Origin
Seattle, WA
Late night in Seattle on Sunday
Local time
1:44 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Seattle, WA to Kent, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
20 mi
32 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Seattle, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 20-mile drive from Seattle, WA, to Kent, WA, is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 28 minutes. You'll primarily be on I-5 and Valley Freeway, with a portion on I-405, making it a highway-focused journey. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this trip is very budget-friendly. Given its brevity and the region's focus on the Pacific Coast, this route is ideal for a quick commute or an easy addition to a larger Pacific Northwest itinerary rather than requiring an overnight stay. It's a straightforward trip that gets you where you need to go efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 10.8 mi | 13m |
| Valley Freeway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| I 405 | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| Central Avenue North | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| East Gowe Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Spring Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 4th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Madison Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 5
— 10.8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Seattle, WA and Kent, WA.
1
Start on this road
31 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Madison Street
204 ft
·
11 sec
·
Madison Street
3
Turn right onto 4th Avenue
308 ft
·
14 sec
·
4th Avenue
4
Turn right onto Spring Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Spring Street
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward I 5 South: Portland
6
Continue on I 5
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
I 5
Use the left lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
147 ft
·
2 sec
·
I 5
Toward I 90 East, I 5 South: Bellevue, Portland
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
0.1 mi
·
8 sec
·
I 5
Toward I 5 South: Tacoma, Portland
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
305 ft
·
4 sec
·
I 5
Toward Airport Way
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
10 mi
·
12 min
·
I 5
Toward I 5 South: Sea-Tac Airport
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 154A
Toward I 405 North: Renton
Use the slight left lane.
12
Continue on I 405
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 405
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 2
Toward WA 167 South: Renton, Auburn
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
Toward WA 167 South: Kent, Auburn
Use the slight right lane.
15
Merge onto WA 167
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward 84th Avenue South, North Central Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Turn left onto Central Avenue North
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Central Avenue North
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
18
Turn right onto East Gowe Street
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
East Gowe Street
19
Turn right onto 2nd Avenue South
10 ft
·
0 sec
·
2nd Avenue South
20
Arrive at destination
2nd Avenue South
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 13.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Spring Street
Turn right onto Spring Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 toward I 5 South: Tacoma, Portland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 5 South: Tacoma, Portland
7
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 toward I 5 South: Sea-Tac Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 5 South: Sea-Tac Airport
8
13.1 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward WA 167 South: Renton, Auburn
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 2
Toward WA 167 South: Renton, Auburn
8
13.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward WA 167 South: Kent, Auburn
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward WA 167 South: Kent, Auburn
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.19 one way
$8.37 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $4.39 | $8.78 |
| premium | $5.77 | $4.54 | $9.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.42 | $8.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6 | 0 | $2.10 | $0.96 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.75 | $0.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8 | 0 | $2.80 | $1.28 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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 Sunday
Local time
1:44 AM
PDT
Current temp
47°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
2 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
28m 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 predominantly highway-focused experience, with 83% of the drive utilizing major freeways like I-5 and Valley Freeway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.8 miles along I-5, offering a consistent pace. This route generally maintains a high-speed character for most of its 20-mile length. While not overly complex, you'll transition between these key arteries, so staying aware of your navigation is helpful as you move between them.
83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.8 mi on I 5.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and Valley Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Spring Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 20 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Spring Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles (I 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles (I 5): 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 Seattle, WA and Kent, WA, road signs point toward Portland, Auburn and 84Th Avenue South.
Portland
1 mi in
|
~2m
|
via I 5
Auburn
13.1 mi in
|
~17m
84Th Avenue South
18.2 mi in
|
~24m
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 28m. Total distance: 20 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.8 miles on I 5. 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 Kent, 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 0.1 miles (Spring Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles (I 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles (I 5): 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 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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