Origin
Lake Stevens, WA
Late night in Lake Stevens on Tuesday
Local time
3:37 AM
PDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake Stevens, WA to Auburn, WA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 21m
Distance
54.7 mi
88 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 15m
★
6 AM
1h 22m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 26m
12 PM
1h 25m
3 PM
1h 27m
5 PM
1h 34m
8 PM
1h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Stevens, WA
JOHN CALLERY
Auburn, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 54.7-mile drive from Lake Stevens, WA to Auburn, WA is a manageable day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 21 minutes. With 85% of the journey on highways, it’s a largely focused drive. The estimated fuel cost is around $11, making it an economical option for a single-day excursion. Both your origin and destination are within the Pacific Coast region, so expect a consistent feel throughout your travels. This route is ideal for a straightforward transit between these two Washington locations without the need for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 405 | 20.4 mi | 25m |
| State Route 9 | 13.7 mi | 21m |
| Valley Freeway | 10.2 mi | 12m |
| State Route 522 | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| South Lake Stevens Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| East Lake Stevens Road | 1.4 mi | 4m |
| C Street Northwest | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| East Lakeshore Drive | 0.8 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 405
— 20.4 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Stevens, WA and Auburn, WA.
1
Start on Main Street
0.2 mi
·
46 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn right onto East Lakeshore Drive
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
East Lakeshore Drive
3
Continue on East Lake Stevens Road
1.4 mi
·
4 min
·
East Lake Stevens Road
4
At end of road, turn right onto South Lake Stevens Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
South Lake Stevens Road
5
Enter roundabout onto State Route 9
190 ft
·
3 sec
·
State Route 9
6
Continue on State Route 9
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
State Route 9
Use the straight lane.
7
Enter roundabout onto WA 9
123 ft
·
2 sec
·
State Route 9
8
Continue on WA 9
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
State Route 9
9
Continue on WA 9
5.6 mi
·
9 min
·
State Route 9
Use the left / uturn lanes.
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward WA 522 West: Seattle
11
Merge onto WA 522
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
State Route 522
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
58 sec
Toward I 405 South: Bellevue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn slight left onto I 405
20 mi
·
25 min
·
I 405
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 2
Toward WA 167 South: Auburn, Rainier Avenue South
Use the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
Toward WA 167 South: Auburn
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto WA 167
10 mi
·
12 min
·
Valley Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward 15th Street Northwest
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Turn left onto 15th Street Northwest
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
15th Street Northwest
Use the left / straight lanes.
19
Turn right onto C Street Northwest
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
C Street Northwest
Use the right lane.
20
Turn left onto West Main Street
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
West Main Street
21
Arrive at destination
East Main Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.3 miles from Lake Stevens, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 20.2 and 52.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
20.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward I 405 South: Bellevue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 405 South: Bellevue
8
41.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
Take the exit toward WA 167 South: Auburn, Rainier Avenue South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 2
Toward WA 167 South: Auburn, Rainier Avenue Sou...
7
41.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward WA 167 South: Auburn
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward WA 167 South: Auburn
6
52.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
Take the exit toward 15th Street Northwest
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward 15th Street Northwest
6
52.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
|
15th Street Northwest
Turn left onto 15th Street Northwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.45 one way
$22.90 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $12.01 | $24.01 |
| premium | $5.77 | $12.42 | $24.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.08 | $24.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.4 | 0 | $5.74 | $2.63 |
| Efficient EV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.79 | $2.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.9 | 0 | $7.66 | $3.50 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Auburn, WA
Late night in Auburn on Tuesday
Local time
3:37 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°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
1h 21m 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 experience on this 54.7-mile route, with 85% of your travel occurring on major roadways like I-405 and the Valley Freeway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 20.4 miles along I-405. While primarily a highway drive, you will also navigate sections of State Route 9. The character of the road is largely about efficient travel, with smooth transitions between these main arteries. You'll spend most of your time on faster-paced roads, facilitating a relatively quick journey.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.4 mi on I 405.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 405 and State Route 9. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 20.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 54.7 miles you will encounter 16 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 20.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Lake Stevens, WA to Auburn, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Rainier Avenue South along the way.
Rainier Avenue South
41.4 mi in
|
~1h 1m
About the Cities
Arriving in Auburn, WA
Full guide →Auburn is a city in south King County in the Puget Sound region of 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 1h 21m. Total distance: 54.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.4 miles on I 405. 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 Auburn, 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 20.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Auburn, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Auburn, WA
More trips to Auburn, WA
Explore more options from Lake Stevens, WA or browse trips ending in Auburn, WA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse WA road trips.