Origin
Tacoma, WA
Morning in Tacoma on Sunday
Local time
6:27 AM
PDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tacoma, WA to Fife Heights, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
14m
Distance
6.9 mi
11 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
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 17m
8 PM
0h 14m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fife Heights, WA
JOHN CALLERY
Trip Overview
Tacoma, WA to Fife Heights, WA is 6.9 miles and takes about 14m via WA 509, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Washington and the Pacific Coast region. It's a straightforward connection, mostly on main roads, making it ideal for a quick local hop or an easy addition to a longer journey. You won't need to worry about extensive planning for this brief drive; it's more about getting from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| WA 509 | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| 12th Street East | 1.6 mi | 4m |
| 66th Avenue East | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| 62nd Avenue Northeast | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| 4th Street East | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South 13th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 68th Avenue East | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| I 705 | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
WA 509
— 2.9 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tacoma, WA and Fife Heights, WA.
1
Start on South 11th Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
South 11th Street
2
Turn right onto Market Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Market Street
3
Turn left onto South 13th Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
South 13th Street
4
Turn right onto I 705 SB Ramp
213 ft
·
11 sec
·
I 705 SB Ramp
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Port of Tacoma
6
Merge onto I 705
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
I 705
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward WA 509 North: South 21st Street, Port of Tacoma
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn left onto WA 509
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
WA 509
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto Alexander Avenue East
372 ft
·
18 sec
·
Alexander Avenue East
10
Turn left onto 12th Street East
1.6 mi
·
4 min
·
12th Street East
11
Turn slight left onto 68th Avenue East
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
68th Avenue East
12
Turn left onto 10th Street East
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
10th Street East
13
Turn right onto 66th Avenue East
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
66th Avenue East
14
Turn left onto 4th Street East
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
4th Street East
15
Continue on 62nd Avenue Northeast
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
62nd Avenue Northeast
16
Arrive at destination
62nd Avenue Northeast
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 0.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Market Street
Turn right onto Market Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South 13th Street
Turn left onto South 13th Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward Port of Tacoma
Navigation decision point
Toward Port of Tacoma
4
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 705
Merge onto I 705
Merge point - match speed before joining
8
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward WA 509 North: South 21st Street, Port of Tacoma
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward WA 509 North: South 21st Street, Port of...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.44 one way
$2.89 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
2 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $1.51 | $3.03 |
| premium | $5.77 | $1.57 | $3.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.52 | $3.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.72 | $0.33 |
| Efficient EV | 1.7 | 0 | $0.60 | $0.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.97 | $0.44 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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
Fife Heights, WA
Morning in Fife Heights on Sunday
Local time
6:27 AM
PDT
Current temp
42°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
17 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
14m 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 route offers a mixed drive experience, with about 45% of it on highway stretches. You'll encounter segments on WA 509, 12th Street East, and 66th Avenue East. The longest continuous stretch you'll navigate is 2.9 miles along WA 509. Expect a dynamic feel, shifting from quicker highway sections to more local road environments as you progress towards Fife Heights. It's not a monotonous journey, but rather a blend of different driving conditions.
45% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.9 mi on WA 509.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Market 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 14m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (South 13th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles: Navigation decision point.
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.
On the drive from Tacoma, WA to Fife Heights, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Port Of Tacoma along the way.
Port Of Tacoma
0.5 mi in
|
~1m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 14m. Total distance: 6.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (45%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.9 miles on WA 509. 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 0.1 miles (Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (South 13th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles: 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 Fife Heights, 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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