This 86.9-mile drive from Electric City, WA to Spokane, WA takes approximately 1 hour and 43 minutes and is best suited as a single-day trip. You'll navigate primarily local roads, with no highway driving, and the fuel cost is estimated at $18. This route, entirely within Washington state and the Pacific Coast region, offers a turn-heavy local experience. With no designated stops and no particularly long stretches, this journey provides a straightforward way to get from point A to point B.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
43.5 miles from Electric City, WA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 58m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Sunset Highway
52.3 mi
1h 8m
State Route 174
17.8 mi
22m
West Sunset Highway
4.8 mi
10m
US 2
3.8 mi
5m
West Broadway Avenue
1 mi
2m
Coulee Boulevard
0.9 mi
1m
Morgan Street
0.9 mi
2m
East Grand Coulee Avenue
0.8 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Sunset Highway
— 52.3 mi, about 1h 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Electric City, WA and Spokane, WA.
1
Start on WA 155
0.9 mi·1 min·Coulee Boulevard
2
Continue on WA 155
0.5 mi·51 sec·Grand Coulee Avenue
3
Turn right onto WA 174
0.6 mi·1 min·West Grand Coulee Avenue
4
Continue on WA 174
0.8 mi·1 min·East Grand Coulee Avenue
5
Continue on WA 174
18 mi·22 min·State Route 174
6
Continue on WA 21
0.5 mi·43 sec·WA 21
7
At end of road, turn left onto US 2
0.3 mi·24 sec·Sunset Highway
8
Continue on US 2
0.2 mi·29 sec·West Main Avenue
9
Continue on US 2
0.3 mi·51 sec·Northwest Main Avenue
10
Continue on US 2
0.2 mi·23 sec·East Main Street
11
Continue on US 2
0.5 mi·1 min·East Main Avenue
12
Continue on US 2
7.8 mi·9 min·Sunset Highway
13
Continue on US 2
0.7 mi·1 min·West Watson Street
14
Continue on US 2
20 mi·24 min·Sunset Highway
15
Continue on US 2
0.9 mi·2 min·Morgan Street
16
Continue on US 2
12 mi·15 min·Sunset Highway
17
Continue on US 2; WA 231
1.0 mi·2 min·West Broadway Avenue
18
Continue on US 2
13 mi·18 min·Sunset Highway
19
Keep slight right at fork onto US 2
1.8 mi·4 min·West Sunset Highway
20
Enter roundabout onto West Sunset Highway
95 ft·1 sec·West Sunset Highway
21
Continue on West Sunset Highway
1.0 mi·2 min·West Sunset Highway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
22
Enter roundabout onto US 2
97 ft·2 sec·West Sunset Highway
23
Continue on US 2
2.0 mi·3 min·West Sunset Highway
24
Turn straight onto US 2
3.8 mi·5 min·US 2
25
Take the exit
0.2 mi·31 sec
Toward Maple Street, Lincoln Street, Walnut Street
26
Continue on West 5th Avenue
382 ft·12 sec·West 5th Avenue
27
Turn straight onto West Freeway Avenue
0.2 mi·32 sec·West Freeway Avenue
28
Continue on West 4th Avenue
0.2 mi·31 sec·West 4th Avenue
29
Continue on West 4th Avenue
167 ft·4 sec·West 4th Avenue
30
Continue on South Lincoln Street
0.4 mi·1 min·South Lincoln Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
31
Turn left onto West Main Avenue
0.2 mi·34 sec·West Main Avenue
32
Turn right
26 ft·8 sec
33
Turn left onto South Gorge Trail
157 ft·17 sec·South Gorge Trail
34
Arrive at destination
South Gorge Trail
Trip Plan
Given the relatively short duration of about 1 hour and 43 minutes, this trip offers a lot of flexibility. You can easily make it a day trip, departing whenever it suits your schedule. Since there are no specific stops recommended and the drive is under 100 miles, you won't need to worry about extensive breaks. Keep an eye on your fuel, with an estimated cost of $18, and ensure you're comfortable with frequent turns as this route is characterized by them. A good tip would be to have your navigation ready for the many directional changes along Grand Coulee Avenue and its continuations.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 43.5 miles from Electric City, WA, or about 58m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 52.3 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 19 miles or 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 43.5 miles or 58m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 42m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Spokane, WA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Electric City, 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 Electric City, WA
This is one driving day of about 87.1 miles and 2h 6m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Electric City, WA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Sunset Highway for about 52.3 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 21.1 and 87 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
21.1 mi into trip|~28m in|US 2 / Sunset Highway
At end of road, turn left onto US 2 / Sunset Highway
Navigation decision point
4
77.1 mi into trip|~1h 46m in|US 2 / West Sunset Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 2 / West Sunset Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
85.7 mi into trip|~2h 2m in
Take the exit toward Maple Street, Lincoln Street, Walnut Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Maple Street, Lincoln Street, Walnut Str...
5
87 mi into trip|~2h 6m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
5
87 mi into trip|~2h 6m in|South Gorge Trail
Turn left onto South Gorge Trail
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$18.23 one way
$36.46 round trip
$5.32/gal25.4 MPG avg31 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.58
$19.12
$38.23
premium
$5.77
$19.78
$39.56
diesel
$5.61
$19.23
$38.46
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 30.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
26.1
0
$9.15
$4.18
Efficient EV
21.8
0
$7.62
$3.48
EV Truck/SUV
34.8
0
$12.19
$5.57
Gas CO2
30 kg
EV CO2
10 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Electric City, WA
Morning
in Electric City on Sunday
Local time
7:38 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Spokane, WA
Morning
in Spokane on Sunday
Local time
7:38 AM
PDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
47°F
Davenport, WA
44 mi in
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
7 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
2h 6m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
The ancient geologic landscape of the upper Columbia River cradles Lake Roosevelt in walls of stone carved by massive ice age floods. Come explore the shorelines and learn the stories of American Indi...
30 mi from route
~74 min detour
Free
near mile 30
Park Closure: Hawk Creek Area Closed for 2026 Recreation Season
Park Closure: Fort Spokane Museum and Visitor Center to Close for Repairs
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for the entirety of this 86.9-mile journey, as the highway share is 0%. The roads you'll travel, including Grand Coulee Avenue, West Grand Coulee Avenue, and East Grand Coulee Avenue, are characteristic of local thoroughfares rather than high-speed highways. Since there's no longest uninterrupted stretch noted, you can anticipate frequent changes in direction and pace. This means you'll be actively engaged with the driving rather than settling into a long, straight cruise.
Only 26% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
34 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 52.3 mi on Sunset Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 21.1 miles in near US 2 / Sunset Highway.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 6m 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 21.1 miles (US 2 / Sunset Highway): Navigation decision point; at 77.1 miles (US 2 / West Sunset Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 85.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 52.3 miles on Sunset Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 21.1 miles (US 2 / Sunset Highway): Navigation decision point; at 77.1 miles (US 2 / West Sunset Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 85.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. 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 Spokane, WA before heading back.
