Origin
Kirkland, WA
Morning in Kirkland on Tuesday
Local time
6:00 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kirkland, WA to Manchester, 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
1h 19m
Distance
30.3 mi
49 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 13m
★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 32m
10 AM
1h 24m
12 PM
1h 23m
3 PM
1h 24m
5 PM
1h 31m
8 PM
1h 16m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kirkland, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Manchester, WA
Mylo Kaye
Trip Overview
Kirkland to Manchester is 30.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 19 minutes via WA 520 and the Fauntleroy - Southworth Ferry, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Washington State, connecting two points in the Pacific Coast region. You'll experience a mixed drive that includes highway and ferry travel, making it a straightforward and efficient journey. With a recommended one-day trip duration, this route is ideal for a quick getaway or a day trip without feeling rushed.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| WA 520 | 5.8 mi | 8m |
| Fauntleroy - Southworth Ferry | 4.8 mi | 29m |
| I 5 | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Fauntleroy Way Southwest | 3.7 mi | 10m |
| Southeast Southworth Drive | 3.5 mi | 6m |
| West Seattle Bridge | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Lake Washington Boulevard Northeast | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Colchester Drive East | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
WA 520
— 5.8 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kirkland, WA and Manchester, WA.
1
Start on 1st Street
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
1st Street
2
At end of road, turn left onto Central Way
306 ft
·
19 sec
·
Central Way
3
Turn right onto Lake Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Lake Street
4
Continue on Lake Washington Boulevard Northeast
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Lake Washington Boulevard Northeast
5
Continue on Bellevue Way Northeast
342 ft
·
13 sec
·
Bellevue Way Northeast
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward WA 520 Toll West: Seattle
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Merge onto WA 520
5.3 mi
·
7 min
·
WA 520
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto WA 520
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
WA 520
Toward I 5 South: Portland
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 5
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 163A
Toward West Seattle Bridge, Columbian Way
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward Spokane Street, West Seattle Bridge
12
Continue on West Seattle Bridge
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
West Seattle Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on Fauntleroy Way Southwest
3.7 mi
·
10 min
·
Fauntleroy Way Southwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto Southwest Barton Street
171 ft
·
2 sec
·
Southwest Barton Street
15
Turn slight right onto Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal
16
Turn straight onto WA 160
4.8 mi
·
29 min
·
Fauntleroy - Southworth Ferry
17
Continue on WA 160
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Southworth Ferry
18
Continue on Southeast Southworth Drive
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Southeast Southworth Drive
19
Continue on Southeast Southworth Drive
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Southeast Southworth Drive
20
Turn right onto Colchester Drive Southeast
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Colchester Drive Southeast
21
Continue on Colchester Drive East
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Colchester Drive East
22
Turn right onto East Main Street
7 ft
·
0 sec
·
East Main Street
23
Arrive at destination
East Main Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 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 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.1 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 2.8 and 13.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
2.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp toward WA 520 Toll West: Seattle
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward WA 520 Toll West: Seattle
5
3.2 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
WA 520
Merge onto WA 520
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
8.5 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
WA 520
Keep slight left at fork onto WA 520 toward I 5 South: Portland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 5 South: Portland
8
13.4 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward West Seattle Bridge, Columbian Way
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 163A
Toward West Seattle Bridge, Columbian Way
6
13.6 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Spokane Street, West Seattle Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Spokane Street, West Seattle Bridge
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.34 one way
$12.68 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $6.65 | $13.30 |
| premium | $5.77 | $6.88 | $13.76 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.69 | $13.38 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.18 | $1.45 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.65 | $1.21 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.24 | $1.94 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Manchester, WA
Morning in Manchester on Tuesday
Local time
6:00 AM
PDT
Current temp
45°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
21 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
1h 19m 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 route offers a varied driving experience, with 34% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches of faster driving, including a longest uninterrupted segment of 5.8 miles on WA 520, before transitioning to the unique experience of the Fauntleroy - Southworth Ferry. The 'Mixed drive' profile suggests you'll move between different road types, so be prepared for changes in speed and traffic flow. This dynamic character keeps the drive engaging without being overly demanding.
34% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.8 mi on WA 520.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 30.3 miles you will encounter 11 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles (WA 520): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.5 miles (WA 520): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Kirkland, WA
Full guide →Kirkland is a charming city of 93,000 (2019) in King County, Washington, across from Seattle on the east side of Lake Washington.
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 19m. Total distance: 30.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (34%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.8 miles on WA 520. 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 Manchester, 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles (WA 520): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.5 miles (WA 520): 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 Manchester, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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