Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 7, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
36.6 mi
59 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Federal Way, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Lacey, WA
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Federal Way, WA to Lacey, WA covers 36.6 miles and takes about 50m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 5, Pacific Highway South, College Street Southeast for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 32.3 miles on I 5. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.71 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 32.3 mi | 40m |
| Pacific Highway South | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| College Street Southeast | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| 16th Avenue South | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Martin Way East | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| State Route 18 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South 312th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 174 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~5,281 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~556 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Federal Way, WA and Lacey, WA.
Start on this road
Turn left onto South 312th Street
Turn left onto WA 99
Turn left onto 16th Avenue South
Turn left onto WA 18
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
Take the exit
Turn right onto Martin Way East
Turn left onto College Street Southeast
Continue on College Street Southeast
Arrive at destination
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.
A short stop after about 36.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 18.3 miles from Federal Way, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto South 312th Street
Navigation decision point
Take the exit toward I 5 North, I 5 South: Seattle, Tacoma
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 5 South: Tacoma
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Merge onto I 5
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$7.71 one way
$15.41 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.56 | $8.01 | $16.01 |
| premium | $5.76 | $8.29 | $16.59 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $8.07 | $16.14 |
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, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11 | 0 | $3.84 | $1.76 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.20 | $1.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.12 | $2.34 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Federal Way on Monday
Local time
1:45 PM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Afternoon in Lacey on Monday
Local time
1:45 PM
PDT
Current temp
53°F
Partly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
36.6 mi in 50m, mostly highway — 32.3 mi of that is on I 5.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and Pacific Highway South. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near South 312th Street.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 36.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (South 312th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
523 ft
Total Descent
784 ft
Highest Point
465 ft
Elevation Range
444 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Federal Way, WA to Lacey, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Tacoma along the way.
Tacoma
Founded 1929
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.
Top landmarks
Lacey is a city in the southern Puget Sound region in the state of Washington. It is just east of Olympia, Washington state's capital.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 36.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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