Origin
Diamond, CA
Late night in Diamond on Saturday
Local time
1:54 AM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from Diamond, CA to Walnut Creek, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
16.3 mi
26 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 19m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Walnut Creek, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Diamond, CA to Walnut Creek, CA covers 16.3 miles and takes about 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CA 4, CA 242, Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.1 miles on CA 4. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.75 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 16.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (72%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 20m highway drive covering 16.3 miles, with most of the trip on CA 4 and CA 242. The longest continuous stretch is about 7.1 miles on CA 4.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
CA 4 is the longest continuous segment at about 7.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 4 and CA 242. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 17th Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 16.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 17th Street): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles (CA 242): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 17th Street
Turn right onto West 17th Street
Navigation decision point
8
8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
CA 242
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 242 toward CA 242: Oakland, Concord
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward CA 242: Oakland, Concord
8
15 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward North Main Street, Walnut Creek
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 47
Toward North Main Street, Walnut Creek
7
15.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward North Main Street South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward North Main Street South
6
16 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
North Main Street
Keep slight left at fork onto North Main Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Diamond, CA and Walnut Creek, CA, road signs point toward Concord and Main Street South.
Concord
8 mi in
|
~10m
|
via CA 242
Main Street South
15.3 mi in
|
~18m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 4 | 7.1 mi | 8m |
| CA 242 | 4.6 mi | 4m |
| Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| North Main Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Civic Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Railroad Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 17th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Dimaggio Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 4
— 7.1 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Diamond, CA and Walnut Creek, CA.
1
Start on Dimaggio Avenue
97 ft
·
6 sec
·
Dimaggio Avenue
2
Turn right onto West 17th Street
260 ft
·
11 sec
·
West 17th Street
3
Continue on Civic Avenue
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Civic Avenue
4
Turn right onto Railroad Avenue
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Railroad Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
Toward CA 4 West: Hercules
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto CA 4
7.1 mi
·
8 min
·
CA 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 242
4.6 mi
·
4 min
·
CA 242
Toward CA 242: Oakland, Concord
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 680
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 47
Toward North Main Street, Walnut Creek
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward North Main Street South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn straight onto North Main Street
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the left / uturn / straight / right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the straight lane.
13
Arrive at destination
North Main Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.75 one way
$7.49 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $3.86 | $7.72 |
| premium | $6.18 | $3.96 | $7.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.60 | $7.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Walnut Creek, CA
Late night in Walnut Creek on Saturday
Local time
1:54 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Road read
20m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Diamond, CA to Walnut Creek, CA covers 16.3 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are CA 4, CA 242, Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.1 miles from Diamond, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.75 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 16.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 17th Street): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles (CA 242): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Diamond, CA and Walnut Creek, CA, road signs point toward Concord and Main Street South.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. There are 5 parks within detour distance of this route.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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