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Trip from Manchester, WA to Seattle, WA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 1m

Distance

19.5 mi

31 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 57m ★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 5m
12 PM
1h 4m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 11m
8 PM
0h 59m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Manchester, WA, WA

Manchester, WA

Mylo Kaye

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

Seattle, WA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 19.5-mile journey from Manchester to Seattle, Washington, takes about an hour to complete. It's primarily a local drive with a turn-heavy profile, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You'll navigate using roads like Fauntleroy - Southworth Ferry, Fauntleroy Way Southwest, and Southeast Southworth Drive. With a projected fuel cost of around $4, this quick route offers a straightforward way to travel between two points within the Pacific Coast region. Since there are no designated stops, you have the flexibility to add your own along the way.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Fauntleroy - Southworth Ferry 4.8 mi 29m
Fauntleroy Way Southwest 3.7 mi 10m
Southeast Southworth Drive 3.5 mi 6m
West Seattle Bridge 2.4 mi 4m
I 5 2.2 mi 2m
Colchester Drive East 1 mi 1m
Colchester Drive Southeast 0.7 mi 1m
Southworth Ferry 0.2 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Fauntleroy - Southworth Ferry — 4.8 mi, about 29m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Manchester, WA and Seattle, WA.

1

Start on East Main Street

7 ft · 5 sec · East Main Street
2

Turn left onto Colchester Drive East

1.0 mi · 1 min · Colchester Drive East
3

Continue on Colchester Drive Southeast

0.7 mi · 1 min · Colchester Drive Southeast
4

At end of road, turn left onto Southeast Southworth Drive

2.8 mi · 4 min · Southeast Southworth Drive
5

Continue on Southeast Southworth Drive

0.7 mi · 1 min · Southeast Southworth Drive
6

Continue on WA 160

0.2 mi · 1 min · Southworth Ferry
7

Turn straight onto WA 160

4.8 mi · 29 min · Fauntleroy - Southworth Ferry
8

Continue on Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal

0.2 mi · 19 sec · Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal
9

At end of road, turn left onto Fauntleroy Way Southwest

3.7 mi · 10 min · Fauntleroy Way Southwest
Use the left / right lanes.
10

Continue on West Seattle Bridge

2.4 mi · 4 min · West Seattle Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 46 sec
Toward I 5 North: Vancouver British Columbia Use the slight left lane.
12

Merge onto I 5

2.2 mi · 2 min · I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Exit 165 Toward Seneca Street Use the slight left lane.
14

Turn left onto Seneca Street

323 ft · 18 sec · Seneca Street
15

Turn left onto 5th Avenue

0.1 mi · 27 sec · 5th Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
16

Turn right onto Madison Street

113 ft · 9 sec · Madison Street
17

Turn left

31 ft · 2 sec
18

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.7 and 19.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
1.7 mi into trip | ~3m in | Southeast Southworth Drive

At end of road, turn left onto Southeast Southworth Drive

Navigation decision point

6
10.4 mi into trip | ~41m in | Fauntleroy Way Southwest

At end of road, turn left onto Fauntleroy Way Southwest

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / right lanes.
6
16.5 mi into trip | ~56m in

Take the exit toward I 5 North: Vancouver British Columbia

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

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 5 North: Vancouver British Columbia
7
19.1 mi into trip | ~1h in

Take the exit toward Seneca Street

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

Use the slight left lane. Exit 165 Toward Seneca Street
7
19.4 mi into trip | ~1h 1m in | 5th Avenue

Turn left onto 5th Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.08 one way

$8.16 round trip

$5.32/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.58 $4.28 $8.56
premium $5.77 $4.43 $8.86
diesel $5.61 $4.31 $8.61

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.9 0 $2.05 $0.94
Efficient EV 4.9 0 $1.71 $0.78
EV Truck/SUV 7.8 0 $2.73 $1.25

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Manchester, WA

Late night in Manchester on Sunday

Local time

12:30 AM

PDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Seattle, WA

Late night in Seattle on Sunday

Local time

12:30 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

4 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 1m 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 driving experience characterized by frequent turns, as indicated by its 'turn-heavy local drive' profile. With only 11% of the route on highways, most of your time will be spent on local roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is approximately 4.8 miles on the Fauntleroy - Southworth Ferry. This suggests a varied drive, likely involving city streets and ferry travel, rather than a monotonous highway cruise. The road character will shift as you transition from local surface streets to the ferry and then into the urban environment of Seattle.

Only 11% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.8 mi on Fauntleroy - Southworth Ferry.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.7 miles in near Southeast Southworth Drive.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 19.5 miles you will encounter 10 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 1.7 miles (Southeast Southworth Drive): Navigation decision point; at 10.4 miles (Fauntleroy Way Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 1m. Total distance: 19.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 4.8 miles on Fauntleroy - Southworth Ferry. 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 1.7 miles (Southeast Southworth Drive): Navigation decision point; at 10.4 miles (Fauntleroy Way Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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