Origin
Tacoma, WA
Afternoon in Tacoma on Sunday
Local time
12:20 PM
PDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tacoma, WA to McKenna, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 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
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
McKenna, WA
nicholas hatherly
Trip Overview
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
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: Portland
Use 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 127
Toward WA 512 East: South Tacoma Way, Puyallup
Use 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 Street
Use 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 175 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
$6.01 one way
$12.01 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $6.30 | $12.60 |
| premium | $5.77 | $6.52 | $13.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.34 | $12.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
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.
Destination
McKenna, WA
Afternoon in McKenna on Sunday
Local time
12:20 PM
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
50m 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 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 Effort
9/10
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.
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 McKenna, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Puyallup along the way.
Puyallup
7.5 mi in
|
~11m
Who Is This Route For?
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.
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.
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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