Origin
Arlington, WA
Late night in Arlington on Tuesday
Local time
1:27 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arlington, WA to Bellingham, WA
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 2m
Distance
50.3 mi
81 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arlington, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Bellingham, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Arlington to Bellingham, you are in for a straightforward journey through the Pacific Coast region of Washington. Spanning 50.3 miles, this drive typically takes about 1 hour and 2 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You will primarily utilize I-5, WA 530, and East Holly Street to complete the transit. With an estimated fuel cost of only $11, it is a very budget-friendly excursion. Because the duration is quite short, there is no need to plan for an overnight stay unless you choose to spend extra time exploring the destination. This route is designed for efficiency, allowing you to move between these two coastal hubs with minimal hassle.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 44.2 mi | 50m |
| WA 530 | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| East Holly Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Dupont Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Lakeway Drive | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Prospect Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Division Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| King Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 5
— 44.2 mi, about 50m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, WA and Bellingham, WA.
1
Start on this road
68 ft
·
2 sec
·
this road
2
Continue on East Division Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
East Division Street
3
Enter roundabout onto West Division Street
78 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Division Street
4
Continue on West Division Street
345 ft
·
11 sec
·
West Division Street
5
Continue on WA 530
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
WA 530
6
Enter roundabout onto WA 530
42 ft
·
0 sec
·
WA 530
7
Continue on WA 530
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
WA 530
8
Enter roundabout onto WA 530
58 ft
·
1 sec
·
WA 530
9
Continue on WA 530
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
WA 530
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 5 North: Vancouver British Columbia
11
Merge onto I 5
44 mi
·
50 min
·
I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 253
Toward Lakeway Drive
13
Turn right onto King Street
471 ft
·
9 sec
·
King Street
14
Turn right onto Lakeway Drive
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Lakeway Drive
15
Continue on East Holly Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Holly Street
16
Turn right onto Bay Street
77 ft
·
2 sec
·
Bay Street
17
Turn left onto Prospect Street
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Prospect Street
18
Continue on Dupont Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Dupont Street
19
Arrive at destination
Dupont Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.2 miles from Arlington, WA, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 48.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Division Street
Enter roundabout onto West Division Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
WA 530
Enter roundabout onto WA 530
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
WA 530
Enter roundabout onto WA 530
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
4.2 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 5
Merge onto I 5
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
48.4 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Take the exit toward Lakeway Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 253
Toward Lakeway Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.53 one way
$21.05 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $11.04 | $22.08 |
| premium | $5.77 | $11.42 | $22.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.11 | $22.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.28 | $2.41 |
| Efficient EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.40 | $2.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.1 | 0 | $7.04 | $3.22 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Bellingham, WA
Late night in Bellingham on Tuesday
Local time
1:27 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
65°F
Burlington, WA
25 mi in
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
3 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
1h 2m 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?
This trip is heavily focused on highway travel, with 95% of the journey spent on high-speed roads. You can expect a consistent pace throughout the 50.3-mile distance, as the drive is dominated by a 44.2-mile stretch on I-5. While the transition from local roads like WA 530 onto the interstate provides a brief shift in environment, the overall character of the route remains functional and direct. Do not expect technical winding roads or significant rural bypasses; instead, prepare for a steady, interstate-focused experience. Keeping a constant speed is easy on this stretch, as the road architecture is built to prioritize getting you to your destination quickly.
95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 44.2 mi on I 5.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and WA 530. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near West Division Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 2m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West Division Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.3 miles (WA 530): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.6 miles (WA 530): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
About the Cities
Starting in Arlington, WA
Full guide →Arlington is a city in the North Sound region of Washington State.
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 2m. Total distance: 50.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 44.2 miles on I 5. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.1 miles (West Division Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.3 miles (WA 530): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.6 miles (WA 530): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes — San Juan Island National Historical Park. 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 Bellingham, WA 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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