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Trip from Oakland, CA to Waldon, CA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

22m

Distance

17.5 mi

28 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 6 min
4 AM
0h 20m ★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m

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

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city and county seat of Alameda County, California, United States

Oakland, CA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Waldon, CA, CA

Waldon, CA

Jan Dvorak

Trip Overview

The drive from Oakland, CA to Waldon, CA covers 17.5 miles and takes about 22m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Caldecott Tunnel, Grove Shafter Freeway, Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.8 miles on Caldecott Tunnel. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.99 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Caldecott Tunnel 9.8 mi 11m
Grove Shafter Freeway 4.6 mi 5m
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway 1.4 mi 1m
14th Street 0.4 mi 1m
John B. Williams Freeway 0.4 mi <1m
Treat Boulevard 0.3 mi <1m
Castro Street 0.2 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 Waldon, 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

1.4 mi · 1 min · Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
9

Take the exit

410 ft · 9 sec
Exit 48 Toward Treat Boulevard, Geary Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Toward Contra Costa Centre Transit Village, Silicon Valley College, Chapman University, Treat Boulevard, Geary Road, Oak Park Boulevard
11

Turn right onto Treat Boulevard

0.3 mi · 30 sec · Treat Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Arrive at destination

Treat Boulevard

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 17.3 — 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...
8
17 mi into trip | ~21m in

Take the exit toward Treat Boulevard, Geary Road

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 48 Toward Treat Boulevard, Geary Road
7
17.1 mi into trip | ~21m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Contra Costa Centre Transit Village, Silicon Valley College, Chapman University, Treat Boulevard, Geary Road, Oak Park Boulevard

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Contra Costa Centre Transit Village, Sil...
6
17.3 mi into trip | ~21m in | Treat Boulevard

Turn right onto Treat Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.99 one way

$7.97 round trip

$5.79/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.96 $4.11 $8.21
premium $6.14 $4.23 $8.46
diesel $5.97 $4.11 $8.22

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.3 0 $1.84 $0.84
Efficient EV 4.4 0 $1.53 $0.70
EV Truck/SUV 7 0 $2.45 $1.12

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.

Forecast as of Aug 30, 2026

Origin

Oakland, CA

Evening in Oakland on Friday

Local time

5:33 PM

PDT

Current temp

70°F

Sunny

WSW 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued August 29 at 5:47PM PDT until August 31 at 3:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued August 29 at 1:33PM PDT until August 31 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR

Destination

Waldon, CA

Evening in Waldon on Friday

Local time

5:33 PM

PDT

Current temp

82°F

Sunny

SW 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued August 29 at 5:47PM PDT until August 31 at 3:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued August 29 at 1:33PM PDT until August 31 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Medford OR

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

12 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

22m 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?

17.5 mi in 22m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 29% 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?

8/10

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 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 9 decision points packed into just 17.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.

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 17 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Gently rolling terrain

1,194 ft 43 ft

Total Climb

1,187 ft

Total Descent

1,139 ft

Highest Point

1,194 ft

~6.3 mi in

Elevation Range

1,152 ft

Notable High Points

1,194 ft at ~6.3 miles +519 ft prominence

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 Waldon, 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 Waldon, CA

Full guide →

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 22m. Total distance: 17.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

22m 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 Waldon, 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 17 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial (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 Waldon, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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