Origin
Auburn, WA
Morning in Auburn on Sunday
Local time
8:26 AM
PDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Auburn, WA to North Creek, WA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
40.5 mi
65 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Auburn, WA
Wikimedia Commons
North Creek, WA
Ken Cheatham
Trip Overview
The drive from Auburn, WA to North Creek, WA covers 40.5 miles and takes about 55m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 405, Valley Freeway, Maltby Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23.6 miles on I 405. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.53 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 405 | 23.6 mi | 29m |
| Valley Freeway | 11.1 mi | 13m |
| Maltby Road | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Bothell-Everett Highway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Jewell Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| C Street Southwest | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| State Route 18 | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 405
— 23.6 mi, about 29m
Traffic on I-405
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 104 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~5,268 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~402 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
13.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 105 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 North Creek, WA.
1
Start on East Main Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
East Main Street
2
Turn left onto C Street Southwest
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
C Street Southwest
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward WA 18 West
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto WA 18
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
State Route 18
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Toward WA 167: Renton, Puyallup
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
54 sec
Toward WA 167 North: Kent, Renton
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto WA 167
11 mi
·
13 min
·
Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 405 North: Bellevue
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto I 405
17 mi
·
20 min
·
I 405
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
6.9 mi
·
8 min
·
I 405
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 26
Toward WA 527 North: Bothell, Mill Creek
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
340 ft
·
8 sec
Toward WA 527 North: Mill Creek
13
Turn straight onto WA 527
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Bothell-Everett Highway
14
Turn right onto WA 524
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Maltby Road
15
Turn left onto York Road
474 ft
·
13 sec
·
York Road
16
Keep slight right at fork onto Jewell Road
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Jewell Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto Jewell Road
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Jewell Road
18
Turn right onto Kotschevar Road
116 ft
·
5 sec
·
Kotschevar Road
19
Arrive at destination
Kotschevar Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.2 miles from Auburn, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 39.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
C Street Southwest
Turn left onto C Street Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
0.9 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward WA 167: Renton, Puyallup
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward WA 167: Renton, Puyallup
8
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward WA 167 North: Kent, Renton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward WA 167 North: Kent, Renton
8
37.2 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward WA 527 North: Bothell, Mill Creek
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 26
Toward WA 527 North: Bothell, Mill Creek
7
39.9 mi into trip
|
~53m in
|
Jewell Road
Keep slight right at fork onto Jewell Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.53 one way
$17.05 round trip
$5.35/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.56 | $8.86 | $17.72 |
| premium | $5.76 | $9.18 | $18.36 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $8.93 | $17.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.25 | $1.94 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.54 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.67 | $2.59 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
North Creek, WA
Morning in North Creek on Sunday
Local time
8:26 AM
PDT
Current temp
54°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
22 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
55m 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?
40.5 mi in 55m, mostly highway — 23.6 mi of that is on I 405.
86% 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: 23.6 mi on I 405.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 405 and Valley Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near C Street Southwest.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 40.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (C Street Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
366 ft
28 ft
Total Climb
644 ft
Total Descent
366 ft
Highest Point
366 ft
~40.5 mi in
Elevation Range
338 ft
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 Auburn, WA to North Creek, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Mill Creek along the way.
Mill Creek
37.2 mi in
|
~48m
About the Cities
Starting in Auburn, WA
Full guide →Founded 1891
Auburn is a city in south King County in the Puget Sound region of Washington.
Top landmarks
- • Auburn Masonic Temple — historic building in Auburn, Washington, United States
- • Old Auburn Post Office — historic post office building in Washington state, USA
- • Auburn Public Library — former Carnegie library in Auburn, Washington
Arriving in North Creek, WA
Full guide →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 55m. Total distance: 40.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.6 miles on I 405. 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 North Creek, WA 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: at 0.2 miles (C Street Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 North Creek, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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