Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
29.8 mi
48 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Blaine, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Lawrence, WA
King Zubby
Blaine, WA to Lawrence, WA is 29.8 miles and takes about 42m via I 5, East Smith Road, and West Axton Road, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Washington state, traveling through the Pacific Coast region. It's a straightforward drive, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B without a lot of fuss. Consider this route for its simplicity and efficiency, especially if you're looking for a quick connection between these two Washington locations.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 13.1 mi | 14m |
| East Smith Road | 8.2 mi | 12m |
| West Axton Road | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| Mount Baker Highway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Lawrence Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Guide Meridian | 1 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| H Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 13 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,407 veh/hr typical · worst 1,673
Quietest
2 AM
~71 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
19.8×
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 Blaine, WA and Lawrence, WA.
Start on H Street
At end of road, turn right onto WA 548
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 5
Take the exit
Turn left onto Main Street
Continue on West Axton Road
Turn right onto WA 539
Turn left onto East Smith Road
Keep slight left at fork onto Hannegan Road
Keep slight right at fork onto East Smith Road
Enter roundabout onto WA 542
Continue on WA 542
Enter roundabout onto WA 9
Continue on WA 9
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 28.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
At end of road, turn right onto WA 548 / Peace Portal Drive
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Take the ramp toward I 5 South
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Take the exit toward Main Street, City Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn right onto WA 539 / Guide Meridian
Lane positioning matters here
Enter roundabout onto WA 9 / Lawrence Road toward WA 9 North: Nooksack, Sumas
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$5.81 one way
$11.61 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.18 | $6.08 | $12.16 |
| premium | $5.39 | $6.32 | $12.65 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $5.63 | $11.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.13 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Blaine on Sunday
Local time
2:39 AM
PDT
Current temp
75°F
Sunny
Destination
Late night in Lawrence on Sunday
Local time
2:39 AM
PDT
Current temp
83°F
Sunny
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
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.
This drive offers a mixed profile, with 44% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on I 5, East Smith Road, and West Axton Road. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 13.1 miles on I 5, which provides a taste of faster highway travel. As you transition between these roads, expect the scenery and speed to vary, offering a dynamic, albeit brief, driving experience. The mix means you won't be stuck in one type of driving for too long.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near WA 548 / Peace Portal Drive.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 29.8 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (WA 548 / Peace Portal Drive): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 13.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
344 ft
Total Descent
243 ft
Highest Point
291 ft
~23.4 mi in
Elevation Range
258 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Blaine, WA to Lawrence, WA, road signs begin pointing toward City Center along the way.
City Center
Founded 1858
Blaine, "The Peace Arch City", is the most northwestern town in the contiguous 48 states. It is at the Washington state side of the major land border crossing between Northwest Washington and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, on Semiahmoo Bay. This article also includes Birch Bay, about 5 mi (8.0 km) to the south.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 29.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). 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, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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