Carnation, WA to Spokane Valley, WA is 273.9 miles and takes about 5h 10m via I 90, with a fuel budget near $58 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Washington state, beginning in the Pacific Coast region and concluding in the same region. The majority of this route is on a major interstate, making for straightforward travel across the state. Plan for a single day of driving, with a relatively short duration that allows for flexibility.
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
136.9 miles from Carnation, WA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 39m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 90
258.4 mi
4h 41m
Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road
4.7 mi
8m
Fall City-Carnation Road Southeast
3.2 mi
4m
Bendigo Boulevard North
2.8 mi
5m
Fall City-Carnation Road Northeast
2 mi
2m
Railroad Avenue Southeast
1.1 mi
3m
Tolt Avenue
0.8 mi
1m
Bendigo Boulevard South
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 258.4 mi, about 4h 41m
Traffic on I-90
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 126 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,422 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,104
Quietest
2 AM
~108 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
13.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
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Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carnation, WA and Spokane Valley, WA.
1
Start on Entwistle Street
73 ft·7 sec·Entwistle Street
2
Turn left onto WA 203
0.8 mi·1 min·Tolt Avenue
3
Continue on WA 203
2.0 mi·2 min·Fall City-Carnation Road Northeast
4
Continue on WA 203
3.2 mi·4 min·Fall City-Carnation Road Southeast
5
Enter roundabout onto WA 202
102 ft·1 sec·Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road
6
Continue on WA 202
4.1 mi·6 min·Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road
7
Enter roundabout onto WA 202
29 ft·0 sec·Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road
8
Continue on WA 202
0.6 mi·1 min·Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road
9
Continue on Railroad Avenue Southeast
1.1 mi·3 min·Railroad Avenue Southeast
10
Continue on WA 202
2.8 mi·5 min·Bendigo Boulevard North
11
Continue on WA 202
0.2 mi·16 sec·Bendigo Boulevard South
12
Enter roundabout
237 ft·4 sec
Toward I 90 East: Spokane
13
Continue
0.3 mi·33 sec
Toward I 90 East: Spokane
14
Merge onto I 90
247 mi·4 hr 27 min·I 90
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Merge onto I 90; US 2; US 395
11 mi·14 min·I 90; US 2; US 395
16
Take the exit
0.4 mi·51 sec
Toward WA 27
17
Turn left onto WA 27
148 ft·11 sec·North Pines Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
18
Arrive at destination
WA 27
Trip Plan
For this 5h 10m drive, leaving in the morning from Carnation, WA, is ideal to maximize daylight. With a total distance of 273.9 miles, it's easily manageable in one day, so you have the flexibility to stop as needed. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially as you approach the longer stretches on I 90, as services can be more spread out. Your estimated fuel cost is around $58, so factor that into your budget. The transition from the interstate to local roads will be your cue to prepare for slower speeds and more frequent turns.
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 136.9 miles from Carnation, WA, or about 2h 39m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 258.4 miles.
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 60 miles or 1h 16m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 136.9 miles or 2h 39m 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 Spokane Valley, WA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Carnation, 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 Carnation, WA
This is one driving day of about 273.9 miles and 5h 10m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 60 miles from Carnation, WA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 90 for about 258.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 6 and 273.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
6 mi into trip|~9m in|WA 202 / Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road
Enter roundabout onto WA 202 / Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
10.1 mi into trip|~16m in|WA 202 / Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road
Enter roundabout onto WA 202 / Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
14.8 mi into trip|~26m in
Enter roundabout toward I 90 East: Spokane
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Toward I 90 East: Spokane
5
15.1 mi into trip|~27m in|I 90
Merge onto I 90
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
273.5 mi into trip|~5h 9m in
Take the exit toward WA 27
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward WA 27
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$58.60 one way
$117.19 round trip
$5.43/gal25.4 MPG avg96 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.68
$61.25
$122.50
premium
$5.89
$63.53
$127.05
diesel
$6.28
$67.68
$135.35
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$59
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$84–$109
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 95.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
82.2
1
$28.76
$13.15
Efficient EV
68.5
0
$23.97
$10.96
EV Truck/SUV
109.6
1
$38.35
$17.53
Gas CO2
96 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Oct 19, 2026
Origin
Carnation, WA
Late night
in Carnation on Friday
Local time
3:42 AM
PDT
Current temp
41°F
Cloudy
0 mph4% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Spokane Valley, WA
Late night
in Spokane Valley on Friday
Local time
3:42 AM
PDT
Current temp
39°F
Cloudy
0 mph2% chanceLive forecast
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
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
5h 10m on the road
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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park
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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is primarily on the highway, with 94% of the 273.9 miles on interstates. You'll experience 258.4 miles on I 90 before transitioning to surface roads. Expect a significant amount of highway cruising, with the occasional need to navigate denser exit patterns as you approach and depart urban areas. The transition from interstate to local roads will mark the end of your sustained high-speed travel.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 258.4 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 6 miles in near WA 202 / Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 10m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6 miles (WA 202 / Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 10.1 miles (WA 202 / Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 14.8 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Spokane is the second-largest city in Washington State, and the largest between Seattle and Minneapolis. It is the economic hub of the "Inland Empire", a name used for Eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle (pre-dating by nearly a century the use of the same title by a region in Southern California). It is at the north edge of the Palouse, where gently rolling hills of wheat fields end at the Spokane River valley.
This article also includes the suburbs of Liberty Lake and Spokane Valley.
The longest stretch is about 258.4 miles on I 90. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 21 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 21 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 6 miles (WA 202 / Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 10.1 miles (WA 202 / Southeast Fall City-Snoqualmie Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 14.8 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes — Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.2 hours each way, a round trip means 10.3 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Spokane Valley, WA before the return drive.
