Origin
Buckley, WA
Late night in Buckley on Tuesday
Local time
3:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buckley, WA to Kent, WA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
25.6 mi
41 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buckley, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Buckley to Kent, you are in for a quick 25.6-mile trip that typically takes about 38 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, as it does not require an overnight stay to manage the distance. With fuel costs estimated at just $5, it is an economical jaunt within the Pacific Coast region. You will primarily navigate via the Valley Freeway, State Route 410 East, and Elhi Hill Road. Since the entire trip takes place within Washington, you can expect a familiar, straightforward driving experience between these two Pacific Coast locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Valley Freeway | 12.1 mi | 15m |
| State Route 410 East | 10.1 mi | 15m |
| Elhi Hill Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| West Willis Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 4th Avenue South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Gowe Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Cottage Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Valley Freeway
— 12.1 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buckley, WA and Kent, WA.
1
Start on this road
88 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto North Cottage Street
119 ft
·
7 sec
·
North Cottage Street
3
Turn right onto Main Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Main Street
4
Turn left onto WA 410
4.9 mi
·
8 min
·
State Route 410 East
5
Enter roundabout onto WA 410
95 ft
·
1 sec
·
State Route 410 East
6
Continue on WA 410
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
State Route 410 East
7
Continue on WA 410
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Elhi Hill Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Continue on WA 410
4.6 mi
·
6 min
·
State Route 410 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward WA 167 North: Seattle
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto WA 167
12 mi
·
15 min
·
Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward WA 516: Des Moines, Willis Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto WA 516
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
West Willis Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
13
Enter roundabout onto 4th Avenue South
238 ft
·
5 sec
·
4th Avenue South
14
Continue on 4th Avenue South
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
4th Avenue South
15
Turn right onto West Gowe Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Gowe Street
16
Turn left onto 2nd Avenue South
10 ft
·
0 sec
·
2nd Avenue South
17
Arrive at destination
2nd Avenue South
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 25 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Cottage Street
Turn left onto North Cottage Street
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Main Street
Turn right onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
7
12.3 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward WA 167 North: Seattle
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward WA 167 North: Seattle
7
24.7 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward WA 516: Des Moines, Willis Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward WA 516: Des Moines, Willis Street
6
25 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
WA 516 / West Willis Street
Turn right onto WA 516 / West Willis Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.36 one way
$10.72 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $5.62 | $11.24 |
| premium | $5.77 | $5.81 | $11.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.65 | $11.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.69 | $1.23 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.58 | $1.64 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Kent, WA
Late night in Kent on Tuesday
Local time
3:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
38m 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 25.6-mile journey is heavily highway-focused, with 87% of your travel time spent on major routes. You will experience a sustained flow, highlighted by a longest uninterrupted stretch of 12.1 miles on the Valley Freeway. The personality of the drive leans toward efficiency rather than technical complexity, moving quickly through the landscape. Expect the transition between the local roads and the main highway segments to define the pace of your trip. It is a functional, direct drive that keeps you moving steadily toward your destination.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.1 mi on Valley Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Valley Freeway and State Route 410 East. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Cottage Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 25.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Cottage Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Kent, WA
Full guide →Kent is the fourth largest city in King County in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, between Seattle and Tacoma.
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 38m. Total distance: 25.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.1 miles on Valley Freeway. 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 Kent, 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: near the start (North Cottage Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park and Mount Rainier National 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 Kent, 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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