Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
24.2 mi
39 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Seattle, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Maple Valley, WA
JOHN CALLERY
Seattle to Maple Valley is 24.2 miles and takes about 39m via I 5 and Renton Maple Valley Road Southeast, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Washington's Pacific Coast region, moving from the urban environment of Seattle to a more suburban setting. It's a straightforward drive, ideal for a quick commute or an easy excursion without a significant time commitment. Consider this route if you're looking for a simple, direct connection between these two Washington locations.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 7.7 mi | 9m |
| Renton Maple Valley Road Southeast | 5.5 mi | 8m |
| Maple Valley Highway | 4 mi | 7m |
| Martin Luther King Junior Way South | 2 mi | 3m |
| Southeast Renton Maple Valley Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Southwest Sunset Boulevard | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South 3rd Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Bronson Way South | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 48 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~8,006 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~871 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 98 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Seattle, WA and Maple Valley, WA.
Start on this road
Turn left onto Madison Street
Turn right onto 4th Avenue
Turn right onto Spring Street
Take the ramp
Continue on I 5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5
Take the exit
Turn straight onto WA 900
Continue on WA 900
Continue on WA 900
Continue on WA 900
Turn left onto WA 900
Turn right onto WA 900
Continue on WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Continue on WA 169
Turn right
Turn right
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 8.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Spring Street
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 toward I 90 East, I 5 South: Bellevue, Portland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
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
Keep slight left at fork onto I 5 toward I 5 South: Sea-Tac Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward WA 900 East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.10 one way
$10.19 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.56 | $5.29 | $10.59 |
| premium | $5.76 | $5.48 | $10.97 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.33 | $10.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.54 | $1.16 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.12 | $0.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.39 | $1.55 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Seattle on Friday
Local time
2:59 PM
PDT
Current temp
73°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Afternoon in Maple Valley on Friday
Local time
2:59 PM
PDT
Current temp
77°F
Mostly Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This drive is a mix of highway and surface roads, with 32% of the route on highways. You'll experience a stretch of 7.7 miles on I 5, offering a taste of freeway cruising before transitioning to surface streets. Expect to encounter denser traffic and more frequent intersections as you move off the interstate. The latter half of the drive will involve navigating local roads through developed areas.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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.
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 13 decision points packed into just 24.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Spring Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (I 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.1 miles (I 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
604 ft
Total Descent
365 ft
Highest Point
417 ft
~24.2 mi in
Elevation Range
383 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Seattle, WA to Maple Valley, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Renton along the way.
Renton
“Jet City” · Founded 1851
Seattle, Washington sits at one of the most beautiful spots in the United States. Occupying a narrow isthmus between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington, it is the biggest city in the Pacific Northwest, with 780,000 people in Seattle and over four million people in the metro area. Seen from above, carpets of evergreen trees, pristine blue waters, and snowy white mountains surround the downtown's metallic skyscrapers, earning the city its nickname The Emerald City. On the ground, you will find a vibrant and cosmopolitan city. Next to the progressive downtown and the freewheeling feel of Capitol Hill, you can find a laid-back atmosphere in the districts to the north and ethnically diverse neighborhoods to the south.
Top landmarks
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 24.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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