Origin
Gig Harbor, WA
Late night in Gig Harbor on Sunday
Local time
5:03 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gig Harbor, 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
33m
Distance
23.7 mi
38 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 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gig Harbor, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Gig Harbor to Federal Way is 23.7 miles and takes about 33 minutes via I-5 and WA-16, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short, straightforward drive connects two points within the Pacific Coast region, both located in Washington state. Expect a highway-focused experience for the majority of your journey. With no designated stops and a quick travel time, this route is ideal for a simple point-to-point trip without extensive planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 10.3 mi | 12m |
| WA 16 | 9.6 mi | 12m |
| South 320th Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Pioneer Way | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Pacific Highway South | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Harborview Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South 312th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 5
— 10.3 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gig Harbor, WA and Federal Way, WA.
1
Start on Harborview Drive
188 ft
·
9 sec
·
Harborview Drive
2
Turn left onto Pioneer Way
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Pioneer Way
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
4
Merge onto WA 16
9.6 mi
·
12 min
·
WA 16
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward I 5 North: Seattle
Use the slight left lane.
7
Merge onto I 5
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
·
I 5
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
10 mi
·
12 min
·
I 5
Use the slight right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
Exit 143
Toward Federal Way, South 320th Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left onto South 320th Street
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
South 320th Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto WA 99
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Pacific Highway South
12
Turn right onto South 312th Street
158 ft
·
5 sec
·
South 312th Street
Use the right lane.
13
Turn right
24 ft
·
1 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 10.6 and 22.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
10.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
11.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 North: Seattle
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 5 North: Seattle
6
12 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
I 5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
8
22 mi into trip
|
~29m 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
22.3 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
South 320th Street
Turn left onto South 320th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.96 one way
$9.92 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $5.20 | $10.40 |
| premium | $5.77 | $5.38 | $10.76 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.23 | $10.47 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 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 | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
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
Federal Way, WA
Late night in Federal Way on Sunday
Local time
5:03 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
33m 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, with 84% of the route utilizing major roadways like I-5 and WA-16. You'll experience a longest stretch of 10.3 miles on I-5, offering a consistent, higher-speed environment. The character is largely that of a highway-focused drive, meaning you'll likely encounter typical interstate conditions. As you transition from WA-16 to I-5 and then onto South 320th Street, the road maintains its efficient, direct nature, prioritizing speed and connectivity over winding scenic detours.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.3 mi on I 5.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and WA 16. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 10.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 12 decision points packed into just 23.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 10.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12 miles (I 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 33m. Total distance: 23.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.3 miles on I 5. 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 10.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12 miles (I 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 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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