Origin
Ferndale, WA
Late night in Ferndale on Tuesday
Local time
1:52 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ferndale, WA to Bellingham, WA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
12m
Distance
8.1 mi
13 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 12m
★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 15m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 15m
8 PM
0h 12m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ferndale, WA
Engin Akyurt
Bellingham, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short, 8.1-mile drive from Ferndale to Bellingham, Washington, will only take about 12 minutes, making it a perfect quick trip. With a modest fuel cost of around $2, it's an economical journey. The route is primarily highway-focused, with 63% of it being on the interstate. Since it's so brief, it's ideal as a single-day excursion and doesn't require an overnight stay. You'll be traveling within the Pacific Coast region for the entirety of this drive, staying within Washington state.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 5.1 mi | 5m |
| Northwest Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Elm Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 257 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Dupont Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 5
— 5.1 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ferndale, WA and Bellingham, WA.
1
Start on Main Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
2
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
3
Merge onto I 5
5.1 mi
·
5 min
·
I 5
4
Take the exit
260 ft
·
6 sec
Exit 257
Toward Northwest Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Continue on 257
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
257
Toward Northwest Avenue
6
Turn straight onto Northwest Avenue
177 ft
·
4 sec
·
Northwest Avenue
7
Enter roundabout onto Northwest Avenue
117 ft
·
6 sec
·
Northwest Avenue
8
Continue on Northwest Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Northwest Avenue
9
Continue on Elm Street
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Elm Street
10
Turn slight left onto Dupont Street
101 ft
·
2 sec
·
Dupont Street
11
Arrive at destination
Dupont Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
3 of 33 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 6.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 5
Merge onto I 5
Merge point - match speed before joining
7
6.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward Northwest Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 257
Toward Northwest Avenue
5
6.4 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
Northwest Avenue
Enter roundabout onto Northwest Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.70 one way
$3.39 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $1.78 | $3.56 |
| premium | $5.77 | $1.84 | $3.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.79 | $3.58 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.85 | $0.39 |
| Efficient EV | 2 | 0 | $0.71 | $0.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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.
Destination
Bellingham, WA
Late night in Bellingham on Tuesday
Local time
1:52 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
1 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
12m 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 predominantly highway-focused experience on this route, with 63% of the drive utilizing major interstates like I-5. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.1 miles on I-5, indicating a good portion of the journey involves consistent, higher speeds. While the majority is interstate, the route also incorporates local roads like Northwest Avenue and Main Street, offering a slight change of pace as you approach your destination. This mix provides a straightforward driving experience that transitions from open highway to more populated areas.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.1 mi on I 5.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and Northwest Avenue. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near I 5.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Ferndale, WA to Bellingham, WA is easy. At 12m with 63% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (I 5): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.4 miles (Northwest Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
About the Cities
Starting in Ferndale, WA
Full guide →Ferndale is a city in the Northwest Washington region of Washington State, North of Bellingham on I-5.
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 12m. Total distance: 8.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.1 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: at 1 miles (I 5): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.4 miles (Northwest Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bellingham, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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