Origin
Walnut Creek, CA
Late night in Walnut Creek on Friday
Local time
12:47 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Walnut Creek, CA to Fremont, CA
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
45m
Distance
34.6 mi
56 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
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
This straightforward 34.6-mile drive from Walnut Creek, CA to Fremont, CA is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 45 minutes. You'll primarily navigate local roads, including the Donald D. Doyle Highway, Fremont Boulevard, and Senator Daniel E. Boatwright Highway, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $8. Given its short duration and local road nature, this route is best suited for a quick transit between these two Pacific Coast communities in California, offering a direct connection without the need for an overnight stay.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 34.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for the entirety of this 34.6-mile journey. With a 0% highway share, you'll be on surface streets for the full 45-minute duration. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 29.6 miles along the Donald D. Doyle Highway, offering a relatively uninterrupted section before transitioning to other local roads. This route's character is defined by its urban and suburban environment, demanding your attention for frequent turns and traffic signals rather than offering long, open stretches.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Donald D Doyle Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 29.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Ygnacio Valley Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 34.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Ygnacio Valley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (I 680 / Donald D Doyle Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 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
|
Ygnacio Valley Road
Turn right onto Ygnacio Valley Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward I 680 South: San Jose
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 680 South: San Jose
6
3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 680 / Donald D Doyle Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 680 / Donald D Doyle Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
31.3 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward Washington Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 15
Toward Washington Boulevard
6
31.5 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
Washington Boulevard
Turn right onto Washington Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Donald D Doyle Highway | 29.6 mi | 34m |
| Fremont Boulevard | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Washington Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Ygnacio Valley Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Mowry Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Donald D Doyle Highway
— 29.6 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Walnut Creek, CA and Fremont, CA.
1
Start on North Main Street
94 ft
·
4 sec
·
North Main Street
2
Turn right onto Ygnacio Valley Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Ygnacio Valley Road
Use the right lane.
3
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 680 South: San Jose
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto I 680
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on I 680
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Donald D Doyle Highway
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 680
28 mi
·
32 min
·
Donald D Doyle Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Exit 15
Toward Washington Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn right onto Washington Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Washington Boulevard
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on Fremont Boulevard
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Fremont Boulevard
10
Turn left onto Mowry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
Mowry Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on Mowry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Mowry Avenue
Use the left lane.
12
Arrive at destination
Mowry Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.3 mi from Walnut Creek, CA · 20m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 34.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.3 miles from Walnut Creek, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Fremont, CA
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Fremont, CA if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.95 one way
$15.91 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.20 | $16.39 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.41 | $16.83 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.64 | $15.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.63 | $1.66 |
| Efficient EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.03 | $1.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.84 | $2.21 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Fremont, CA
Late night in Fremont on Friday
Local time
12:47 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°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.
Temperature spread
15 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
45m 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 Walnut Creek, CA to Fremont, CA covers 34.6 miles and takes about 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Donald D Doyle Highway, Fremont Boulevard, Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.3 miles from Walnut Creek, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.95 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 8 decision points packed into just 34.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Ygnacio Valley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (I 680 / Donald D Doyle Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Walnut Creek, CA to Fremont, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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.
Data sources
The figures on this page are computed from open government and mapping datasets, not crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Full methodology, refresh cadence, and limitations are documented on the methodology page.
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