Origin
Independence, OR
Late night in Independence on Tuesday
Local time
1:10 AM
PDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Independence, OR to Oregon City, OR
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
1h 13m
Distance
54.3 mi
87 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Independence, OR
Wikimedia Commons
Oregon City, OR
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Independence, OR to Oregon City, OR is 54.3 miles and takes about 1h 13m via I 5 and I 205, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Pacific Coast region, making it a straightforward drive between two points in Oregon. You'll mostly be on major highways, so expect a generally efficient journey. This route is ideal if you need to get from point A to point B without much fuss. It’s a short enough trip to make on a single day, perfect for a quick transfer or a visit to a nearby area.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 28.4 mi | 33m |
| I 205 | 7.3 mi | 8m |
| Independence Highway | 5.4 mi | 8m |
| Salem Dallas Highway Northwest | 4.9 mi | 6m |
| Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Parkway | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Liberty Street Northeast | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South Main Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Center Street Bridge | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 5
— 28.4 mi, about 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Independence, OR and Oregon City, OR.
1
Start on this road
25 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto OR 51
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Monmouth Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto OR 51
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
4
Continue on OR 51
5.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Independence Highway
5
Take the ramp onto Salem Dallas Highway Northwest
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
Salem Dallas Highway Northwest
Toward OR 22 East: Salem
6
Merge onto OR 22
4.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Salem Dallas Highway Northwest
7
Keep slight right at fork onto OR 22
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Center Street Bridge
Toward OR 99E Business South: City Center, Albany
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
Toward OR 99E Business North: Keizer, Portland
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Turn right onto OR 99E Bus
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Front Street Northeast
10
Turn left onto OR 99E Bus
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Commercial Street Northeast
11
Continue on OR 99E Bus
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Liberty Street Northeast
12
Turn right onto OR 99E Bus
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Parkway
Use the left lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
28 mi
·
33 min
·
I 5
Toward I 5 North: Portland
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 288
Toward I 205 North: Oregon City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 205
7.3 mi
·
8 min
·
I 205
Use the straight lane.
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 8
Toward OR 43: West Linn, Lake Oswego
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Enter roundabout onto OR 43
24 ft
·
0 sec
·
Willamette Drive
18
Continue on OR 43
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Willamette Drive
19
Turn slight left onto OR 43
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Oregon City Bridge
20
Continue on OR 43
371 ft
·
12 sec
·
7th Street
21
At end of road, turn left onto Railroad Avenue
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Railroad Avenue
22
Turn right onto Main Street
332 ft
·
10 sec
·
Main Street
23
Turn right onto 10th Street
173 ft
·
5 sec
·
10th Street
Use the right lane.
24
Continue on Singer Hill Road
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Singer Hill Road
25
Turn right onto 7th Street
102 ft
·
3 sec
·
7th Street
26
Arrive at destination
7th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.1 miles from Independence, OR, 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 11.4 and 53.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
11.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
OR 22 / Center Street Bridge
Keep slight right at fork onto OR 22 / Center Street Bridge toward OR 99E Business South: City Center, Albany
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward OR 99E Business South: City Center, Alba...
7
11.9 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward OR 99E Business North: Keizer, Portland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward OR 99E Business North: Keizer, Portland
7
16.7 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
I 5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 toward I 5 North: Portland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 5 North: Portland
7
45.1 mi into trip
|
~1h in
Take the exit toward I 205 North: Oregon City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 288
Toward I 205 North: Oregon City
8
53.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
Take the exit toward OR 43: West Linn, Lake Oswego
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 8
Toward OR 43: West Linn, Lake Oswego
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.82 one way
$21.63 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $11.45 | $22.90 |
| premium | $5.59 | $11.95 | $23.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.99 | $23.98 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 19 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.3 | 0 | $5.70 | $2.61 |
| Efficient EV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.75 | $2.17 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.7 | 0 | $7.60 | $3.48 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Oregon City, OR
Late night in Oregon City on Tuesday
Local time
1:10 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°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
27 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
1h 13m 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 heavily highway-focused, with 71% of the journey on major roadways like I 5 and I 205. Expect stretches of consistent speed as you navigate these interstates. The longest uninterrupted stretch of highway driving you'll encounter is 28.4 miles on I 5. While the profile is primarily 'highway-focused,' you'll also utilize Independence Highway, offering a slight variation before rejoining the faster routes. The character is largely about efficient travel on well-maintained roads, minimizing local traffic delays.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28.4 mi on I 5.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and I 205. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.4 miles in near OR 22 / Center Street Bridge.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 54.3 miles you will encounter 17 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: at 11.4 miles (OR 22 / Center Street Bridge): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.7 miles (I 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Independence, OR and Oregon City, OR, road signs point toward Albany and Portland.
Albany
11.4 mi in
|
~16m
|
via OR 22
Portland
11.9 mi in
|
~17m
About the Cities
Arriving in Oregon City, OR
Full guide →Oregon City is a city of 37,000 people (2019) in the Portland Metropolitan Area. The seat of suburban Clackamas County, it is best known as being the end of the Oregon Trail. Several tourist attractions in the city commemorate this history.
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 1h 13m. Total distance: 54.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 28.4 miles on I 5. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 6 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Oregon City, OR 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 11.4 miles (OR 22 / Center Street Bridge): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.7 miles (I 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Oregon City, OR 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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