Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
29.8 mi
48 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mountlake Terrace, WA
JOHN CALLERY
John Sam Lake, WA
Jan Simpson
Mountlake Terrace, WA to John Sam Lake, WA is 29.8 miles and takes about 44m via I 5, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Washington's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward connection between two points. Given its brief duration and primarily highway profile, it's an ideal option for a quick errand or a brief leg of a larger Pacific Northwest adventure. You'll spend most of your time on the interstate, making it an efficient transit rather than a scenic tour.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 22.5 mi | 28m |
| 140th Street Northeast | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| 34th Avenue Northeast | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| 12th Avenue Northwest | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| 56th Avenue West | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Stimson Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| 220th Street Southwest | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 116th Street Northeast | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 27 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~6,171 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~519 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Mountlake Terrace, WA and John Sam Lake, WA.
Start on this road
Turn left onto 56th Avenue West
Turn left onto 220th Street Southwest
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 5
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto 116th Street Northeast
Turn slight right
Turn straight onto 34th Avenue Northeast
Enter roundabout onto 34th Avenue Northeast
Continue on 34th Avenue Northeast
At end of road, turn left onto Stimson Road
Continue on 140th Street Northeast
Turn left onto 12th Avenue Northwest
Continue on 12th Avenue Northwest
Turn left onto 125th Place Northwest
Turn right
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 25.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto 220th Street Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward I 5 North
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward 116th Street Northeast
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward 116th Street Northeast, State Patrol
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
At end of road, turn left onto Stimson Road
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$6.60 one way
$13.21 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.91 | $6.93 | $13.86 |
| premium | $6.08 | $7.13 | $14.27 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $6.28 | $12.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.13 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Mountlake Terrace on Wednesday
Local time
2:51 PM
PDT
Current temp
77°F
Sunny
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued May 27 at 11:46AM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
Destination
Afternoon in John Sam Lake on Wednesday
Local time
2:51 PM
PDT
Current temp
75°F
Sunny
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued May 27 at 11:46AM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This route is mostly highway, with 75% of the 29.8 miles on I 5. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 22.5 miles on I 5 before transitioning to surface streets like 140th Street Northeast and 34th Avenue Northeast. Expect a high volume of exits and merging traffic typical of interstate driving for the majority of your trip.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and 140th Street Northeast. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near 220th Street Southwest.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 29.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (220th Street Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 23.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
741 ft
Total Descent
656 ft
Highest Point
547 ft
~6.4 mi in
Elevation Range
546 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Mountlake Terrace, WA and John Sam Lake, WA, road signs point toward 116Th Street Northeast, State Patrol and 34Th Avenue Northeast.
116Th Street Northeast
State Patrol
34Th Avenue Northeast
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Cafe
Later in the drive, right off the route
Seattle Premium, WA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Near the start, right off the route
Mountlake Terrace, WA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Later in the drive, right off the route
Cafe
Near the start, short detour
Edmonds, WA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: 24/7
Visit websiteCafe
Around the midpoint, short detour
Cuisine: sandwich
Visit websiteCafe
Early in the drive, short detour
Mill Creek, WA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Su-Th 04:30-19:30; Fr 04:30-20:00; Sa 04...
Visit websiteFood_court
Early in the drive, right off the route
Everett, WA
Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-20:30; Sa 09:30-18:00; Su 10...
Visit websiteFast_food
Near the start, right off the route
Lynnwood, WA
Cuisine: chinese
Hours: Su-Th 09:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 09:30-22:30
Visit websiteFast_food
Near the start, right off the route
Lynnwood, WA
Cuisine: mexican
Hours: 10:45-23:00
Visit websiteFast_food
Later in the drive, right off the route
Marysville, WA
Cuisine: sandwich
Hours: Mo-Th 09:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-23:00; Su...
Visit websiteFast_food
Later in the drive, right off the route
Marysville, WA
Cuisine: pizza
Hours: Mo-Th 10:30-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-01:00; Su...
Visit websiteFast_food
Later in the drive, right off the route
Tulalip, WA
Cuisine: sandwich
Hours: Mo-Th 11:00-19:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-20:00; Su...
Visit websiteViewpoint
Around the midpoint, short detour
Artwork
Early in the drive, right off the route
Yes
Around the midpoint, short detour
WA
Artwork
Around the midpoint, short detour
Artwork
Around the midpoint, short detour
Artwork
Around the midpoint, short detour
Memorial
Around the midpoint, short detour
Hotel
Early in the drive, short detour
Everett, WA
Visit websiteHotel
Later in the drive, short detour
Hotel
Early in the drive, short detour
Everett
Motel
Early in the drive, short detour
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
Founded 1954
Mountlake Terrace is a city in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, and is one of many Seattle's northern suburbs along Interstate 5.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 29.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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