Origin
Kent, WA
Late night in Kent on Tuesday
Local time
5:03 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kent, WA to Renton, 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
8.3 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 12m
★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 15m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 13m
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.
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick commute between Kent and Renton, this 8.3-mile trip is an efficient way to get across the Pacific Coast region. The drive takes approximately 12 minutes, making it a perfect day trip that requires no overnight stops. With fuel costs estimated at just $2, it is an incredibly budget-friendly route for your schedule. You will primarily utilize the Valley Freeway, Rainier Avenue South, and West Willis Street to complete the journey. Because the distance is so short, you have complete flexibility to make this trip whenever your daily plans require it.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Valley Freeway | 6.4 mi | 8m |
| Rainier Avenue South | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| West Willis Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 4th Avenue South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Gowe Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 2nd Avenue South | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Valley Freeway
— 6.4 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kent, WA and Renton, WA.
1
Start on 2nd Avenue South
10 ft
·
4 sec
·
2nd Avenue South
2
Turn right onto West Gowe Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Gowe Street
3
Turn left onto 4th Avenue South
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
4th Avenue South
4
Turn slight right
182 ft
·
6 sec
5
Turn straight onto WA 516
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
West Willis Street
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Toward WA 167 North: Renton
7
Merge onto WA 167
6.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on WA 167
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Rainier Avenue South
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right
39 ft
·
2 sec
10
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 8.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Gowe Street
Turn right onto West Gowe Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
4th Avenue South
Turn left onto 4th Avenue South
Navigation decision point
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward WA 167 North: Renton
Navigation decision point
Toward WA 167 North: Renton
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
WA 167 / Valley Freeway
Merge onto WA 167 / Valley Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
8.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.74 one way
$3.47 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $1.82 | $3.64 |
| premium | $5.77 | $1.88 | $3.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.83 | $3.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.9 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 | 2.5 | 0 | $0.87 | $0.40 |
| Efficient EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.73 | $0.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.16 | $0.53 |
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
Renton, WA
Late night in Renton on Tuesday
Local time
5:03 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°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 cooler 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 highway-focused experience, as roughly 77% of this route consists of high-speed travel. You will spend the bulk of your time on the Valley Freeway, which accounts for the longest uninterrupted stretch of 6.4 miles. The transition from the freeway onto local roads like West Willis Street and Rainier Avenue South happens quickly, shifting the pace from open pavement to a more urban environment. While the drive is brief, it maintains a consistent, functional rhythm that prioritizes speed and directness over winding, scenic detours. You will find that the road character is utilitarian, designed specifically to bridge these two Washington cities without unnecessary complexity.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.4 mi on Valley Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Valley Freeway and Rainier Avenue South. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Gowe Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 12m drive. You will face about 5 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 (West Gowe Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (4th Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles: Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Kent, WA
Full guide →Kent is the fourth largest city in King County in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, between Seattle and Tacoma.
Arriving in Renton, WA
Full guide →Renton is a city in King County, Washington south of Bellevue and north of Kent. It is a quiet suburb of Seattle at the base of Lake Washington. Renton is primarily known as the site of the Boeing 737 plant, where the popular commercial jetliner is built. Renton is also notable for being the resting place of rock legend Jimi Hendrix. Its relatively inexpensive property prices make it a solid choice of stay while visiting Seattle, and the downtown area has many quiet charms of its own.
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: 8.3 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 (77%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.4 miles on Valley Freeway. 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 (West Gowe Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (4th Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles: Navigation decision point.
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 Renton, 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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