Origin
Kittitas, WA
Night in Kittitas on Saturday
Local time
9:27 PM
PDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kittitas, WA to South Cle Elum, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
33.5 mi
54 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
7 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kittitas, WA
Wikimedia Commons
South Cle Elum, WA
Chris F
Trip Overview
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
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 85 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
$7.01 one way
$14.02 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $7.35 | $14.71 |
| premium | $5.77 | $7.61 | $15.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.40 | $14.79 |
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, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10 | 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.
Destination
South Cle Elum, WA
Night in South Cle Elum on Saturday
Local time
9:27 PM
PDT
Current temp
36°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
26 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
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 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 Effort
4/10
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.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 33.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 30.7 miles on I 90. 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: 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.
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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