Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
28.7 mi
46 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tacoma, WA
Wikimedia Commons
McKenna, WA
nicholas hatherly
Tacoma, WA to McKenna, WA is 28.7 miles and takes about 50 minutes via Spanaway McKenna Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Washington's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward drive. Expect a local feel for most of the journey, making it an easy option for a quick excursion. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a spontaneous trip or as part of a larger regional exploration.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Spanaway McKenna Highway | 8.3 mi | 12m |
| I 5 | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Spanaway Loop Road South | 3.9 mi | 7m |
| East Gate Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| Roy Cutoff Road | 2 mi | 4m |
| Pacific Avenue South | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| I 705 | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| McNaught Road South | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 25 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~5,918 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~600 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 50 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Tacoma, WA and McKenna, WA.
Start on South 11th Street
Turn right onto Market Street
Turn left onto South 13th Street
Turn right onto I 705 SB Ramp
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 705
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 5
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto WA 512
Take the exit
Turn left onto Steele Street South
Continue on 116th Street South
Continue on Spanaway Loop Road South
Continue on WA 704
Turn right onto WA 7
Turn slight right
Continue on WA 507
Turn right onto East Gate Road
Turn left onto Roy Cutoff Road
Continue on North Warren Street
Turn left onto Water Street
Turn sharp right onto WA 507
Continue on WA 507
Turn left
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 8.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Market Street
Navigation decision point
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Portland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward WA 512 East: South Tacoma Way, Puyallup
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Steele Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Steele Street South
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$6.36 one way
$12.72 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.91 | $6.67 | $13.34 |
| premium | $6.08 | $6.87 | $13.74 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $6.05 | $12.09 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.01 | $1.38 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.02 | $1.84 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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 Tacoma on Wednesday
Local time
2:55 PM
PDT
Current temp
53°F
Partly Cloudy
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued June 1 at 12:21PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
Destination
Afternoon in McKenna on Wednesday
Local time
2:55 PM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Partly Cloudy
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued June 1 at 12:21PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
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 route is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with only 23% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on Spanaway McKenna Highway, I-5, and Spanaway Loop Road South. The longest uninterrupted segment is 8.3 miles on Spanaway McKenna Highway. Be prepared for frequent changes in direction and road type, typical of a local connection rather than a high-speed transit.
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 0.1 miles in near Market 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 17 decision points packed into just 28.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
212 ft
Total Descent
152 ft
Highest Point
394 ft
~16.4 mi in
Elevation Range
163 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Tacoma, WA to McKenna, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Puyallup along the way.
Puyallup
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Cafe
Near the start, right off the route
Tacoma, WA
Cuisine: coffee_shop;juice;soup;sandwich;salad;dessert
Hours: Mo-Fr 08:00-16:00
Visit websiteCafe
Near the start, right off the route
Tacoma, WA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Near the start, right off the route
Tacoma, WA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Near the start, right off the route
Cafe
Near the start, right off the route
Cafe
Near the start, right off the route
Tacoma, WA
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Su 08:00-14:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Tacoma, WA
Cuisine: mexican
Visit websiteFast_food
Near the start, right off the route
Tacoma, WA
Cuisine: sandwich
Hours: Mo-Fr 07:00-21:30; Sa-Su 09:00-21:00
Visit websiteFast_food
Early in the drive, right off the route
Tacoma, WA
Cuisine: sandwich
Hours: 09:00-22:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Tacoma, WA
Cuisine: italian
Visit websiteFast_food
Near the start, right off the route
Tacoma, WA
Cuisine: pita
Hours: Mo-Fr 10:30-17:00; Sa 11:00-16:00; Su of...
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Tacoma, WA
Cuisine: vietnamese
Visit websiteAttraction
Early in the drive, short detour
Attraction
Near the start, ~9 min detour
Museum
Near the start, right off the route
Hours: Su-Mo, We-Th 10:00-17:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-17...
Visit websiteMuseum
Near the start, right off the route
Hours: We-Sa 10:00-16:00; Su 12:00-16:00
Visit websiteMonument
Near the start, right off the route
Memorial
Early in the drive, short detour
Hotel
Near the start, right off the route
Tacoma, WA
Visit websiteGuest_house
Near the start, short detour
Hotel
Near the start, short detour
Hotel
Near the start, short detour
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
Founded 1875
Tacoma, a major port on the Puget Sound, is the third-largest city in Washington State, with about 220,000 residents. It has a dynamic art scene and a great ballet.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 28.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m 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.
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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