Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
28.6 mi
46 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sacramento, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Walnut Grove, CA
ML ARANDA
This straightforward 28.6-mile drive from Sacramento to Walnut Grove in California should take you about 38 minutes, making it an ideal day trip. You'll primarily travel on the Westside Freeway, Twin Cities Road, and River Road, with about 70% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this short excursion is around $7. Given its brevity, this route is perfect for a spontaneous outing or as part of a larger exploration of the Pacific Coast region. You won't need to worry about overnight stays, and the focus is on efficient travel.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Westside Freeway | 20.2 mi | 22m |
| Twin Cities Road | 4.2 mi | 7m |
| River Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| 9th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| P Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| C Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Grove Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Lord Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Sacramento, CA and Walnut Grove, CA.
Start on 9th Street
Turn right onto P Street
Take the ramp
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 5
Take the exit
Turn right onto E13
At end of road, turn left onto E13
Turn left onto C Street
Turn right onto Grove Street
Turn left onto Lord Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 22 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto P Street
Navigation decision point
Take the ramp toward US 50, I 5 South: South Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Los Angeles
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 5 South: Los Angeles
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 5 / Westside Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Twin Cities Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Regular Gas
$6.57 one way
$13.15 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $6.77 | $13.55 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.96 | $13.91 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.31 | $12.63 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.50 | $1.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.4 | 0 | $4.00 | $1.83 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Sacramento on Tuesday
Local time
1:57 AM
PDT
Current temp
79°F
Sunny
Destination
Late night in Walnut Grove on Tuesday
Local time
1:57 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Expect a highway-focused drive with 70% of the route utilizing faster roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 20.2 miles on the Westside Freeway, offering a chance to settle in. While the initial part of the journey is on the freeway, the latter sections incorporate local roads like Twin Cities Road and River Road, likely providing a change of pace. This mix means you get a bit of both efficient highway travel and more localized road experiences as you approach your destination.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Westside Freeway and Twin Cities Road. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near P Street.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 28.6 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.5 miles (P Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Founded 1849
Sacramento is the state capital of California in the United States. It is the regional center for the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, which dominates much of the surrounding Sacramento Valley and stretches into parts of Gold Country. Sacramento is the oldest incorporated city in California, settled between the confluences of the Sacramento and American rivers. The city has been the site of many important historic events that have shaped California and U.S. history, most notably the California Gold Rush and location of the original terminus of the First Transcontinental Railroad. Much of this historical legacy has been preserved, especially in the historic Old Sacramento district, where buildings and railroads from that era continue to attract visitors. However, Sacramento is not a city that is stuck in the past. As the capital of the most populous U.S.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 28.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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