Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 27m
Distance
277.3 mi
446 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$54
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bellevue, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Waitsburg, WA
dekik saad
Bellevue to Waitsburg is 277.3 miles and takes about 5h 27m via I 90, I 82, and US 97, with a fuel budget near $55 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Washington state, beginning in the Pacific Coast region and heading towards its interior. It's a primarily highway route, making it a straightforward option if you're looking for an efficient way to get from the Seattle area to the southeastern part of the state. Plan for a solid block of driving time, but it's very manageable for a single day.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
138.6 miles from Bellevue, WA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 37m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 90 | 100.5 mi | 1h 51m |
| I 82 | 64.1 mi | 1h 8m |
| US 97 | 37.8 mi | 42m |
| State Route 124 | 35.5 mi | 52m |
| US 12 | 23.2 mi | 25m |
| State Highway 124 | 7.7 mi | 11m |
| Lewis and Clark Trail | 3 mi | 3m |
| I 405 | 1.3 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 63 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~2,533 veh/hr typical · worst 3,340
Quietest
2 AM
~135 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
18.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Bellevue, WA and Waitsburg, WA.
Start on this road
Turn right onto Main Street
Turn right onto Bellevue Way Northeast
Turn right onto Northeast 2nd Street
Turn left onto 108th Avenue Northeast
Turn right onto Northeast 4th Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 405
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 90
Take the exit onto US 97
Keep slight left at fork onto I 82; US 12
Take the exit onto US 12
Continue on US 12
Take the exit
Turn slight right onto WA 124
Keep slight right at fork onto WA 124
Continue on WA 124
Continue on WA 124
Continue on WA 124
At end of road, turn right onto WA 124
Turn left onto WA 124
Turn left onto Coppei Avenue
Arrive at destination
To make the most of this 5.5-hour drive, consider leaving Bellevue in the morning, perhaps around 9:00 AM, to ensure you have ample daylight and can reach Waitsburg before evening. With only one recommended stop, you can be quite flexible. The longest stretch without services is on I 90, so ensure your fuel tank is reasonably full before departing Bellevue. Given the relatively short duration and highway-focused nature, you won't need to break this drive up unless you prefer a more leisurely pace.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
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 61 miles or 1h 11m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 138.6 miles or 2h 37m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 14m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Waitsburg, WA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Bellevue, 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 Bellevue, WA
This is one driving day of about 277.3 miles and 5h 27m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
139 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.
A short stop after about 61 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 138.6 miles from Bellevue, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 90 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 100.5 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 206.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Northeast 4th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 90: Spokane, Seattle
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 90 East: Spokane
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto US 97 toward I 82 East, US 97 South: Yakima
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit onto US 12 toward I‑182 east, US 12 east: Richland, Pasco
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$54.02 one way
$108.04 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.18 | $56.60 | $113.19 |
| premium | $5.39 | $58.86 | $117.71 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $52.36 | $104.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$54
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$79–$104
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 97 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 83.2 | 1 | $29.12 | $13.31 |
| Efficient EV | 69.3 | 0 | $24.26 | $11.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 110.9 | 1 | $38.82 | $17.75 |
Gas CO2
97 kg
EV CO2
32 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Bellevue on Sunday
Local time
8:26 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Sunny
Destination
Morning in Waitsburg on Sunday
Local time
8:26 AM
PDT
Current temp
84°F
Mostly Cloudy
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This drive is overwhelmingly on highways, with 97% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 100.5 miles on I 90 before transitioning to I 82 and then US 97. Expect a rural cruising feel for the majority of the trip, with fewer urban merges and more open stretches. The transition away from the major interstate system will happen gradually as you approach your destination.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and I 82. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near Northeast 4th Street.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 277.3 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (Northeast 4th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Hilly terrain with moderate elevation changes
Total Climb
3,647 ft
Total Descent
2,474 ft
Highest Point
2,546 ft
~59.4 mi in
Elevation Range
2,465 ft
Notable High Points
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Bellevue, WA and Waitsburg, WA, road signs point toward I‑182 East and Pasco.
I‑182 East
Pasco
Founded 1869
Bellevue is a city in the Puget Sound region of Washington state, just across Lake Washington from Seattle. Bellevue had a population of 150,000 in 2021, making it the largest city on the Eastside of King County. Bellevue is perhaps the most ritzy part of the Seattle metro area, mainly due to the presence of Microsoft at nearby Redmond and other tech companies occupying the downtown office towers. The dense downtown has much of the region's upscale and luxury retail. It also has many neighborhoods comprised of large houses, and excellent vistas of the water for the lucky few. It is generally considered more pleasant and safe than Seattle, if blander, though the influx of international tech workers has led to a vibrant Chinese community. === Local information === Bellevue City Council website
Top landmarks
Founded 1859
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 27m. Total distance: 277.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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