Origin
Walnut Creek, CA
Morning in Walnut Creek on Tuesday
Local time
7:39 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Walnut Creek, CA to Fremont, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
34.6 mi
56 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
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
This straightforward 34.6-mile drive from Walnut Creek, CA to Fremont, CA is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 45 minutes. You'll primarily navigate local roads, including the Donald D. Doyle Highway, Fremont Boulevard, and Senator Daniel E. Boatwright Highway, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $8. Given its short duration and local road nature, this route is best suited for a quick transit between these two Pacific Coast communities in California, offering a direct connection without the need for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Donald D Doyle Highway | 29.6 mi | 34m |
| Fremont Boulevard | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Washington Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Ygnacio Valley Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Mowry Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Donald D Doyle Highway
— 29.6 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Walnut Creek, CA and Fremont, CA.
1
Start on North Main Street
94 ft
·
4 sec
·
North Main Street
2
Turn right onto Ygnacio Valley Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Ygnacio Valley Road
Use the right lane.
3
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 680 South: San Jose
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto I 680
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on I 680
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Donald D Doyle Highway
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 680
28 mi
·
32 min
·
Donald D Doyle Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Exit 15
Toward Washington Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn right onto Washington Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Washington Boulevard
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on Fremont Boulevard
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Fremont Boulevard
10
Turn left onto Mowry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
Mowry Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on Mowry Avenue
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Mowry Avenue
Use the left lane.
12
Arrive at destination
Mowry Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 34.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.3 miles from Walnut Creek, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 31.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Ygnacio Valley Road
Turn right onto Ygnacio Valley Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward I 680 South: San Jose
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 680 South: San Jose
6
3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 680 / Donald D Doyle Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 680 / Donald D Doyle Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
31.3 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward Washington Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 15
Toward Washington Boulevard
6
31.5 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
Washington Boulevard
Turn right onto Washington Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.95 one way
$15.91 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.20 | $16.39 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.41 | $16.83 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.64 | $15.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.63 | $1.66 |
| Efficient EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.03 | $1.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.84 | $2.21 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Fremont, CA
Morning in Fremont on Tuesday
Local time
7:39 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°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
17 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
45m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for the entirety of this 34.6-mile journey. With a 0% highway share, you'll be on surface streets for the full 45-minute duration. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 29.6 miles along the Donald D. Doyle Highway, offering a relatively uninterrupted section before transitioning to other local roads. This route's character is defined by its urban and suburban environment, demanding your attention for frequent turns and traffic signals rather than offering long, open stretches.
Only 0% 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: 29.6 mi on Donald D Doyle Highway.
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 early in the drive near Ygnacio Valley Road.
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 34.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Ygnacio Valley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (I 680 / Donald D Doyle Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Fremont, CA
Full guide →Founded 1956
Fremont is a suburban city in the southern part of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; it is the 4th largest city in the Bay Area by population. Fremont is in the southern part of Alameda County, California, between Union City to the north, Sunol and the hills to the east, Milpitas and Santa Clara County to the south, and the San Francisco Bay to the west. The city of Newark, near the edge of the Bay, is surrounded by the city of Fremont. Fremont industry is not particularly large relative to other parts of the Bay Area, but neither is it a bedroom community. Many people in Fremont work locally in the electronics and high-tech industry, while many others commute to Silicon Valley or San Francisco locations for work.
Top landmarks
- • Mission San José — 18th-century Spanish mission in Fremont, California
- • Ardenwood Historic Farm — human settlement in California, United States of America
- • Niles Depot Museum — railway museum in Niles, 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 45m. Total distance: 34.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m 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 29.6 miles on Donald D Doyle Highway. 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 Fremont, 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 0.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (I 680 / Donald D Doyle Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Fremont, 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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