Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
26.7 mi
43 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Hill, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Renton to South Hill is 26.7 miles and takes about 40 minutes via Valley Freeway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within Washington's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward connection between two nearby areas. It's a practical route for anyone needing to get between these two points without a significant time commitment. Consider this a simple, direct drive that gets you where you need to go efficiently.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Valley Freeway | 19.4 mi | 24m |
| Shaw Road | 3.4 mi | 7m |
| Rainier Avenue South | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Military Road East | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East Main | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| 128th Street East | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| WA 410 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 126th Street Court East | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Renton, WA and South Hill, WA.
Start on this road
Turn left
Turn left
Turn left onto Rainier Avenue South
Continue on WA 167
Take the exit
Continue on WA 410
Take the exit
Turn right onto East Main
Continue on Shaw Road
Turn right onto Military Road East
Turn right onto Reservoir Road East
Continue on 128th Street East
Turn right onto 117th Avenue East
Continue on 126th Street Court East
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 21.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Take the exit toward WA 410 East: Sumner, Yakima
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward East Main Traffic Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto East Main
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.59 one way
$11.18 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $5.86 | $11.72 |
| premium | $5.77 | $6.06 | $12.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.90 | $11.79 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8 | 0 | $2.80 | $1.28 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.74 | $1.71 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Late night in Renton on Tuesday
Local time
5:06 AM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Mostly Cloudy
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 19 at 9:33PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
Destination
Late night in South Hill on Tuesday
Local time
5:06 AM
PDT
Current temp
48°F
Mostly Cloudy
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 19 at 9:33PM 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 drive is mostly highway, with 73% of the 26.7 miles on freeways. You'll experience a long stretch of 19.4 miles on the Valley Freeway. After that, the route transitions to surface roads like Shaw Road and Rainier Avenue South. Expect a mix of high-speed cruising and more local traffic as you approach your destination.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Valley Freeway and Shaw Road. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
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 26.7 miles you will encounter 9 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: Navigation decision point; near the start: Navigation decision point; at 20.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
561 ft
Total Descent
70 ft
Highest Point
537 ft
~26.7 mi in
Elevation Range
508 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Renton, WA to South Hill, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Yakima along the way.
Yakima
Renton is a city in King County, Washington south of Bellevue and north of Kent. It is a quiet suburb of Seattle at the base of Lake Washington. Renton is primarily known as the site of the Boeing 737 plant, where the popular commercial jetliner is built. Renton is also notable for being the resting place of rock legend Jimi Hendrix. Its relatively inexpensive property prices make it a solid choice of stay while visiting Seattle, and the downtown area has many quiet charms of its own.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 26.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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