Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
32.9 mi
53 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kirkland, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Black Diamond, WA
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Kirkland, WA to Black Diamond, WA covers 32.9 miles and takes about 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 405, Renton Maple Valley Road Southeast, Maple Valley Black Diamond Road Southeast for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13 miles on I 405. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.93 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 405 | 13 mi | 16m |
| Renton Maple Valley Road Southeast | 5.5 mi | 8m |
| Maple Valley Black Diamond Road Southeast | 5 mi | 9m |
| Maple Valley Highway | 4 mi | 7m |
| Southeast Renton Maple Valley Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| 3rd Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| WA 900 | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 7th Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 88 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~5,551 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~437 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
12.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Kirkland, WA and Black Diamond, WA.
Start on 1st Street
Turn left onto 7th Avenue
Continue on 7th Avenue
Continue on 7th Avenue
Turn right onto 6th Street
Turn left onto Northeast 85th Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 405
Take the exit onto WA 900
Turn left onto WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Enter roundabout onto WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Enter roundabout onto WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Enter roundabout onto WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Enter roundabout onto WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Enter roundabout onto WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Turn left onto Lawson Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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.
A short stop after about 32.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 16.5 miles from Kirkland, WA, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 32.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto 7th Avenue
Navigation decision point
Enter roundabout onto 7th Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Enter roundabout onto 7th Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Take the exit onto WA 900 toward WA 169 South, WA 900 West: Renton, Enumclaw
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Enter roundabout onto WA 169 / 3rd Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Regular Gas
$6.93 one way
$13.85 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.56 | $7.20 | $14.39 |
| premium | $5.76 | $7.46 | $14.91 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.25 | $14.50 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.45 | $1.58 |
| Efficient EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.88 | $1.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.2 | 0 | $4.61 | $2.11 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Kirkland on Saturday
Local time
11:06 AM
PDT
Current temp
73°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Morning in Black Diamond on Saturday
Local time
11:06 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Mostly Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
32.9 mi in 53m — 42% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: I 405.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 7th Avenue.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 32.9 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.1 miles (7th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (7th Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.5 miles (7th Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
962 ft
Total Descent
446 ft
Highest Point
675 ft
~32.9 mi in
Elevation Range
648 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Kirkland, WA to Black Diamond, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Enumclaw along the way.
Enumclaw
Founded 1888
Kirkland is a charming city of 93,000 (2019) in King County, Washington, across from Seattle on the east side of Lake Washington.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 53m. Total distance: 32.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (42%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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