Getting Around | Explore Lamorinda

Lamorinda panoramic view

Lamorinda is car-oriented but more connected than most East Bay suburbs. Two BART stations, excellent regional trails, and easy freeway access make getting around manageable.

BART

Two stations serve Lamorinda:

Lafayette Station — Downtown adjacent, good parking
Orinda Station — Theatre Square nearby, first stop east of tunnel

Both are on the Antioch (Yellow) line. About 25 minutes to downtown San Francisco.

Pro tip: Parking fills up on weekdays. Arrive early or consider drop-off/pickup.

Driving

The Caldecott Tunnel

Your gateway to Lamorinda from the west. Four bores carry Highway 24 through the hills. The fourth bore opened in 2013, adding much-needed capacity.

Local lore: The tunnel is named for Thomas E. Caldecott, who served on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and championed the original tunnel project in the 1930s. The first bore opened in 1937, the second in 1964, the third in 1986, and the fourth in 2013. Each expansion was controversial at the time — residents worried about increased traffic and development — but today the four-bore tunnel is simply how Bay Area life works. Over 160,000 vehicles pass through daily.

Traffic patterns:

Morning: Heavy westbound (toward SF)
Evening: Heavy eastbound (toward Lamorinda)
Weekends: Generally smooth both directions

Key Routes

Highway 24: Main artery, connects to I-680 and I-580
Mt. Diablo Blvd: Lafayette’s main street
Moraga Way: Connects Lafayette to Moraga
Camino Pablo: North-south through Orinda

Trails (Non-Car Options)

Lafayette-Moraga Trail — 7.6 miles, paved, connects the towns
Connects to: BART stations, regional parks, downtown areas

For committed cyclists, it’s possible to bike-commute from Moraga to BART in Lafayette or Orinda.

Seasonal Note: Memorial Day Weekend 2026 (Late May)

Holiday weekend traffic patterns. Friday afternoon (May 22) westbound 24 will be lighter than usual — commuters left town early. Eastbound 24 toward Walnut Creek, I-680, and the I-80 connector to Tahoe will be heavy from about 2pm onward and peak between 4–7pm. If you’re heading north or east this weekend, leaving before noon Friday or after 9pm Friday are the two viable windows. (See: The Friday Before Memorial Day.)

BART parking is unusually easy. With many regular commuters out of town and no Friday commute crush, both Lafayette and Orinda BART lots have abundant midday availability through Tuesday. Worth knowing if you’re heading into SF for the long weekend. Normal weekday parking pressure resumes Wednesday, May 27.

Saturday May 23 — St. Mary’s College commencement. Expect heavy traffic in and out of Moraga from roughly 9am–2pm. Moraga Road, St. Mary’s Road, and Rheem Boulevard will be slow. Plan grocery runs and errands for Friday or early Saturday morning. The Lafayette-Moraga Trail is a faster way between the two towns on Saturday than any road.

Trail conditions are peak. The hills have started their gold-and-green transition. Wildflower season is winding down — late poppies and the last of the lupine still appearing on shaded sections. Sunset is just before 8:25pm, so after-work trail traffic runs heavy until almost 8pm. The Lafayette Reservoir Rim Trail is especially packed between 8–11am on Saturday and Sunday; aim for late afternoon (4–7pm) for the calmest loop.

Caldecott Tunnel — the long weekend pattern. Friday evening and Monday evening eastbound (returning travelers) are the two pinch points. Westbound is generally smooth all weekend. Saturday and Sunday daytime traffic through the tunnel is the lightest it gets all year — a genuinely pleasant time to drive into Oakland or San Francisco.

The Reality

Most people drive. The towns are hilly, sprawling, and parking is easy. But for recreation, exercise, and occasional errands, the trails and BART make car-free trips possible.

Key Distances

Lafayette to Moraga: ~4 miles
Lafayette to Orinda: ~3 miles
Lafayette BART to SF (Montgomery): ~25 minutes
Caldecott Tunnel to downtown Oakland: ~10 minutes