Origin
Federal Way, WA
Late night in Federal Way on Sunday
Local time
5:52 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Federal Way, WA to Seattle, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
22.3 mi
36 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Seattle, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling from Federal Way to Seattle, you are looking at a quick 22.3-mile journey that typically takes about 31 minutes. Since both locations sit firmly within the Pacific Coast region of Washington, this is a straightforward commute rather than a cross-country expedition. You can easily complete this trip in a single day, making it ideal for a morning meeting or a quick afternoon outing. Budgeting roughly $5 for fuel should be plenty to cover the distance in a standard vehicle. Because this is such a short drive, you won't need to worry about overnight logistics, allowing you total flexibility for your departure time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 18.2 mi | 22m |
| Pacific Highway South | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| South 272nd Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 5th Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Seneca Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South 312th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Madison Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 5
— 18.2 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Federal Way, WA and Seattle, WA.
1
Start on this road
24 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto South 312th Street
158 ft
·
7 sec
·
South 312th Street
3
Turn right onto WA 99
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Pacific Highway South
4
Turn right onto South 272nd Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South 272nd Street
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I-5 North: Seattle
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto I 5
18 mi
·
22 min
·
I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 165
Toward Seneca Street
Use the slight left lane.
8
Turn left onto Seneca Street
323 ft
·
18 sec
·
Seneca Street
9
Turn left onto 5th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
5th Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
10
Turn right onto Madison Street
113 ft
·
9 sec
·
Madison Street
11
Turn left
31 ft
·
2 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 22.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South 312th Street
Turn left onto South 312th Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.5 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
South 272nd Street
Turn right onto South 272nd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
3.2 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward I-5 North: Seattle
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I-5 North: Seattle
7
21.8 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward Seneca Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 165
Toward Seneca Street
7
22.2 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
5th Avenue
Turn left onto 5th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.67 one way
$9.33 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $4.89 | $9.79 |
| premium | $5.77 | $5.06 | $10.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.92 | $9.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 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 | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
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
Seattle, WA
Late night in Seattle on Sunday
Local time
5:52 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
31m 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience, as 82% of your drive involves major transit routes. You will spend the bulk of your time on I-5, which features a long, uninterrupted stretch of 18.2 miles that defines the character of the trip. The route transitions from local surface streets like South 272nd Street and Pacific Highway South before merging onto the interstate for the primary leg of your journey. While the drive is functional and efficient, be prepared for the consistent traffic flow typical of a major interstate corridor. It is a no-nonsense, practical route designed to get you between these two points with minimal deviation.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.2 mi on I 5.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and Pacific Highway South. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near South 312th Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 22.3 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (South 312th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (South 272nd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
465 ft
21 ft
Total Climb
241 ft
Total Descent
527 ft
Highest Point
465 ft
Elevation Range
444 ft
About the Cities
Starting 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.
Arriving in Seattle, WA
Full guide →Seattle, Washington sits at one of the most beautiful spots in the United States. Occupying a narrow isthmus between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington, it is the biggest city in the Pacific Northwest, with 780,000 people in Seattle and over four million people in the metro area. Seen from above, carpets of evergreen trees, pristine blue waters, and snowy white mountains surround the downtown's metallic skyscrapers, earning the city its nickname The Emerald City. On the ground, you will find a vibrant and cosmopolitan city. Next to the progressive downtown and the freewheeling feel of Capitol Hill, you can find a laid-back atmosphere in the districts to the north and ethnically diverse neighborhoods to the south.
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 31m. Total distance: 22.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.2 miles on I 5. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: near the start (South 312th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (South 272nd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
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 Seattle, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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