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Trip from Moses Lake, WA to Coulee City, WA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 5m

Distance

46.1 mi

74 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
1h 1m ★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city in Grant County, Washington, United States

Moses Lake, WA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Coulee City, WA, WA

Coulee City, WA

Yu Lin Chen

Trip Overview

Moses Lake to Coulee City is 46.1 miles and takes about 1h 5m via WA 17, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward drive stays within Washington's Pacific Coast region, offering a focused journey. Expect a highway-centric experience for the majority of the trip, making it a quick and efficient option. It's a short enough drive that you can easily make it a same-day excursion, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
WA 17 29 mi 40m
State Route 17 13.7 mi 19m
Coulee Corridor / Sunset Highway 2 mi 2m
East 3rd Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
East Broadway Avenue 0.4 mi <1m
North 4th Street 0.3 mi 1m
West Main Street <0.1 mi <1m
South Division Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: WA 17 — 29 mi, about 40m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Moses Lake, WA and Coulee City, WA.

1

Start on South Division Street

10 ft · 2 sec · South Division Street
2

Turn right onto East 3rd Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · East 3rd Avenue
3

At end of road, turn right onto WA 171

0.4 mi · 33 sec · East Broadway Avenue
4

Turn left onto WA 17

1.7 mi · 2 min · State Route 17
5

Enter roundabout onto WA 17

88 ft · 1 sec · State Route 17
6

Continue on WA 17

12 mi · 17 min · State Route 17
7

Turn straight onto WA 17

29 mi · 40 min · WA 17
8

At end of road, turn right onto US 2

2.0 mi · 2 min · Coulee Corridor / Sunset Highway
9

Turn right onto North 4th Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · North 4th Street
10

Turn left onto West Main Street

179 ft · 4 sec · West Main Street
11

Arrive at destination

West Main Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 45.7 — 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 | East 3rd Avenue

Turn right onto East 3rd Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in | WA 171 / East Broadway Avenue

At end of road, turn right onto WA 171 / East Broadway Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
2.7 mi into trip | ~3m in | WA 17 / State Route 17

Enter roundabout onto WA 17 / State Route 17

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

4
43.7 mi into trip | ~1h 1m in | US 2 / Coulee Corridor / Sunset Highway

At end of road, turn right onto US 2 / Coulee Corridor / Sunset Highway

Navigation decision point

4
45.7 mi into trip | ~1h 4m in | North 4th Street

Turn right onto North 4th Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.21 one way

$20.43 round trip

$5.63/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.91 $10.72 $21.43
premium $6.08 $11.03 $22.07
diesel $5.35 $9.71 $19.42

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.8 0 $4.84 $2.21
Efficient EV 11.5 0 $4.03 $1.84
EV Truck/SUV 18.4 0 $6.45 $2.95

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% 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 Jun 3, 2026

Origin

Moses Lake, WA

Evening in Moses Lake on Wednesday

Local time

5:18 PM

PDT

Current temp

53°F

Mostly Cloudy

NE 5 mph 6% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued June 3 at 1:58AM PDT until June 4 at 12:00AM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued June 2 at 12:07PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA

Destination

Coulee City, WA

Evening in Coulee City on Wednesday

Local time

5:18 PM

PDT

Current temp

55°F

Mostly Cloudy

NE 6 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Wind Advisory

Wind Advisory issued June 3 at 1:58AM PDT until June 4 at 12:00AM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued June 2 at 12:07PM 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

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 5m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 93% of it on major roadways like WA 17 and the Coulee Corridor / Sunset Highway. You'll encounter the longest uninterrupted stretch for about 29 miles on WA 17, providing a consistent pace. The character of the drive remains largely the same throughout, emphasizing efficient travel over varied terrain or road types. It’s the kind of road that allows you to settle in and cover ground without significant interruptions.

93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29 mi on WA 17.

How Hard Is This Drive?

2/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on WA 17 and State Route 17. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East 3rd Avenue.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Moses Lake, WA to Coulee City, WA is easy. At 1h 5m with 93% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 3rd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (WA 171 / East Broadway Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (WA 17 / State Route 17): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,592 ft 1,068 ft

Total Climb

804 ft

Total Descent

280 ft

Highest Point

1,592 ft

~46.1 mi in

Elevation Range

524 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Moses Lake, WA

Full guide →

Founded 1938

Moses Lake is a city in the Columbia River Plateau of Washington State.

Arriving in Coulee City, WA

Full guide →

Coulee City is in the Columbia River Plateau of Washington State, at the south shore of Banks Lake in the Grand Coulee.

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 5m. Total distance: 46.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (93%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 29 miles on WA 17. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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 (East 3rd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (WA 171 / East Broadway Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (WA 17 / State Route 17): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Coulee City, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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