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Trip from Kirkland, WA to Seattle, WA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

20m

Distance

11.4 mi

18 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 19m ★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m

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 and county seat of King County, State of Washington, United States

Seattle, WA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling between Kirkland and Seattle is a quick, straightforward journey covering just 11.4 miles. You can expect to reach your destination in about 20 minutes, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stops. Your route will primarily utilize WA 520, I-5, and Lake Washington Boulevard Northeast to navigate the Pacific Coast region. With a fuel cost of only $2, it is a highly economical way to move between these two Washington hubs. Since the entire trip is short, you have the flexibility to plan your departure around your personal schedule without worrying about long-haul fatigue.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
WA 520 5.8 mi 8m
I 5 1.8 mi 2m
Lake Washington Boulevard Northeast 1.7 mi 3m
Lake Street 0.6 mi 1m
1st Street 0.4 mi <1m
5th Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Union Street 0.2 mi <1m
Bellevue Way Northeast <0.1 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 Seattle, 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

1.8 mi · 2 min · I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Exit 165B Toward Union Street Use the slight right lane.
11

Continue on Union Street

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Union Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
12

Turn left onto 5th Avenue

0.3 mi · 55 sec · 5th Avenue
Use the left lane.
13

Turn right onto Madison Street

113 ft · 9 sec · Madison Street
14

Turn left

31 ft · 2 sec
15

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.8 and 11.1 — 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
7
10.8 mi into trip | ~18m in

Take the exit toward Union Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 165B Toward Union Street
7
11.1 mi into trip | ~19m in | 5th Avenue

Turn left onto 5th Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.39 one way

$4.77 round trip

$5.32/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.58 $2.50 $5.00
premium $5.77 $2.59 $5.18
diesel $5.61 $2.52 $5.03

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.4 0 $1.20 $0.55
Efficient EV 2.9 0 $1.00 $0.46
EV Truck/SUV 4.6 0 $1.60 $0.73

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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

Late night in Kirkland on Tuesday

Local time

2:24 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

Seattle, WA

Late night in Seattle on Tuesday

Local time

2:24 AM

PDT

Current temp

65°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

8 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

20m 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 highway-focused drive is efficient, with 67% of the journey spent on major thoroughfares. You will spend the longest uninterrupted portion of your trip on WA 520, which spans 5.8 miles of the total distance. Expect a transition from suburban corridors to the more dense traffic patterns typical of the Seattle metro area. Because the route relies heavily on high-speed roads, it functions more as a direct connection than a leisurely scenic tour. You should be prepared for the typical rhythm of interstate travel as you move through this 11.4-mile corridor.

67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 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?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on WA 520 and I 5. 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 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 11.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.

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.

Arriving in Seattle, WA

Full guide →

Seattle, Washington sits at one of the most beautiful spots in the United States. Occupying a narrow isthmus between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington, it is the biggest city in the Pacific Northwest, with 780,000 people in Seattle and over four million people in the metro area. Seen from above, carpets of evergreen trees, pristine blue waters, and snowy white mountains surround the downtown's metallic skyscrapers, earning the city its nickname The Emerald City. On the ground, you will find a vibrant and cosmopolitan city. Next to the progressive downtown and the freewheeling feel of Capitol Hill, you can find a laid-back atmosphere in the districts to the north and ethnically diverse neighborhoods to the south.

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 20m. Total distance: 11.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

20m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

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 Seattle, 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 Seattle, 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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