Highway 1 cuts between the rock and the hillside, at Point Mugu State Park.

Is PCH from Malibu to Point Mugu twisty?

No. Highway 1 between Malibu and Point Mugu is mostly gentle curves along the coast; it's a drive for the beaches and views rather than corners.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp StoreEarly access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 126 drives in California ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route
Map of Highway 1: Malibu to Point Mugu, from Malibu to Point Mugu