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Trip from Kirkland, WA to Sammamish, WA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

17m

Distance

7.5 mi

12 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 16m ★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m ★

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in King County, Washington, United States

Kirkland, WA

Wikimedia Commons

city in King County, Washington, United States

Sammamish, WA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short 7.5-mile drive from Kirkland to Sammamish, Washington, is easily accomplished in about 17 minutes, making it a perfect option for a quick local trip. You'll primarily navigate Redmond Way and East Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast, with a small portion on Northeast 85th Street. Given its brevity, this route is ideal as a single-day excursion rather than requiring an overnight stay. The estimated fuel cost is a modest $2, reflecting the minimal distance covered. Expect a straightforward journey within the Pacific Coast region, connecting two points within Washington state.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Redmond Way 3.3 mi 7m
East Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast 1.9 mi 4m
Northeast 85th Street 1.6 mi 3m
7th Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
6th Street <0.1 mi <1m
1st Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Redmond Way — 3.3 mi, about 7m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Kirkland, WA and Sammamish, WA.

1

Start on 1st Street

399 ft · 16 sec · 1st Street
2

Turn left onto 7th Avenue

0.1 mi · 16 sec · 7th Avenue
3

Continue on 7th Avenue

0.3 mi · 52 sec · 7th Avenue
4

Continue on 7th Avenue

0.1 mi · 20 sec · 7th Avenue
5

Turn right onto 6th Street

449 ft · 14 sec · 6th Street
6

Turn left onto Northeast 85th Street

1.6 mi · 3 min · Northeast 85th Street
Use the straight lane.
7

Continue on Redmond Way

3.3 mi · 7 min · Redmond Way
Use the straight lane.
8

Turn slight right

346 ft · 14 sec
Use the right lane.
9

Turn straight onto East Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast

1.9 mi · 4 min · East Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast
Use the straight / right lanes.
10

Arrive at destination

East Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 0.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | 7th Avenue

Turn left onto 7th Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | 7th Avenue

Enter roundabout onto 7th Avenue

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | 7th Avenue

Enter roundabout onto 7th Avenue

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

4
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in | 6th Street

Turn right onto 6th Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.7 mi into trip | ~2m in | Northeast 85th Street

Turn left onto Northeast 85th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.57 one way

$3.14 round trip

$5.32/gal 25.4 MPG avg 3 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.58 $1.65 $3.29
premium $5.77 $1.70 $3.41
diesel $5.61 $1.66 $3.31

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 2.6 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 2.3 0 $0.79 $0.36
Efficient EV 1.9 0 $0.66 $0.30
EV Truck/SUV 3 0 $1.05 $0.48

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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Kirkland, WA

Morning in Kirkland on Sunday

Local time

7:41 AM

PDT

Current temp

57°F

Sunny

SSW 5 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 6:46AM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 6:46AM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR

Destination

Sammamish, WA

Morning in Sammamish on Sunday

Local time

7:41 AM

PDT

Current temp

56°F

Sunny

SW 3 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 6:46AM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 6:46AM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR

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

17m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is characterized as a "turn-heavy local drive," meaning you'll be making frequent turns rather than cruising on a highway. Only about 25% of this trip involves highway driving, with the longest uninterrupted stretch being 3.3 miles along Redmond Way. As you transition to East Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast and then Northeast 85th Street, the local road nature will become more pronounced. Be prepared for a more engaged driving experience with varied road conditions and potential traffic signals.

Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.3 mi on Redmond Way.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 7th Avenue.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

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.

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 17m. Total distance: 7.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

17m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (25%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 3.3 miles on Redmond Way. 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: 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.

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 Sammamish, 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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