The drive from Auburn, WA to Ellensburg, WA covers 107.3 miles and takes about 2h 8m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 90, State Route 18, North Dolarway Road for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly highway.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 79.8 miles on I 90.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $22.59 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
53.7 miles from Auburn, WA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 5m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 90
79.8 mi
1h 27m
State Route 18
23.2 mi
29m
North Dolarway Road
1.3 mi
3m
US 97
0.5 mi
<1m
West 5th Avenue
0.5 mi
1m
North Railroad Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
A Street Southeast
0.2 mi
<1m
Auburn Way South
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 79.8 mi, about 1h 27m
Traffic on I-90
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 54 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
1 PM
~1,339 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,424
Quietest
2 AM
~114 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 103 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Auburn, WA and Ellensburg, WA.
1
Start on East Main Street
27 ft·5 sec·East Main Street
2
Turn left onto A Street Southeast
0.2 mi·27 sec·A Street Southeast
3
Turn left onto Cross Street Southeast
0.1 mi·27 sec·Cross Street Southeast
4
Turn right onto Auburn Way South
0.2 mi·27 sec·Auburn Way South
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·28 sec
Toward WA 18 EastUse the left lane.
6
Merge onto WA 18
23 mi·29 min·State Route 18
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on WA 18
0.1 mi·8 sec·Snoqualmie Parkway
8
Take the exit
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 90 East: Spokane
9
Merge onto I 90
80 mi·1 hr 27 min·I 90
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi·34 sec
Toward US 97 North: Ellensburg, Wenatchee
11
Continue on US 97
0.5 mi·56 sec·US 97
12
Enter roundabout onto North Dolarway Road
13 ft·1 sec·North Dolarway Road
13
Continue on North Dolarway Road
1.3 mi·3 min·North Dolarway Road
14
Continue on North Railroad Avenue
0.3 mi·47 sec·North Railroad Avenue
15
Turn left onto West 5th Avenue
0.5 mi·1 min·West 5th Avenue
16
Arrive at destination
West 5th Avenue
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 53.7 miles from Auburn, WA, or about 1h 5m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 79.8 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 24 miles or 31m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 53.7 miles or 1h 5m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 43m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ellensburg, WA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Auburn, WA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Auburn, WA
This is one driving day of about 107.3 miles and 2h 8m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 24 miles from Auburn, WA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 90 for about 79.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 104.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|A Street Southeast
Turn left onto A Street Southeast
Navigation decision point
7
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in
Take the ramp toward WA 18 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward WA 18 East
5
0.7 mi into trip|~1m in|WA 18 / State Route 18
Merge onto WA 18 / State Route 18
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
24.6 mi into trip|~33m in|I 90
Merge onto I 90
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
104.4 mi into trip|~2h 1m in
Take the exit toward US 97 North: Ellensburg, Wenatchee
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 97 North: Ellensburg, Wenatchee
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$22.59 one way
$45.18 round trip
$5.35/gal25.4 MPG avg38 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.56
$23.47
$46.94
premium
$5.76
$24.32
$48.63
diesel
$5.60
$23.65
$47.30
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$48–$73
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 37.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
32.2
0
$11.27
$5.15
Efficient EV
26.8
0
$9.39
$4.29
EV Truck/SUV
42.9
0
$15.02
$6.87
Gas CO2
38 kg
EV CO2
13 kg (66% 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.
Forecast as of Sep 4, 2026
Origin
Auburn, WA
Night
in Auburn on Saturday
Local time
9:33 PM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Mostly Cloudy
ENE 2 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Ellensburg, WA
Night
in Ellensburg on Saturday
Local time
9:33 PM
PDT
Current temp
43°F
Partly Cloudy
NW 2 mph5% chanceLive forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
8 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
2h 8m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Seattle flourished during and after the Klondike Gold Rush. Merchants supplied people from around the world passing through this port city on their way to a remarkable adventure in the Yukon Territory...
19 mi from route
~49 min detour
Free
near mile 11.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
107.3 mi in 2h 8m, mostly highway — 79.8 mi of that is on I 90.
97% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 79.8 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and State Route 18. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near A Street Southeast.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 8m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (A Street Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (WA 18 / State Route 18): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Ellensburg is a city of 21,000 people (2019) in the North Central Cascades of Washington State. It is home to Central Washington University, and also to the Ellensburg Rodeo.
Top landmarks
•Ellensburg — former train station in Ellensburg, Washington, United States
The longest stretch is about 79.8 miles on I 90. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 7 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (A Street Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (WA 18 / State Route 18): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit 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 Ellensburg, WA before heading back.
