Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
15m
Distance
9.5 mi
15 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterville, WA
Frank Cone
Orondo, WA
Shantanu Kumar
Waterville to Orondo is 9.5 miles and takes about 15 minutes via Sunset Highway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Washington's Pacific Coast region, offering a quick transition between two points. It's primarily a surface road drive, meaning you won't be dealing with high-speed highway conditions. Consider this for a simple connection between towns, perfect for a day trip or as a brief segment of a larger exploration.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunset Highway | 8.7 mi | 13m |
| West Elm Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Chelan Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Orondo Loop Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Waterville, WA and Orondo, WA.
Start on South Chelan Avenue
Turn right onto West Elm Street
Continue on US 2
Turn left onto Orondo Loop Road
Arrive at destination
2 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 9.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto West Elm Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Orondo Loop Road
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$2.05 one way
$4.10 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.72 | $2.14 | $4.28 |
| premium | $5.94 | $2.22 | $4.44 |
| diesel | $6.18 | $2.31 | $4.62 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.00 | $0.46 |
| Efficient EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.83 | $0.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.33 | $0.61 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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
Late night in Waterville on Monday
Local time
5:28 AM
PDT
Current temp
63°F
Sunny
Destination
Late night in Orondo on Monday
Local time
5:28 AM
PDT
Current temp
68°F
Sunny
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.
You'll be driving mostly surface roads for this 9.5-mile trip, with no highway driving. The longest continuous stretch on the main roads is 8.7 miles along Sunset Highway before transitioning to West Elm Street and South Chelan Avenue. Expect a more local feel with potentially more intersections and varied speed limits compared to interstate travel.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near West Elm Street.
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Waterville, WA to Orondo, WA is easy. At 15m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (West Elm Street): Navigation decision point; at 9.5 miles (Orondo Loop Road): Navigation decision point.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
211 ft
Total Descent
2,076 ft
Highest Point
2,807 ft
~2 mi in
Elevation Range
2,049 ft
Founded 1883
Waterville is a city in the Columbia River Plateau of Washington State.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 15m. Total distance: 9.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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