Origin
Renton, WA
Late night in Renton on Tuesday
Local time
2:22 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Renton, WA to Three Lakes, WA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 3m
Distance
39.7 mi
64 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 59m
★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 14m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 1m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Three Lakes, WA
JOHN CALLERY
Trip Overview
Renton to Three Lakes is 39.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 3 minutes via WA 900 and State Route 9, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Washington's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward journey. Expect a drive that's mostly on highways, making it a convenient option for a quick excursion. It's a very manageable distance, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B without a major time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| WA 900 | 15 mi | 19m |
| State Route 9 | 9.5 mi | 15m |
| Three Lakes Road | 3 mi | 7m |
| I 405 | 3 mi | 3m |
| WA 522 | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| Maple Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| 2nd Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| 163rd Avenue Southeast | 0.7 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
WA 900
— 15 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Renton, WA and Three Lakes, WA.
1
Start on this road
63 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
71 ft
·
8 sec
3
Turn left
98 ft
·
9 sec
4
Turn right onto Rainier Avenue South
520 ft
·
12 sec
·
Rainier Avenue South
5
Turn right onto Airport Way
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Airport Way
6
Continue on Logan Avenue South
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Logan Avenue South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn right onto North 3rd Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North 3rd Street
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn left onto WA 900
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Sunset Boulevard North
Use the left lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto WA 900
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Sunset Boulevard North
10
Take the ramp onto WA 900
15 mi
·
19 min
·
WA 900
Toward I 405 North, WA 900 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
I 405
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 23
Toward WA 522: Bothell, Woodinville
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
Toward WA 522 East: Woodinville
14
Merge onto WA 522
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
WA 522
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward WA 9 North: Snohomish, Arlington
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn left onto WA 9
5.7 mi
·
9 min
·
State Route 9
Use the left lane.
17
Continue on WA 9
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
State Route 9
18
Turn slight right
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Snohomish
19
Turn right onto 2nd Street
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
2nd Street
20
Turn left onto Maple Avenue
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Maple Avenue
Use the left lane.
21
Continue on Machias Road
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Machias Road
22
Turn right onto Three Lakes Road
3.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Three Lakes Road
23
Turn left onto 163rd Avenue Southeast
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
163rd Avenue Southeast
24
Arrive at destination
163rd Avenue Southeast
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 39.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19.8 miles from Renton, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 23.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North 3rd Street
Turn right onto North 3rd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
1.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
WA 900
Take the ramp onto WA 900 toward I 405 North, WA 900 East
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 405 North, WA 900 East
6
16.7 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 405
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
19.8 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward WA 522: Bothell, Woodinville
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 23
Toward WA 522: Bothell, Woodinville
7
23.4 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward WA 9 North: Snohomish, Arlington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward WA 9 North: Snohomish, Arlington
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.31 one way
$16.62 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $8.71 | $17.43 |
| premium | $5.77 | $9.02 | $18.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.77 | $17.53 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
| Efficient EV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.47 | $1.59 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.9 | 0 | $5.56 | $2.54 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Three Lakes, WA
Late night in Three Lakes on Tuesday
Local time
2:22 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°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
21 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 3m 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?
This route is largely a highway-focused drive, with 76% of the journey on main roads. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 15 miles on WA 900, providing a good opportunity to settle into a rhythm. As you transition to State Route 9 and then Three Lakes Road, the character of the drive may shift slightly, but the overall feel remains geared towards efficient travel. It's designed for covering ground effectively rather than a winding, scenic tour.
76% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15 mi on WA 900.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on WA 900 and State Route 9. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near North 3rd Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 39.7 miles you will encounter 16 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 0.7 miles (North 3rd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles (WA 900): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.7 miles (I 405): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
Between Renton, WA and Three Lakes, WA, road signs point toward Woodinville, Arlington and Snohomish.
Woodinville
19.8 mi in
|
~27m
Arlington
23.4 mi in
|
~31m
Snohomish
33.2 mi in
|
~47m
About the Cities
Starting in Renton, WA
Full guide →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).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 3m. Total distance: 39.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15 miles on WA 900. 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 Three Lakes, 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 0.7 miles (North 3rd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles (WA 900): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.7 miles (I 405): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Three Lakes, 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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