California State Route 242

State Route 242 (SR 242) is an approximately 3.4-mile (5.5 km) state highway in Contra Costa County, California that links Interstate 680 at the Pleasant Hill–Concord border to State Route 4 in Concord. Along with Interstate 580, State Route 24, Interstate 680 and State Route 4, it serves as the most direct route between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta region.

State Route 242
SR 242 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Caltrans
Length	3.398 mi[1] (5.469 km)
Existed	1987–present
Major junctions
South end	I-680 at the Pleasant Hill–Concord border
North end	SR 4 in Concord
Location
Country	United States
State	California
Counties	Contra Costa
Highway system
State highways in California Interstate US State Scenic History Pre‑1964 Unconstructed Deleted Freeways
← SR 241 → SR 243

In 2000, State Route 242 was widened to six through-traffic lanes for the entire route. Ramp metering is present at all onramps, and is used southbound in the morning and northbound in the evening. It was signed as part of State Route 24 until ca. 1987.

Route description

The route begins as a freeway at Interstate 680 at the Pleasant Hill–Concord border. It then heads north into Concord, meeting Clayton Road, Concord Avenue, Grant Street, and Olivera Road before meeting its north end at State Route 4 just west of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station.^[2]

SR 242 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,^[3] and is part of the National Highway System,^[4] a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.^[5]

Exit list

The entire route is in Contra Costa County.

Location	mi [6][1][7][8]	km	Exit [6]	Destinations	Notes
Pleasant Hill–Concord line	0.00	0.00	1A	I-680 south – Oakland, San Jose	No access to I-680 north; south end of SR 242; I-680 north exit 50
Concord			1B	Gregory Lane, Monument Boulevard	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	0.87	1.40	1	Clayton Road – Concord	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	1.47	2.37	1C	Concord Avenue	No northbound exit
	2.15	3.46	2	Grant Street, Solano Way
	2.79	4.49	3A	Olivera Road	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	3.40	5.47	3B–C	SR 4 – Richmond, Stockton, Pittsburg Port Chicago Highway	Northern end of SR 242; SR 4 exit 15A; signed as exits 3B (west, Richmond, Port Chicago Highway) and 3C (east, Stockton, Pittsburg)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access

See also

• California Roads portal
• San Francisco Bay Area portal