Origin
Walnut Creek, CA
Afternoon in Walnut Creek on Saturday
Local time
1:11 PM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Walnut Creek, CA to Diamond, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
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 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
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 Walnut Creek, CA to Diamond, CA covers 16.3 miles and takes about 21m 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 mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.8 miles on CA 4. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.75 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 4 | 7.8 mi | 8m |
| CA 242 | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| Lawrence Way | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North California Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Railroad Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Civic Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Ygnacio Valley Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 4
— 7.8 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Walnut Creek, CA and Diamond, CA.
1
Start on North Main Street
94 ft
·
4 sec
·
North Main Street
2
Turn right onto Ygnacio Valley Road
466 ft
·
13 sec
·
Ygnacio Valley Road
Use the right lane.
3
Turn right onto North California Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
North California Boulevard
4
Turn straight onto Lawrence Way
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
Lawrence Way
5
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 680 North: Sacramento
6
Merge onto I 680
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 242
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
CA 242
Exit 50
Toward CA 242 North: Concord, Pittsburg
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto CA 4
7.8 mi
·
8 min
·
CA 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 23
Toward Railroad Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left onto Railroad Avenue
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
Railroad Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Turn left onto Civic Avenue
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
Civic Avenue
Use the left lane.
12
Turn left onto Dimaggio Avenue
97 ft
·
4 sec
·
Dimaggio Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
Dimaggio Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Ygnacio Valley Road
Turn right onto Ygnacio Valley Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 680 / Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Merge onto I 680 / Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
3.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
CA 242
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 242 toward CA 242 North: Concord, Pittsburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 50
Toward CA 242 North: Concord, Pittsburg
7
15.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward Railroad Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 23
Toward Railroad Avenue
6
16 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Civic Avenue
Turn left onto Civic Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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
Diamond, CA
Afternoon in Diamond on Saturday
Local time
1:11 PM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
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
21m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
16.3 mi in 21m, mostly highway — 7.8 mi of that is on CA 4.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.8 mi on CA 4.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 Ygnacio Valley Road.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
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 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Ygnacio Valley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (I 680 / Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles (CA 242): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Walnut Creek, CA to Diamond, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Pittsburg along the way.
Pittsburg
3.8 mi in
|
~6m
|
via CA 242
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 16.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.8 miles on CA 4. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Diamond, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Ygnacio Valley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (I 680 / Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles (CA 242): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (5 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Diamond, CA before heading back.
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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