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.
Main Roads
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
Longest stretch:
Spanaway McKenna Highway
— 8.3 mi, about 12m
Traffic on I-5
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
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 50 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tacoma, WA and McKenna, 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
0.8 mi·1 min·I 705
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi·1 min
Toward I 5 South: PortlandUse the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 5
5.2 mi·6 min·I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi·48 sec
Exit 127Toward WA 512 East: South Tacoma Way, PuyallupUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi·19 sec
Toward WA 512 East: Puyallup
11
Turn left onto WA 512
0.6 mi·48 sec·WA 512
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi·38 sec
Toward Steele StreetUse the right lane.
13
Turn left onto Steele Street South
0.5 mi·1 min·Steele Street South
Use the left lane.
14
Continue on 116th Street South
0.3 mi·46 sec·116th Street South
15
Continue on Spanaway Loop Road South
3.9 mi·7 min·Spanaway Loop Road South
16
Continue on WA 704
0.6 mi·1 min·Cross Base Highway
17
Turn right onto WA 7
0.9 mi·1 min·Pacific Avenue South
18
Turn slight right
352 ft·15 sec
19
Continue on WA 507
3.9 mi·5 min·Spanaway McKenna Highway
20
Turn right onto East Gate Road
2.0 mi·3 min·East Gate Road
21
Turn left onto Roy Cutoff Road
2.0 mi·4 min·Roy Cutoff Road
22
Continue on North Warren Street
0.5 mi·1 min·North Warren Street
23
Turn left onto Water Street
276 ft·20 sec·Water Street
24
Turn sharp right onto WA 507
0.6 mi·1 min·McNaught Road South
25
Continue on WA 507
4.3 mi·7 min·Spanaway McKenna Highway
26
Turn left
62 ft·4 sec
27
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 17
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.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Market Street
Turn right onto Market Street
Navigation decision point
7
1.5 mi into trip|~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Portland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 5 South: Portland
8
7.5 mi into trip|~11m in
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
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 127
Toward WA 512 East: South Tacoma Way, Puyallup
6
8.7 mi into trip|~13m in
Take the exit toward Steele Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward Steele Street
6
8.9 mi into trip|~14m in|Steele Street South
Turn left onto Steele Street South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.59 one way
$11.18 round trip
$4.95/gal25.4 MPG avg10 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.18
$5.86
$11.72
premium
$5.39
$6.09
$12.18
diesel
$4.80
$5.42
$10.84
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Jun 30, 2026
Origin
Tacoma, WA
Morning
in Tacoma on Sunday
Local time
9:45 AM
PDT
Current temp
51°F
Mostly Cloudy
SSW 9 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued June 29 at 9:29PM PDT until June 29 at 10:45PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued June 29 at 2:04PM PDT until June 30 at 12:00AM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR
Destination
McKenna, WA
Morning
in McKenna on Sunday
Local time
9:45 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Mostly Cloudy
SW 8 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued June 29 at 9:29PM PDT until June 29 at 10:45PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued June 29 at 2:04PM PDT until June 30 at 12:00AM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR
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
50m on the road
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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
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.
Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.3 mi on Spanaway McKenna Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.1 miles in near Market Street.
Driving Effort9/10
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 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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
394 ft230 ft
Total Climb
212 ft
Total Descent
152 ft
Highest Point
394 ft
~16.4 mi in
Elevation Range
163 ft
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 McKenna, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Puyallup along the way.
Puyallup
7.5 mi in|~11m
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
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
•Tacoma Narrows Bridge — suspension bridge that collapsed in 1940
•Browns Point Light — lighthouse in Washington, United States
•Fort Nisqually — an important fur trading and farming post of the Hudson's Bay Company
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.3 miles on Spanaway McKenna Highway. 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 McKenna, 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 (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.
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 McKenna, WA before heading back.
