Origin
Fife, WA
Late night in Fife on Sunday
Local time
1:07 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fife, 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
11m
Distance
7.8 mi
13 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 11m
★
6 AM
0h 12m
8 AM
0h 14m
10 AM
0h 12m
12 PM
0h 12m
3 PM
0h 13m
5 PM
0h 14m
8 PM
0h 11m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fife, WA
Harrison Reilly
Trip Overview
This short, 7.8-mile drive from Fife, WA, to Federal Way, WA, will take you about 11 minutes to complete, making it a perfect local hop within the Pacific Coast region. With a fuel cost estimated at just $2, it's an economical option for a quick trip. The route primarily utilizes I-5, with a segment on South 320th Street and Pacific Highway South, making it a straightforward journey. Given its brevity, this trip requires no overnight stays and can easily be accomplished as a single-day excursion. It offers a convenient way to navigate between these two Washington communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 5.7 mi | 7m |
| South 320th Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Pacific Highway South | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 54th Avenue East | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South 312th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 5
— 5.7 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fife, WA and Federal Way, WA.
1
Start on 54th Avenue East
159 ft
·
6 sec
·
54th Avenue East
2
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 5 North: Seattle
3
Merge onto I 5
5.7 mi
·
7 min
·
I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
Exit 143
Toward Federal Way, South 320th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Turn left onto South 320th Street
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
South 320th Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6
Turn right onto WA 99
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Pacific Highway South
7
Turn right onto South 312th Street
158 ft
·
5 sec
·
South 312th Street
Use the right lane.
8
Turn right
24 ft
·
1 sec
9
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 7.8 — 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
Take the ramp toward I 5 North: Seattle
Navigation decision point
Toward I 5 North: Seattle
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
I 5
Merge onto I 5
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
6.1 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward Federal Way, South 320th Street
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 143
Toward Federal Way, South 320th Street
6
6.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
South 320th Street
Turn left onto South 320th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
7.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
South 312th Street
Turn right onto South 312th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.63 one way
$3.26 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $1.71 | $3.42 |
| premium | $5.77 | $1.77 | $3.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.72 | $3.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.7 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 | 2.3 | 0 | $0.82 | $0.37 |
| Efficient EV | 2 | 0 | $0.68 | $0.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
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
Federal Way, WA
Late night in Federal Way on Sunday
Local time
1:07 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
11m 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 drive for this trip, with 73% of the journey on major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch spans 5.7 miles, predominantly on I-5, offering a chance to maintain a consistent speed. While the majority is interstate, you'll briefly transition to local roads like South 320th Street and Pacific Highway South. This mix means you'll experience both open highway driving and the character of Pacific Northwest communities as you approach your destination.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.7 mi on I 5.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and South 320th Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 11m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (I 5): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
465 ft
16 ft
Total Climb
482 ft
Total Descent
34 ft
Highest Point
465 ft
~7.8 mi in
Elevation Range
448 ft
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 11m. Total distance: 7.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
11m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.7 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: Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (I 5): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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