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Trip from Oakland, CA to Pleasant Hill, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

24m

Distance

18.8 mi

30 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 22m ★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m

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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city and county seat of Alameda County, California, United States

Oakland, CA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Contra Costa County, California, United States

Pleasant Hill, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 18.8-mile journey from Oakland to Pleasant Hill is a quick, 24-minute trip, making it an easy day trip. You'll primarily navigate via the Grove Shafter Freeway and the Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway, with a significant portion involving the Caldecott Tunnel. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this drive is very budget-friendly. Given its short duration and lack of designated stops, it's a straightforward transit rather than an extensive exploration. Both locations are situated within California's Pacific Coast region.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Caldecott Tunnel 9.8 mi 11m
Grove Shafter Freeway 4.6 mi 5m
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway 2.4 mi 2m
Contra Costa Boulevard 0.4 mi 1m
14th Street 0.4 mi 1m
John B. Williams Freeway 0.4 mi <1m
Castro Street 0.2 mi <1m
Gregory Lane <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Caldecott Tunnel — 9.8 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Oakland, CA and Pleasant Hill, 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

2.4 mi · 2 min · Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 44 sec
Exit 49A Toward Contra Costa Boulevard, Pleasant Hill Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn straight onto Contra Costa Boulevard

0.4 mi · 1 min · Contra Costa Boulevard
11

Turn left onto Gregory Lane

260 ft · 15 sec · Gregory Lane
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
12

Arrive at destination

Gregory Lane

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 18 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Castro Street

Turn right onto Castro Street

Navigation decision point

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...
4
1.2 mi into trip | ~2m in | I 980 / Grove Shafter Freeway

Continue onto I 980 / Grove Shafter Freeway toward CA 24: Berkeley, Walnut Creek

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward CA 24: Berkeley, Walnut Creek
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.
8
18 mi into trip | ~22m in

Take the exit toward Contra Costa Boulevard, Pleasant Hill

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 49A Toward Contra Costa Boulevard, Pleasant Hill

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.32 one way

$8.64 round trip

$5.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $6.02 $4.45 $8.91
premium $6.18 $4.57 $9.14
diesel $5.61 $4.15 $8.30

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.6 0 $1.97 $0.90
Efficient EV 4.7 0 $1.65 $0.75
EV Truck/SUV 7.5 0 $2.63 $1.20

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 Tuesday

Local time

5:13 AM

PDT

Current temp

72°F

Sunny

WNW 6 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 12:19PM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued April 17 at 12:19PM PDT until April 17 at 2:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Destination

Pleasant Hill, CA

Late night in Pleasant Hill on Tuesday

Local time

5:13 AM

PDT

Current temp

51°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

21 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

24m 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 'turn-heavy local drive' profile for this route, despite 27% of it being on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9.8 miles through the Caldecott Tunnel. While there are highway segments, the overall feel suggests a need for attentiveness as you transition between freeway driving and more local road navigation. The route is characterized by its frequent changes in direction rather than long, sweeping vistas.

Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.8 mi on Caldecott Tunnel.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

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 around 0.4 miles in near Castro Street.

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 18.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Castro Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles (I 980 / Grove Shafter Freeway): 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 Pleasant Hill, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Walnut Creek along the way.

Walnut Creek

1.2 mi in | ~2m | via I 980

About the Cities

Starting in Oakland, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1852

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.

Top landmarks

  • • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge — suspension bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland, California, USA
  • • Lake Merritt — lagoon in Oakland, California, USA
  • • Oakland Museum of California — art museum in Oakland, California

Arriving in Pleasant Hill, CA

Full guide →

Founded 1961

Pleasant Hill is in Contra Costa County in the Bay Area of California.

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 24m. Total distance: 18.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 9.8 miles on Caldecott Tunnel. 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 Pleasant Hill, 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 0.4 miles (Castro Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles (I 980 / Grove Shafter Freeway): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial 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 Pleasant Hill, 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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