Origin
South Hill, WA
Late night in South Hill on Sunday
Local time
3:11 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Hill, WA to Tacoma, 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
14.5 mi
23 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Hill, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
South Hill, WA to Tacoma, WA is 14.5 miles and takes about 28 minutes via River Road/Meridian East/128th Street East, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Pacific Coast region and the state of Washington. Expect a predominantly local driving experience with frequent turns, making it a straightforward, quick trip. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a spontaneous drive or a quick errand, offering minimal travel time with no overnight stay required. Plan for a brief journey that keeps you close to home.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| River Road | 5.4 mi | 9m |
| Meridian East | 1 mi | 2m |
| 128th Street East | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| I 5 | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| 3rd Street Southeast | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Meridian Avenue East | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| 4th Street Northwest | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Meridian | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
River Road
— 5.4 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Hill, WA and Tacoma, WA.
1
Start on 126th Street Court East
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
126th Street Court East
2
Continue on 117th Avenue East
508 ft
·
19 sec
·
117th Avenue East
3
At end of road, turn right onto 128th Street East
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
128th Street East
4
Turn right onto WA 161
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Meridian Avenue East
5
Continue on WA 161
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Meridian East
Use the right lane.
6
Take the ramp
1.1 mi
·
1 min
Toward WA 512 East, WA 161 North: Seattle
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward Meridian Street South, Puyallup
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
115 ft
·
7 sec
Toward South Meridian Street, Washington State Fairgrounds
9
Turn left onto South Meridian
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
South Meridian
10
Keep slight right at fork onto 3rd Street Southeast
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
3rd Street Southeast
11
Continue on 2nd Street Northeast
443 ft
·
12 sec
·
2nd Street Northeast
12
Turn left onto East Stewart
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
East Stewart
13
Turn slight right
196 ft
·
8 sec
14
Turn straight onto 4th Street Northwest
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
·
4th Street Northwest
15
Turn left onto WA 167
5.4 mi
·
9 min
·
River Road
16
Continue on WA 167
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Bay Street
17
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 5 South: Olympia, Portland
18
Merge onto I 5
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
·
I 5
19
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 133
Toward WA 7 South, I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome
20
Keep slight right at fork
334 ft
·
8 sec
Toward I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome Station
21
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 705 North: City Center
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Merge onto I 705
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
·
I 705
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward A Street, City Center
Use the slight left lane.
24
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward South 15 Street, Pacific Avenue
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
25
Continue on South 15th Street
0.3 mi
·
59 sec
·
South 15th Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
26
Turn right onto Tacoma Avenue South
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Tacoma Avenue South
27
Turn right onto South 11th Street
43 ft
·
1 sec
·
South 11th Street
28
Arrive at destination
South 11th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 205 decision points cluster between mile 3.8 and 13.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
3.8 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward Meridian Street South, Puyallup
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.
Toward Meridian Street South, Puyallup
7
4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward South Meridian Street, Washington State Fairgrounds
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward South Meridian Street, Washington State...
7
12.7 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome Station
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome St...
8
13.4 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward A Street, City Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward A Street, City Center
9
13.7 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight left at fork toward South 15 Street, Pacific Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward South 15 Street, Pacific Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.03 one way
$6.07 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $3.18 | $6.37 |
| premium | $5.77 | $3.29 | $6.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.20 | $6.40 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.52 | $0.70 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.27 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.03 | $0.93 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Tacoma, WA
Late night in Tacoma on Sunday
Local time
3:11 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°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
13 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
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?
This drive is characterized by its "turn-heavy local drive" profile, meaning you'll be navigating through neighborhoods and city streets rather than long stretches of highway. With only a 7% highway share, most of your time will be spent on roads like River Road, Meridian East, and 128th Street East. The longest continuous segment you'll encounter is about 5.4 miles on River Road. This type of route requires constant attention to turns and local traffic patterns, offering a dynamic driving experience that keeps you engaged throughout the short distance.
Only 7% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.4 mi on River Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.8 miles in.
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 20 decision points packed into just 14.5 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 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 South Hill, WA and Tacoma, WA, road signs point toward Meridian Street South, Puyallup, Washington State Fairgrounds, Portland, Tacoma Dome and Tacoma Dome Station - among others.
Meridian Street South
3.8 mi in
|
~8m
Puyallup
3.8 mi in
|
~8m
Washington State Fairgrounds
4 mi in
|
~8m
Portland
11.4 mi in
|
~22m
Tacoma Dome
12.5 mi in
|
~23m
Tacoma Dome Station
12.7 mi in
|
~24m
City Center
13.4 mi in
|
~25m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 14.5 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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.4 miles on River Road. 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 Tacoma, 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 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Tacoma, 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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