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 San Francisco, 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
35m
Distance
25.2 mi
40 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Walnut Creek, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Francisco, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 25.2-mile drive from Walnut Creek to San Francisco typically takes around 35 minutes, making it a perfect single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate via the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and Grove Shafter Freeway, both part of the larger Route 80 corridor. With a fuel cost estimated at $6, this straightforward journey is budget-friendly. Given its brevity and lack of designated stops, you can easily complete it in one go, focusing on your destination rather than the transit itself. Both locations are within the Pacific Coast region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 6 mi | 9m |
| Grove Shafter Freeway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Route 80 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Caldecott Tunnel | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Octavia Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| MacArthur Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Ygnacio Valley Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Market Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 6 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Walnut Creek, CA and San Francisco, 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
9.2 mi
·
11 min
Toward CA 24 West: Oakland
Use the right lane.
4
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 24
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Caldecott Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
5
Continue on CA 24
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Grove Shafter Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward I 580 West, I 580 East: San Francisco, Hayward
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward I 580 West: San Francisco
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 580: San Francisco, Sacramento
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 580
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
·
MacArthur Freeway
10
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 19A
Toward I 80 West: San Francisco
11
Merge onto I 80
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Toward I 80 West: San Francisco
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn slight left onto I 80
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the slight left lane.
14
Continue on I 80
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
Route 80
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
15
Continue on I 80
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Route 80
Exit 2A
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
16
Continue on I 80
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
·
Route 80
Exit 1A
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 1B
Toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Merge onto US 101
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Central Freeway
19
Continue on Octavia Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Octavia Boulevard
Exit 434B
Toward Octavia Boulevard, Fell Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
21
Keep slight right at fork onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Market Street
22
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 23.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward CA 24 West: Oakland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward CA 24 West: Oakland
7
13.9 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward I 580 West, I 580 East: San Francisco, Hayward
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.
Toward I 580 West, I 580 East: San Francisco, H...
7
14.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 580 West: San Francisco
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 580 West: San Francisco
8
14.7 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 580: San Francisco, Sacramento
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 580: San Francisco, Sacramento
8
23.7 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward US 101 North: Golden Gate Bridge
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.79 one way
$11.58 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $5.97 | $11.94 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.13 | $12.26 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.56 | $11.13 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.65 | $1.21 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.61 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
San Francisco, CA
Morning in San Francisco on Tuesday
Local time
7:39 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Sunny
NNW 8 to 12 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Lake Wind Advisory
Lake Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 16 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 16 at 2:48PM PDT until April 17 at 11:00AM PDT by NWS Hanford CA
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
4 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
35m 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. While 22% of the journey involves highway driving, it's interspersed with more localized road segments. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is about 6 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. This means you'll experience a dynamic driving experience, shifting between faster highway speeds and more frequent adjustments for local traffic and turns. It’s not a monotonous cruise but rather a practical transition between two points.
Only 22% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 25.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Walnut Creek, CA and San Francisco, CA, road signs point toward Hayward and Sacramento.
Hayward
13.9 mi in
|
~18m
Sacramento
14.7 mi in
|
~19m
About the Cities
Arriving in San Francisco, CA
Full guide →“Frisco” · Founded 1776
The centerpiece of the Bay Area, San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in the world, and with good reason. The cultural center of northern California, San Francisco is renowned for its mixture of scenic beauty and unique culture that makes it one of the most vibrant and desirable cities in the nation, if not the world. Sandwiched between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean on a small square of land seven miles (11 km) on each side, San Francisco offers a wealth of treasures for the visitor, from the windswept and often foggy bay to the steep hills lined with Victorian homes that overlook the spectacular scenery of the city.
Top landmarks
- • Golden Gate Bridge — suspension bridge on the San Francisco Bay
- • Alcatraz Island — island in San Francisco, California, United States of America
- • San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge — suspension bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland, California, USA
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 35m. Total distance: 25.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m 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 6 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower 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 San Francisco, 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: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front 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 San Francisco, 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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