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Trip from Oakland, CA to Byron, CA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 3m

Distance

51.3 mi

83 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$12

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
0h 58m ★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 14m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 0m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Download GPX
city and county seat of Alameda County, California, United States

Oakland, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Byron, CA, CA

Byron, CA

Tori Pezzulla❤️

Trip Overview

This straightforward 51.3-mile drive from Oakland, CA, to Byron, CA, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 3 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day adventure, requiring no overnight stays. You'll primarily be navigating CA 4, which includes the Caldecott Tunnel and Grove Shafter Freeway, making it a highway-focused experience. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $12. Given that both your origin and destination are within the Pacific Coast region, you won't be crossing any major geographical or climate zones, ensuring a consistent travel environment. This route is ideal for those seeking an efficient and uncomplicated drive.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
CA 4 23 mi 26m
Caldecott Tunnel 9.8 mi 11m
Grove Shafter Freeway 4.6 mi 5m
CA 242 3.9 mi 4m
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway 3.8 mi 4m
Vasco Road 3.4 mi 4m
Camino Diablo 1.6 mi 3m
14th Street 0.4 mi 1m
Longest stretch: CA 4 — 23 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Oakland, CA and Byron, CA.

1

Start on 14th Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · 14th Street
2

Turn right onto Castro Street

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Castro Street
3

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Toward I 980 East, CA 24: Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Hayward
4

Merge onto I 980

0.4 mi · 25 sec · John B. Williams Freeway
5

Continue on I 980

4.5 mi · 5 min · Grove Shafter Freeway
Toward CA 24: Berkeley, Walnut Creek Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork onto CA 24

0.2 mi · 13 sec · Grove Shafter Freeway
7

Continue on CA 24

9.8 mi · 11 min · Caldecott Tunnel
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Merge onto I 680

3.8 mi · 4 min · Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

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.
10

Merge onto CA 4

15 mi · 17 min · CA 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto CA 4

8.0 mi · 9 min · CA 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Continue on Vasco Road

3.4 mi · 4 min · Vasco Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
13

Turn left onto Camino Diablo

1.6 mi · 3 min · Camino Diablo
14

Turn right onto J4

158 ft · 8 sec · Byron Highway
15

Turn left

17 ft · 1 sec
16

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Contra Costa County, California, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Walnut Creek, CA

26 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

Lafayette, CA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Bay Point, CA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25.7 miles from Oakland, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 38.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward I 980 East, CA 24: Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Hayward

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 980 East, CA 24: Walnut Creek, San Fra...
5
15.6 mi into trip | ~19m 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
19.4 mi into trip | ~24m 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
5
23.3 mi into trip | ~28m in | CA 4

Merge onto CA 4

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
38.3 mi into trip | ~45m in | CA 4

Keep slight left at fork onto CA 4

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$11.79 one way

$23.58 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $12.15 $24.30
premium $6.18 $12.48 $24.95
diesel $5.61 $11.33 $22.65

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.4 0 $5.39 $2.46
Efficient EV 12.8 0 $4.49 $2.05
EV Truck/SUV 20.5 0 $7.18 $3.28

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Oakland, CA

Late night in Oakland on Sunday

Local time

12:48 AM

PDT

Current temp

51°F

Clear

N 7 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 12:31AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 12:31AM PDT until April 17 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Las Vegas NV

Destination

Byron, CA

Late night in Byron on Sunday

Local time

12:48 AM

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

1h 3m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a highway-centric journey for 62% of this 51.3-mile trip. The route is largely defined by CA 4, offering a consistent driving experience for extended periods, including a significant 23-mile stretch without needing to exit. While the specific road conditions aren't detailed beyond its highway focus, the profile suggests a predictable and relatively fast pace for most of the drive. You'll likely encounter a mix of freeway driving and potentially some surface street transitions as you approach your destination. This isn't a winding, scenic byway, but rather a functional corridor designed for efficient travel.

62% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23 mi on CA 4.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CA 4 and Caldecott Tunnel. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.3 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.6 miles (I 680 / Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.4 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.

On the drive from Oakland, CA to Byron, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Pittsburg along the way.

Pittsburg

19.4 mi in | ~24m | via CA 242

About the Cities

Starting in Oakland, CA

Full guide →

Oakland is a port city in the Bay Area of California in the United States. Once an industrial area overshadowed by San Francisco, its larger neighbor to the west, this city of 440,000 people (2020) has begun to step out from under San Francisco's shadow with its notable natural and architectural features and its rise as the multicultural "hipster" city of the Bay Area.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 3m. Total distance: 51.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 23 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 Byron, 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: at 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.6 miles (I 680 / Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.4 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 Byron, CA before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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