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
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Walnut Creek, CA
Wikimedia Commons
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn right onto West 17th Street
Navigation decision point
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
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
Keep slight right at fork toward North Main Street South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto North Main Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
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
Main Street South
| 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 |
Step-by-step road directions between Diamond, CA and Walnut Creek, CA.
Start on Dimaggio Avenue
Turn right onto West 17th Street
Continue on Civic Avenue
Turn right onto Railroad Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto CA 4
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 242
Merge onto I 680
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto North Main Street
Keep slight left at fork onto North Main Street
Arrive at destination
Regular Gas
$3.75 one way
$7.49 round trip
| 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Diamond on Saturday
Local time
4:54 AM
PDT
Current temp
48°F
Partly Cloudy
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 18 at 1:22AM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Destination
Late night in Walnut Creek on Saturday
Local time
4:54 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
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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