Origin
La Center, WA
Morning in La Center on Sunday
Local time
7:21 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from La Center, WA to Vancouver, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
17.5 mi
28 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
La Center, WA
Julio Lopez
Trip Overview
This short 17.5-mile drive from La Center, WA to Vancouver, WA is easily accomplished in about 23 minutes, making it a perfect quick trip. With 84% of the journey on highways, it's a straightforward hop, primarily utilizing I-5. Budget around $4 for fuel, as this is a very brief excursion. Since it's so short, it's ideal as a single-day trip, allowing you to maximize your time at your destination. Both locations are within the Pacific Coast region, so you won't be experiencing dramatic environmental shifts, but rather a smooth transition between two Washington communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 14.7 mi | 17m |
| Northwest La Center Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| East Fourth Plain Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Northwest Pacific Highway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Northwest 319th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East 4th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 5
— 14.7 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between La Center, WA and Vancouver, WA.
1
Start on this road
58 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto East 4th Street
527 ft
·
17 sec
·
East 4th Street
3
Enter roundabout onto Northwest Pacific Highway
117 ft
·
2 sec
·
Northwest Pacific Highway
4
Continue on Northwest Pacific Highway
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Northwest Pacific Highway
5
Continue on Northwest La Center Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Northwest La Center Road
6
Enter roundabout onto Northwest 319th Street
127 ft
·
2 sec
·
Northwest 319th Street
7
Continue on Northwest 319th Street
491 ft
·
12 sec
·
Northwest 319th Street
8
Enter roundabout
291 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 5 South: Portland
9
Continue
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 5 South: Portland
10
Merge onto I 5
8.5 mi
·
9 min
·
I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
6.2 mi
·
7 min
·
I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 1D
Toward 4th Plain Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
242 ft
·
13 sec
Toward 4th Plain Boulevard East
Use the left lane.
14
Turn left onto East Fourth Plain Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
East Fourth Plain Boulevard
Use the left lane.
15
Arrive at destination
East Fourth Plain Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 2.1 and 17.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.1 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Enter roundabout toward I 5 South: Portland
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Toward I 5 South: Portland
6
10.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
17.2 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward 4th Plain Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1D
Toward 4th Plain Boulevard
8
17.3 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward 4th Plain Boulevard East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward 4th Plain Boulevard East
6
17.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
East Fourth Plain Boulevard
Turn left onto East Fourth Plain Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.66 one way
$7.33 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $3.84 | $7.68 |
| premium | $5.77 | $3.97 | $7.95 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.86 | $7.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.84 | $0.84 |
| Efficient EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.53 | $0.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7 | 0 | $2.45 | $1.12 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Vancouver, WA
Morning in Vancouver on Sunday
Local time
7:21 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°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
2 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
23m 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?
Expect a highway-focused drive for the majority of this 17.5-mile route. You'll spend 84% of your time on major roadways, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 14.7 miles on I-5. This means you'll encounter consistent speeds and a predictable driving experience for most of the journey. Northwest La Center Road and East Fourth Plain Boulevard will likely feature at the beginning and end of your trip, offering a brief glimpse of local thoroughfares before you merge onto the interstate and then transition back off.
84% 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: 14.7 mi on I 5.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and Northwest La Center Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 17.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 23m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.1 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 10.9 miles (I 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Vancouver, WA
Full guide →Vancouver is a city in southwest Washington State, immediately north of the border with Oregon. The city was established around Fort Vancouver, a fur trading outpost dating back to 1824, making this one of the oldest continuously-inhabited European communities in the Pacific Northwest. Two bridges across the Columbia River connect Vancouver to the rest of the Portland Metropolitan Area.
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 23m. Total distance: 17.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.7 miles on I 5. 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 Vancouver, 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 2.1 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 10.9 miles (I 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Vancouver, 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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