Origin
Buckley, WA
Late night in Buckley on Tuesday
Local time
3:23 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buckley, WA to Tacoma, 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
40m
Distance
23.7 mi
38 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
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
Buckley, WA to Tacoma, WA is 23.7 miles and takes about 40m via State Route 410 East, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive connects two points within the Pacific Coast region, offering a fairly straightforward transit. You'll experience a mix of driving conditions, making it a practical option for a quick hop between these two Washington locales. Given its short distance, it’s an easy addition to a longer journey or a standalone trip.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Route 410 East | 10.1 mi | 15m |
| River Road | 5.6 mi | 9m |
| Elhi Hill Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| Valley Freeway | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| I 5 | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| WA 167 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| I 705 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Bay Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
State Route 410 East
— 10.1 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buckley, WA and Tacoma, 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 left at fork
0.6 mi
·
47 sec
Toward WA 167 South, WA 161 North, WA 512 West, WA 161 South: Tacoma, Puyallup
10
Merge onto WA 167
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto WA 167
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
WA 167
Toward WA 167 South: Puyallup, Tacoma
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
12
Turn right onto WA 167
5.6 mi
·
9 min
·
River Road
13
Continue on WA 167
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Bay Street
14
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 5 South: Olympia, Portland
15
Merge onto I 5
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
·
I 5
16
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 133
Toward WA 7 South, I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome
17
Keep slight right at fork
334 ft
·
8 sec
Toward I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome Station
18
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 705 North: City Center
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Merge onto I 705
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
·
I 705
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward A Street, City Center
Use the slight left lane.
21
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward South 15 Street, Pacific Avenue
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
22
Continue on South 15th Street
0.3 mi
·
59 sec
·
South 15th Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
23
Turn right onto Tacoma Avenue South
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Tacoma Avenue South
24
Turn right onto South 11th Street
43 ft
·
1 sec
·
South 11th Street
25
Arrive at destination
South 11th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 185 decision points cluster between mile 14.2 and 22.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
14.2 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
WA 167
Keep slight left at fork onto WA 167 toward WA 167 South: Puyallup, Tacoma
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward WA 167 South: Puyallup, Tacoma
7
21.9 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome Station
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome St...
7
22 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 705 North: City Center
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 705 North: City Center
8
22.6 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward A Street, City Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward A Street, City Center
9
22.9 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Keep slight left at fork toward South 15 Street, Pacific Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward South 15 Street, Pacific Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.96 one way
$9.92 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $5.20 | $10.40 |
| premium | $5.77 | $5.38 | $10.76 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.23 | $10.47 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Tacoma, WA
Late night in Tacoma on Tuesday
Local time
3:23 AM
PDT
Current temp
45°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
21 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
40m 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 features a mixed drive, with 55% of it on highways. You'll encounter about 10.1 miles of uninterrupted driving on State Route 410 East, offering a chance to settle into a steady pace. The remaining segments will likely involve navigating local roads, such as River Road and Elhi Hill Road, which may present more varied speed limits and turns. Expect the character of the drive to shift as you transition between these different road types.
55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.1 mi on State Route 410 East.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 14.2 miles in near WA 167.
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 18 decision points packed into just 23.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 14.2 miles (WA 167): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Buckley, WA and Tacoma, WA, road signs point toward Puyallup, Portland, Tacoma Dome and Tacoma Dome Station.
Puyallup
12.3 mi in
|
~20m
Portland
20.6 mi in
|
~34m
Tacoma Dome
21.7 mi in
|
~36m
Tacoma Dome Station
21.9 mi in
|
~36m
About the Cities
Arriving in Tacoma, WA
Full guide →Tacoma, a major port on the Puget Sound, is the third-largest city in Washington State, with about 220,000 residents. It has a dynamic art scene and a great ballet.
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 40m. Total distance: 23.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.1 miles on State Route 410 East. 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 Tacoma, 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 14.2 miles (WA 167): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22 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 Tacoma, 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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