Origin
Fall City, WA
Late night in Fall City on Sunday
Local time
4:58 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fall City, WA to Federal Way, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
36.7 mi
59 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fall City, WA
John De Leon
Trip Overview
This straightforward 36.7-mile drive from Fall City, WA, to Federal Way, WA, is easily manageable in about 54 minutes, making it an ideal day trip. With a projected fuel cost of around $8, it's an economical option for a quick transit. The journey primarily utilizes State Route 18 and I-90, offering a mostly highway-focused experience. You'll be traveling within the Pacific Coast region for the entire trip, so expect familiar Pacific Northwest scenery. This route is best suited for a single day, with no need to break it up for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Route 18 | 24.2 mi | 31m |
| Preston Fall City Road Southeast | 4 mi | 7m |
| I 90 | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| South Peasley Canyon Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| South 320th Street | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Pacific Highway South | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Southeast High Point Way | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Preston-Fall City Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
State Route 18
— 24.2 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fall City, WA and Federal Way, WA.
1
Start on 338th Place Southeast
96 ft
·
6 sec
·
338th Place Southeast
2
Turn right onto SR 202
93 ft
·
2 sec
·
Southeast Redmond-Fall City Road
3
Turn slight right
158 ft
·
7 sec
4
Turn right onto Preston Fall City Road Southeast
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Preston Fall City Road Southeast
5
Continue on Southeast High Point Way
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Southeast High Point Way
6
Turn left onto Preston-Fall City Road
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Preston-Fall City Road
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 90 East: Spokane
8
Merge onto I 90
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
I 90
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 25
Toward SR 18 West, Snoqualmie Parkway: Snoqualmie, Aubern
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn slight right
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward SR 18: Auburn, Tacoma
11
Merge onto WA 18
0.2 mi
·
11 sec
·
Snoqualmie Parkway
12
Continue on WA 18
24 mi
·
31 min
·
State Route 18
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Toward WA 167: Renton, Puyallup
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Toward WA 167 South: Puyallup, West Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
Toward West Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
At end of road, turn left onto West Valley Highway North
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
West Valley Highway North
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn right onto South Peasley Canyon Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Peasley Canyon Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Enter roundabout onto South Peasley Canyon Road
67 ft
·
1 sec
·
South Peasley Canyon Road
19
Continue on South Peasley Canyon Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Peasley Canyon Road
Use the left lane.
20
Continue on South 320th Street
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
South 320th Street
21
Turn right onto WA 99
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Pacific Highway South
22
Turn right onto South 312th Street
158 ft
·
5 sec
·
South 312th Street
Use the right lane.
23
Turn right
24 ft
·
1 sec
24
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 36.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.4 miles from Fall City, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 185 decision points cluster between mile 7.5 and 32.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
7.5 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward SR 18 West, Snoqualmie Parkway: Snoqualmie, Aubern
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.
Exit 25
Toward SR 18 West, Snoqualmie Parkway: Snoqualm...
7
32.2 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward WA 167: Renton, Puyallup
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward WA 167: Renton, Puyallup
9
32.4 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Keep slight left at fork toward WA 167 South: Puyallup, West Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward WA 167 South: Puyallup, West Valley High...
8
32.7 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Keep slight left at fork toward West Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward West Valley Highway
7
32.9 mi into trip
|
~46m in
|
West Valley Highway North
At end of road, turn left onto West Valley Highway North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.68 one way
$15.36 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $8.06 | $16.11 |
| premium | $5.77 | $8.33 | $16.67 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.10 | $16.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11 | 0 | $3.85 | $1.76 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.14 | $2.35 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Federal Way, WA
Late night in Federal Way on Sunday
Local time
4:58 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°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
12 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
54m 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 drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 73% of the journey taking place on faster roads. You'll experience a significant stretch of 24.2 miles on State Route 18, which likely offers a consistent speed limit and less interruption. The initial part of the drive may involve local roads like Preston Fall City Road Southeast before merging onto the interstate system. Expect a relatively smooth and efficient transit, characterized by the typical flow of highway traffic as you progress towards Federal Way.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.2 mi on State Route 18.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Route 18 and Preston Fall City Road Southeast. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 36.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 32.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 32.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Fall City, WA and Federal Way, WA, road signs point toward Snoqualmie Parkway: Snoqualmie, Aubern, Tacoma, Puyallup and Valley Highway.
Snoqualmie Parkway: Snoqualmie
7.5 mi in
|
~13m
Aubern
7.5 mi in
|
~13m
Tacoma
7.7 mi in
|
~13m
Puyallup
32.2 mi in
|
~45m
Valley Highway
32.4 mi in
|
~45m
About the Cities
Arriving in Federal Way, WA
Full guide →Federal Way is a city in King County on the Puget Sound of Washington State. It is the home of the Pacific Bonsai Museum and Rhododendron Species Botanical Gardens. With a population of 96,000 (2016), Federal Way is one of Seattle's largest suburbs.
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 54m. Total distance: 36.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24.2 miles on State Route 18. 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 Federal Way, 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 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 32.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 32.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical 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 Federal Way, 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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