If you are looking for a quick transition across the Pacific Coast region, the 33.5-mile journey from Kittitas to South Cle Elum is an efficient choice. Expect to spend about 40 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel budget of approximately $7, the route is as economical as it is straightforward. You will primarily rely on I-90 before transitioning onto Main Street and South Cle Elum Way to reach your destination. Because the travel time is so brief, you do not need to worry about an overnight split; it is a simple, direct connection that gets you where you need to go without any unnecessary fuss.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 90
30.7 mi
32m
Main Street
0.9 mi
2m
South Cle Elum Way
0.8 mi
2m
South Oaks Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
West Railroad Street
0.2 mi
<1m
East First Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 30.7 mi, about 32m
Traffic on I-90
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
noon
~1,306 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,348
Quietest
2 AM
~126 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 102 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kittitas, WA and South Cle Elum, WA.
1
Start on East First Avenue
148 ft·9 sec·East First Avenue
2
Turn left onto Main Street
0.9 mi·2 min·Main Street
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·30 sec
Toward I 90 West
4
Merge onto I 90
31 mi·32 min·I 90
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi·25 sec
Toward Exit 84: Cle Elum
6
Turn right onto South Oaks Avenue
0.3 mi·40 sec·South Oaks Avenue
7
Turn left onto West Railroad Street
0.2 mi·53 sec·West Railroad Street
8
At end of road, turn left onto South Cle Elum Way
0.8 mi·2 min·South Cle Elum Way
9
Turn right
188 ft·13 sec
10
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 32.7 — 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|Main Street
Turn left onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.9 mi into trip|~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 90 West
Navigation decision point
Toward I 90 West
4
32 mi into trip|~35m in
Take the exit toward Exit 84: Cle Elum
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Exit 84: Cle Elum
4
32.5 mi into trip|~36m in|West Railroad Street
Turn left onto West Railroad Street
Navigation decision point
4
32.7 mi into trip|~37m in|South Cle Elum Way
At end of road, turn left onto South Cle Elum Way
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.05 one way
$14.11 round trip
$5.35/gal25.4 MPG avg12 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.56
$7.33
$14.66
premium
$5.76
$7.59
$15.18
diesel
$5.60
$7.38
$14.77
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
10.1
0
$3.52
$1.61
Efficient EV
8.4
0
$2.93
$1.34
EV Truck/SUV
13.4
0
$4.69
$2.14
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Aug 29, 2026
Origin
Kittitas, WA
Evening
in Kittitas on Friday
Local time
6:49 PM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Sunny
NW 24 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Blowing Dust Advisory
Blowing Dust Advisory issued August 29 at 12:02PM PDT until August 29 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
Blowing Dust Advisory
Blowing Dust Advisory issued August 29 at 12:02PM PDT until August 29 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
Destination
South Cle Elum, WA
Evening
in South Cle Elum on Friday
Local time
6:49 PM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Sunny
W 9 mph13% chanceLive forecast
Blowing Dust Advisory
Blowing Dust Advisory issued August 29 at 12:02PM PDT until August 29 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
Blowing Dust Advisory
Blowing Dust Advisory issued August 29 at 12:02PM PDT until August 29 at 5:00PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
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
4 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
40m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is heavily highway-focused, with 91% of your journey spent on high-speed roads. You will settle into a rhythm quickly, as the longest uninterrupted stretch covers 30.7 miles on I-90. While the interstate portion allows for consistent cruising, the character of the drive shifts once you exit onto local connectors like Main Street and South Cle Elum Way. Transitioning from the open highway to these local roads provides a clear change in pace as you arrive at your destination. It is a functional, no-nonsense drive that favors efficiency over technical maneuvering or winding backroads.
91% 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: 30.7 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and Main Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Main Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 40m drive. You will face about 8 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 (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 32 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The longest stretch is about 30.7 miles on I 90. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles: Navigation decision point; at 32 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at South Cle Elum, WA before heading back.
