Origin
Sammamish, WA
Late night in Sammamish on Tuesday
Local time
3:28 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sammamish, WA to Kirkland, 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
17m
Distance
7.5 mi
12 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sammamish, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Kirkland, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Sammamish to Kirkland is 7.5 miles and takes about 17 minutes via Redmond Way, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Washington's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward connection between two nearby communities. Given its brief duration, this route is ideal for a quick errand, a short commute, or an easy transition to your next destination without requiring an overnight stay. It's a practical choice for anyone needing to cover this specific distance efficiently, focusing on getting from point A to point B.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Redmond Way | 3.3 mi | 7m |
| East Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| Northeast 85th Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| 7th Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| 6th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 1st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Redmond Way
— 3.3 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sammamish, WA and Kirkland, WA.
1
Start on East Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
East Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast
2
Turn slight left onto WA 202
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Redmond Way
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Continue on WA 202
3.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Redmond Way
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on Northeast 85th Street
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Northeast 85th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Turn right onto 6th Street
449 ft
·
17 sec
·
6th Street
6
Turn left onto 7th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
7th Avenue
7
Continue on 7th Avenue
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
7th Avenue
8
Continue on 7th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
7th Avenue
9
Turn right onto 1st Street
399 ft
·
11 sec
·
1st Street
10
Arrive at destination
1st Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 6.8 and 7.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
6.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
6th Street
Turn right onto 6th Street
Navigation decision point
4
6.9 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
7th Avenue
Turn left onto 7th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
7 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
7th Avenue
Enter roundabout onto 7th Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
7.3 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
7th Avenue
Enter roundabout onto 7th Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
7.4 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
1st Street
Turn right onto 1st Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.57 one way
$3.14 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $1.65 | $3.29 |
| premium | $5.77 | $1.70 | $3.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.66 | $3.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.79 | $0.36 |
| Efficient EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.66 | $0.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3 | 0 | $1.05 | $0.48 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Kirkland, WA
Late night in Kirkland on Tuesday
Local time
3:28 AM
PDT
Current temp
66°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
17m 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 drive is primarily on surface roads, with only about 26% of the route utilizing highway. You'll spend the majority of your time navigating local streets, with the longest continuous stretch on surface roads being 3.3 miles on Redmond Way. Expect to encounter more traffic signals and intersections compared to a freeway drive, as you transition from East Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast to Northeast 85th Street.
Only 26% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.3 mi on Redmond Way.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 6.8 miles in near 6th Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.8 miles (6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.9 miles (7th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7 miles (7th Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
About the Cities
Arriving in Kirkland, WA
Full guide →Kirkland is a charming city of 93,000 (2019) in King County, Washington, across from Seattle on the east side of Lake Washington.
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 17m. Total distance: 7.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (26%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.3 miles on Redmond Way. 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: at 6.8 miles (6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.9 miles (7th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7 miles (7th Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
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 Kirkland, 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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