Origin
SeaTac, WA
Late night in SeaTac on Tuesday
Local time
3:57 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from SeaTac, WA to Kent, 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
15m
Distance
7.8 mi
13 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 18m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 18m
8 PM
0h 14m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
SeaTac, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 7.8-mile drive from SeaTac, WA, to Kent, WA, is easily manageable in about 15 minutes, making it a perfect option for a quick local trip. You'll navigate primarily via South Kent Des Moines Road, International Boulevard, and Pacific Highway South, with no highway driving involved. Given its minimal distance and duration, this route is ideal for a single day trip. The estimated fuel cost is a very reasonable $2. The overall feel is that of a typical local commute, connecting two points within the Pacific Coast region of Washington.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Kent Des Moines Road | 3 mi | 4m |
| International Boulevard | 2.6 mi | 5m |
| Pacific Highway South | 1 mi | 1m |
| West Willis Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 4th Avenue South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South 176th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 32nd Avenue South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Gowe Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Kent Des Moines Road
— 3 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between SeaTac, WA and Kent, WA.
1
Start on this road
140 ft
·
15 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
52 ft
·
5 sec
3
Turn right onto 32nd Avenue South
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
32nd Avenue South
4
Turn right onto South 176th Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
South 176th Street
5
Turn left onto WA 99
2.6 mi
·
5 min
·
International Boulevard
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on WA 99
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Pacific Highway South
7
Turn left onto WA 516
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
South Kent Des Moines Road
Use the left / uturn lanes.
8
Continue on WA 516
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
West Willis Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
Enter roundabout onto 4th Avenue South
238 ft
·
5 sec
·
4th Avenue South
10
Continue on 4th Avenue South
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
4th Avenue South
11
Turn right onto West Gowe Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Gowe Street
12
Turn left onto 2nd Avenue South
10 ft
·
0 sec
·
2nd Avenue South
13
Arrive at destination
2nd Avenue South
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 4 — 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
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
32nd Avenue South
Turn right onto 32nd Avenue South
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South 176th Street
Turn right onto South 176th Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
WA 99 / International Boulevard
Turn left onto WA 99 / International Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
WA 516 / South Kent Des Moines Road
Turn left onto WA 516 / South Kent Des Moines Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / uturn lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.63 one way
$3.26 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $1.71 | $3.42 |
| premium | $5.77 | $1.77 | $3.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.72 | $3.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.7 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 | $0.82 | $0.37 |
| Efficient EV | 2 | 0 | $0.68 | $0.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
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
Kent, WA
Late night in Kent on Tuesday
Local time
3:57 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°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
22 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
15m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, as indicated by its profile. With 0% highway share, you'll be on surface streets for the entire 7.8 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 3 miles on South Kent Des Moines Road. This means you'll be making frequent adjustments to your speed and direction, characteristic of urban and suburban navigation rather than open highway cruising. The road personality is defined by its local connectivity.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3 mi on South Kent Des Moines Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 7.8 miles you will encounter 8 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 (32nd Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (South 176th Street): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Kent, WA
Full guide →Kent is the fourth largest city in King County in the Puget Sound region of Washington State, between Seattle and Tacoma.
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 15m. Total distance: 7.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3 miles on South Kent Des Moines Road. 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: Navigation decision point; near the start (32nd Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (South 176th Street): Navigation decision point.
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 Kent, 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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