Origin
Walnut Creek, CA
Morning in Walnut Creek on Tuesday
Local time
7:38 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Walnut Creek, CA to Stockton, 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
1h 16m
Distance
57 mi
92 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Walnut Creek, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Stockton, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 57-mile drive from Walnut Creek, CA, to Stockton, CA, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 16 minutes. You'll primarily navigate via CA 4, Byron Highway, and Marsh Creek Road, with about 47% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this route is around $13, making it an economical option. Given the short duration and modest distance, this trip is ideal for a quick excursion without the need for an overnight stay. Both locations are within the Pacific Coast region, so you won't be crossing major geographical divides.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CA 4 | 23 mi | 26m |
| Byron Highway | 21.1 mi | 31m |
| Marsh Creek Road | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| CA 242 | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| South El Dorado Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Lawrence Way | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North California Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CA 4
— 23 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Walnut Creek, CA and Stockton, CA.
1
Start on North Main Street
94 ft
·
4 sec
·
North Main Street
2
Turn right onto Ygnacio Valley Road
466 ft
·
13 sec
·
Ygnacio Valley Road
Use the right lane.
3
Turn right onto North California Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
North California Boulevard
4
Turn straight onto Lawrence Way
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
Lawrence Way
5
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 680 North: Sacramento
6
Merge onto I 680
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 242
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
CA 242
Exit 50
Toward CA 242 North: Concord, Pittsburg
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto CA 4
15 mi
·
17 min
·
CA 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 4
8.0 mi
·
9 min
·
CA 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left onto CA 4
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Marsh Creek Road
Use the straight lane.
11
Turn right onto CA 4
21 mi
·
31 min
·
Byron Highway
Use the straight lane.
12
Turn left onto South El Dorado Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South El Dorado Street
13
Continue on North El Dorado Street
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
North El Dorado Street
14
Turn right onto East Fremont Street
117 ft
·
5 sec
·
East Fremont Street
15
Arrive at destination
East Fremont Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.5 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 22.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Ygnacio Valley Road
Turn right onto Ygnacio Valley Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m 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.
9
3.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
CA 242
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 242 toward CA 242 North: Concord, Pittsburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 50
Toward CA 242 North: Concord, Pittsburg
5
7.7 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
CA 4
Merge onto CA 4
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
22.7 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
CA 4
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 4
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.10 one way
$26.20 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $13.50 | $27.00 |
| premium | $6.18 | $13.86 | $27.72 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.58 | $25.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$13
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.1 | 0 | $5.98 | $2.74 |
| Efficient EV | 14.3 | 0 | $4.99 | $2.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.8 | 0 | $7.98 | $3.65 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Stockton, CA
Morning in Stockton on Tuesday
Local time
7:38 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°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
14 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
1h 16m 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 mixed driving experience on this route, where you'll transition between highway speeds and more local road conditions. With 47% of the drive on highways, you'll encounter some faster-paced stretches, but the inclusion of roads like Byron Highway and Marsh Creek Road suggests a more varied journey. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 23 miles on CA 4, offering a sustained period of highway travel. As you progress, the character of the drive will likely shift, moving from more suburban or urban approaches to potentially more open or rural landscapes closer to Stockton.
47% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23 mi on CA 4.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 57 miles you will encounter 11 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: near the start (Ygnacio Valley Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (I 680 / Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles (CA 242): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
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 Walnut Creek, CA to Stockton, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Pittsburg along the way.
Pittsburg
3.8 mi in
|
~6m
|
via CA 242
About the Cities
Arriving in Stockton, CA
Full guide →Founded 1849
Stockton is a city in the San Joaquin Valley in northern California. Sitting on the San Joaquin Delta, Stockton is the world's most inland natural port and used to be a major port city. One of the larger cities along I-5 through the Central Valley, it is a convenient stop and offers a variety of restaurants and accommodations for road-trippers. There are several shopping centers and movie theaters and one art museum but few major attractions.
Top landmarks
- • Haggin Museum — art museum in Stockton, California
- • USCGC Fir — Lighthouse tender
- • USS Lucid — 1953 Aggressive-class minesweeper
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 1h 16m. Total distance: 57 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23 miles on CA 4. 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 Stockton, 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 1.3 miles (I 680 / Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles (CA 242): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Stockton, 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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