Origin
Portland, OR
Morning in Portland on Friday
Local time
8:06 AM
PDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Portland, OR to Sandy, OR
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
27.9 mi
45 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Portland, OR
Wikimedia Commons
Sandy, OR
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Portland, OR to Sandy, OR covers 27.9 miles and takes about 45m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Mount Hood Highway, Banfield Freeway, Columbia River Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.9 miles on Mount Hood Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.41 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Hood Highway | 8.9 mi | 12m |
| Banfield Freeway | 6.5 mi | 8m |
| Columbia River Highway | 6.3 mi | 7m |
| Northeast Hogan Drive | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Northeast 238th Drive | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Northeast Burnside Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Pioneer Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Southeast Mount Hood Highway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Mount Hood Highway
— 8.9 mi, about 12m
Traffic on I-84
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~4,360 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~449 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Portland, OR and Sandy, OR.
1
Start on this road
110 ft
·
10 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Northwest Couch Street
170 ft
·
11 sec
·
Northwest Couch Street
3
Turn right onto Northwest 5th Avenue
243 ft
·
12 sec
·
Northwest 5th Avenue
4
Turn left onto West Burnside Street
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
West Burnside Street
5
Continue on Burnside Bridge
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Burnside Bridge
6
Continue on East Burnside Street
526 ft
·
28 sec
·
East Burnside Street
7
Turn left onto OR 99E
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Northeast Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
Toward I 84, US 30 East: Portland Airport, The Dalles
Use the right lane.
9
Merge onto I 84; US 30
6.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Banfield Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 84; US 30
6.3 mi
·
7 min
·
Columbia River Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 16
Toward 238th Drive, Wood Village
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto Northeast 238th Drive
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Northeast 238th Drive
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
13
Continue on Northeast 242nd Drive
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
·
Northeast 242nd Drive
14
Continue on Northeast Hogan Drive
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Northeast Hogan Drive
Use the left lane.
15
Turn slight left onto Northeast Burnside Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Northeast Burnside Road
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on Southeast Mount Hood Highway
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
Southeast Mount Hood Highway
17
Continue on US 26
8.9 mi
·
12 min
·
Mount Hood Highway
18
Continue on US 26
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Pioneer Boulevard
19
Turn left onto Shelley Avenue
370 ft
·
23 sec
·
Shelley Avenue
20
Turn left onto US 26
79 ft
·
6 sec
·
Proctor Boulevard
21
Turn right onto Alternate Avenue
74 ft
·
4 sec
·
Alternate Avenue
22
Turn right
156 ft
·
11 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Northwest Couch Street
Turn right onto Northwest Couch Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Northwest 5th Avenue
Turn right onto Northwest 5th Avenue
Navigation decision point
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
OR 99E / Northeast Grand Avenue
Turn left onto OR 99E / Northeast Grand Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward I 84, US 30 East: Portland Airport, The Dalles
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward I 84, US 30 East: Portland Airport, The...
8
13.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward 238th Drive, Wood Village
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16
Toward 238th Drive, Wood Village
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.41 one way
$10.82 round trip
$4.92/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.20 | $5.71 | $11.43 |
| premium | $5.44 | $5.97 | $11.94 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $6.15 | $12.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.93 | $1.34 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.44 | $1.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.91 | $1.79 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Sandy, OR
Morning in Sandy on Friday
Local time
8:06 AM
PDT
Current temp
76°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
45m 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?
27.9 mi in 45m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.9 mi on Mount Hood Highway.
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 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Northwest Couch Street.
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 27.9 miles you will encounter 13 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: near the start (Northwest Couch Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Northwest 5th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (OR 99E / Northeast Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
981 ft
32 ft
Total Climb
1,103 ft
Total Descent
154 ft
Highest Point
981 ft
~27.9 mi in
Elevation Range
949 ft
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 Portland, OR to Sandy, OR, road signs begin pointing toward Wood Village along the way.
Wood Village
13.9 mi in
|
~20m
About the Cities
Starting in Portland, OR
Full guide →Few American cities can match the youthful spirit of Portland, "The City of Roses". The largest city in the state of Oregon, Portland's residents are proud of their city, which draws people for its scenic beauty, great outdoors environment, excellent microbreweries, and eco-friendly urban planning policies, as well as a reputation for colorful characters and a proudly liberal outlook with an attitude to match. Lying about 70 mi (124 km) from the Pacific Coast on Oregon's northern border, the city straddles the Willamette River (pronounced will-LAM-ett; just remember the rhyme "It's Willamette, dammit.") south of its confluence with the Columbia River. To the east, majestic Mount Hood forms an inspiring backdrop for Portland's skyline.
Top landmarks
- • Union Station — railroad station in Portland, Oregon, USA
- • Veterans Memorial Coliseum — indoor arena in Portland, Oregon, USA
- • Portland Building — municipal office building in Portland
Arriving in Sandy, OR
Full guide →Founded 1913
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 45m. Total distance: 27.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.9 miles on Mount Hood Highway. 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 Sandy, OR 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: near the start (Northwest Couch Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Northwest 5th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (OR 99E / Northeast Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sandy, OR 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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