Rockaway Beach to Nehalem is 10.2 miles and takes about 19 minutes via Oregon Coast Highway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays entirely within Oregon's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward drive between two coastal communities. It's a short hop perfect for a relaxed pace, allowing you to fully enjoy your starting or ending point without feeling rushed. Consider this a minor but pleasant segment if you're exploring the Oregon coastline.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Oregon Coast Highway
8.9 mi
16m
Nehalem Boulevard
0.5 mi
<1m
Riverside Drive
0.5 mi
1m
7th Street
0.3 mi
<1m
North Beacon Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
South Nehalem Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Oregon Coast Highway
— 8.9 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rockaway Beach, OR and Nehalem, OR.
1
Start on South Nehalem Avenue
83 ft·9 sec·South Nehalem Avenue
2
Turn left onto North Beacon Street
503 ft·24 sec·North Beacon Street
3
Turn right onto US 101
6.5 mi·12 min·Oregon Coast Highway
4
Continue on US 101
0.5 mi·37 sec·Nehalem Boulevard
5
Continue on US 101
2.4 mi·4 min·Oregon Coast Highway
6
Continue on US 101
0.5 mi·1 min·Riverside Drive
7
Continue on US 101
0.3 mi·46 sec·7th Street
8
Arrive at destination
7th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
2 of 2
2 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 0.1 — 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|North Beacon Street
Turn left onto North Beacon Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|US 101 / Oregon Coast Highway
Turn right onto US 101 / Oregon Coast Highway
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.81 one way
$3.61 round trip
$4.50/gal25.4 MPG avg4 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.82
$1.94
$3.87
premium
$5.04
$2.02
$4.05
diesel
$4.80
$1.93
$3.85
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging
· 0 stops
· 75% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
3.1
0
$1.07
$0.49
Efficient EV
2.6
0
$0.89
$0.41
EV Truck/SUV
4.1
0
$1.43
$0.65
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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 Jul 6, 2026
Origin
Rockaway Beach, OR
Late night
in Rockaway Beach on Sunday
Local time
1:22 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Mostly Clear
N 8 to 16 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 5 at 7:14PM PDT by NWS Medford OR
Fire Weather Watch
Fire Weather Watch issued July 5 at 6:58PM PDT until July 7 at 10:00PM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR
Destination
Nehalem, OR
Late night
in Nehalem on Sunday
Local time
1:22 AM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Mostly Clear
NE 2 to 7 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 5 at 7:14PM PDT by NWS Medford OR
Fire Weather Watch
Fire Weather Watch issued July 5 at 6:58PM PDT until July 7 at 10:00PM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR
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
1 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
19m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is entirely on surface roads, with no highway driving involved. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 8.9 miles along the Oregon Coast Highway. You'll be navigating local streets like Nehalem Boulevard and Riverside Drive, so expect typical surface road conditions with potential for local traffic and lower speed limits. It's a relaxed cruise through coastal towns.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.9 mi on Oregon Coast Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Beacon Street.
Driving Effort1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Rockaway Beach, OR to Nehalem, OR is easy. At 19m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Beacon Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 101 / Oregon Coast Highway): Navigation decision point.
The longest stretch is about 8.9 miles on Oregon Coast Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (North Beacon Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 101 / Oregon Coast Highway): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Nehalem, OR before heading back.
