Origin
Black Diamond, WA
Late night in Black Diamond on Sunday
Local time
12:36 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Black Diamond, WA to Federal Way, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
18.1 mi
29 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Black Diamond, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Black Diamond to Federal Way is 18.1 miles and takes about 34 minutes via Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Washington and the Pacific Coast region, making it a convenient option for a quick journey. Expect a local driving experience with plenty of turns, rather than a high-speed highway cruise. It's a straightforward drive that doesn't require extensive planning, perfect for a spontaneous outing or an easy connection between these two nearby communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road | 5.1 mi | 9m |
| Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road | 3.8 mi | 7m |
| State Route 18 | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| South Peasley Canyon Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| South 320th Street | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Pacific Highway South | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Roberts Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Morgan Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road
— 5.1 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Black Diamond, WA and Federal Way, WA.
1
Start on Lawson Street
59 ft
·
3 sec
·
Lawson Street
2
Turn right onto WA 169
282 ft
·
11 sec
·
3rd Avenue
3
Turn left onto Baker Street
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Baker Street
4
At end of road, turn right onto Railroad Avenue
289 ft
·
9 sec
·
Railroad Avenue
5
Continue on Morgan Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Morgan Street
6
Turn left onto Cemetery Road
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
Cemetery Road
7
Turn left onto Roberts Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Roberts Drive
8
Continue on Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
441 ft
·
15 sec
·
Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
9
Enter roundabout onto Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
141 ft
·
5 sec
·
Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
10
Continue on Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
11
Enter roundabout onto Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
86 ft
·
2 sec
·
Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
12
Continue on Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
13
Continue on 192nd Avenue Southeast
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
192nd Avenue Southeast
14
Continue on Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road
15
Continue on Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road
4.6 mi
·
8 min
·
Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road
16
Continue on Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
Southeast Auburn Black Diamond Road
Use the left lane.
17
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward WA 18 West
Use the left lane.
18
Merge onto WA 18
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
State Route 18
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Toward WA 167: Renton, Puyallup
Use the slight right lane.
20
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Toward WA 167 South: Puyallup, West Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
Toward West Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
At end of road, turn left onto West Valley Highway North
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
West Valley Highway North
Use the straight lane.
23
Turn right onto South Peasley Canyon Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Peasley Canyon Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
24
Enter roundabout onto South Peasley Canyon Road
67 ft
·
1 sec
·
South Peasley Canyon Road
25
Continue on South Peasley Canyon Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Peasley Canyon Road
Use the left lane.
26
Continue on South 320th Street
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
South 320th Street
27
Turn right onto WA 99
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Pacific Highway South
28
Turn right onto South 312th Street
158 ft
·
5 sec
·
South 312th Street
Use the right lane.
29
Turn right
24 ft
·
1 sec
30
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 185 decision points cluster between mile 10.6 and 14.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
10.6 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the ramp toward WA 18 West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward WA 18 West
7
13.6 mi into trip
|
~25m 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
9
13.8 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight left at fork toward WA 167 South: Puyallup, West Valley Highway
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 South: Puyallup, West Valley High...
8
14.1 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight left at fork toward West Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward West Valley Highway
7
14.2 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
West Valley Highway North
At end of road, turn left onto West Valley Highway North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.79 one way
$7.58 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $3.97 | $7.95 |
| premium | $5.77 | $4.11 | $8.22 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.00 | $7.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.90 | $0.87 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.58 | $0.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.53 | $1.16 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Federal Way, WA
Late night in Federal Way on Sunday
Local time
12:36 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°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
19 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
34m 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 route is characterized as a 'Turn-heavy local drive,' so be prepared for frequent steering adjustments. With only a 14% highway share, most of your journey will be on surface streets and local roads, primarily utilizing Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.1 miles on this road, offering a brief period of more consistent driving before navigating more turns. The road profile suggests a dynamic driving experience, moving through varied local landscapes rather than a monotonous interstate.
Only 14% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.1 mi on Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 10.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 18.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 10.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Between Black Diamond, WA and Federal Way, WA, road signs point toward Puyallup and Valley Highway.
Puyallup
13.6 mi in
|
~25m
Valley Highway
13.8 mi in
|
~25m
About the Cities
Arriving in Federal Way, WA
Full guide →Federal Way is a city in King County on the Puget Sound of Washington State. It is the home of the Pacific Bonsai Museum and Rhododendron Species Botanical Gardens. With a population of 96,000 (2016), Federal Way is one of Seattle's largest suburbs.
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 34m. Total distance: 18.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.1 miles on Southeast Auburn-Black Diamond Road. 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 Federal Way, 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 10.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.8 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 Federal Way, 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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