Terminal 1 hosts 4 airlines across 11 gates. You'll find 8 dining options, 10 shops here.
Five minutes curb to gate is normal at LGB’s Main Terminal
The single Main Terminal at Long Beach (Terminal 1) handles all 11 gates for Alaska, Delta, Southwest, and American, and most of it sits at ground level around an open-air courtyard. You clear one central TSA checkpoint, walk straight past a few indoor hold rooms, then step outside into a patio ringed by palm trees and restaurants before heading across the ramp to board via stairs.
Layout: one horseshoe, open sky, and short walks
From the front curb on East Donald Douglas Drive to the furthest gate is roughly a 5–10 minute walk at a normal pace, with no shuttles or trains to think about. Security feeds into the middle of a U-shaped concourse, with gates spread around the horseshoe and most boarding done from the ramp instead of jetbridges. If you land on one side and depart the other, you’re usually talking about 5 minutes gate to gate.
Security timing and TSA PreCheck quirks
TSA lines here are usually quick enough that regulars show up 60–75 minutes before departure, and many locals with carry-on only cut it to about 45 minutes. There’s TSA PreCheck, but it often runs through the same single lane as standard screening, so priority helps with shoes and laptops more than with actual wait time. Early weekday mornings see a bit more crowding when several Southwest departures bunch up, but even then you’re rarely in line more than 15–20 minutes.
Courtyard vs gate seating
The outdoor courtyard just past security has noticeably more chairs and tables than the small indoor gate pens by individual doors, and regulars say it stays calmer before 8:00 a.m. Multiple power outlets and USB ports hide around the planters and near the central bar, while some gates have only a couple of wall plugs for the whole room. On busy banks, people spill from the packed gate areas back into the courtyard until boarding starts.
Food and drink: limited options, early closings
Inside Terminal 1 you’ll see a repeat cast of local names rather than big chains, all inside security around the courtyard and along the concourse. Sheldrake Coffee Roasting & Sweet Jill’s Bakery handles espresso, muffins, and pastries for the early flights, often selling out of some items before 10:00 a.m. Taco Beach Cantina and Long Beach Burger Bar cover quick tacos and burgers, while George’s Greek Cafe and Boathouse on the Bay lean more toward sit-down plates with local seafood and Mediterranean standards.
Where to grab a drink or snack
4th Street Vine Wine & Beer Bar sits on the courtyard edge pouring local California wines and craft beers into plastic cups you can take back to your table, with many glasses in the $10–$14 range. Travel@Ease Gifts and News and the 562 Experience gift shop both stock drinks, snacks, and Long Beach merch if you just want a bottled water and chips before boarding. If your flight leaves after about 8:30–9:00 p.m., several reviewers report finding kitchens closed or on limited menu, so eating in town first is usually smarter.
Shopping: small and local-heavy
Beyond Travel@Ease and 562 Experience, which are the main retail spots, you’re mostly looking at impulse buys tucked into the food outlets. 562 Experience pushes Long Beach-branded shirts, caps, and souvenirs at typical airport markups, with T-shirts often around $30. Newspapers, magazines, and basic travel items (chargers, neck pillows, basic meds) live at Travel@Ease, so you can still fix a forgotten cable or earphones without leaving security.
Boarding, mobility, and noise issues
Most of the 11 gates at LGB use roll-up doors that lead straight onto the ramp, followed by metal stairs or a ramp to the aircraft, and several reviews complain this is awkward with heavy roller bags. Rain days draw the most gripes, since you may get damp walking 50–100 feet to the plane with no jetbridge cover. The open-air design also means PA announcements echo through the courtyard and it can be hard to hear group numbers if you’re sitting far from your actual gate door.
What regulars actually do here
Flyers who use LGB often build a 60-minute buffer from curb drop to departure time, upgrade to 75 minutes if they need to check bags with Southwest or American, and then camp at a courtyard table near outlets until boarding is called. Many locals eat along Lakewood Boulevard or in downtown Long Beach beforehand because they find terminal food both limited and pricey, especially for breakfast. With the horseshoe layout and short walks, connections inside LGB are low stress, but if rain is in the forecast, plan an extra few minutes for slow ramp boarding.
One last tip
If your boarding pass shows Alaska, Delta, Southwest, or American out of Long Beach, check the weather and your footwear before you leave; with almost all gates at Terminal 1 using outdoor boarding, slip-on shoes and a light jacket make those 2–3 minutes on the tarmac much less annoying.