Origin
Alderton, WA
Evening in Alderton on Friday
Local time
6:55 PM
PDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Alderton, WA to Tacoma, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
14.4 mi
23 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Alderton, WA
Michael
Trip Overview
The drive from Alderton, WA to Tacoma, WA covers 14.4 miles and takes about 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on River Road, Valley Freeway, State Route 162 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.6 miles on River Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.01 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 14.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (35%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Alderton, WA to Tacoma, WA covers 14.4 miles and takes about 25m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
River Road is the longest continuous segment at about 5.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.9 miles in near WA 167.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 16 decision points packed into just 14.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.9 miles (WA 167): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
4.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
WA 167
Keep slight left at fork onto WA 167 toward WA 167 South: Puyallup, Tacoma
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward WA 167 South: Puyallup, Tacoma
7
12.6 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome Station
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome St...
7
12.7 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 705 North: City Center
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 705 North: City Center
8
13.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward A Street, City Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward A Street, City Center
9
13.6 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward South 15 Street, Pacific Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward South 15 Street, Pacific Avenue
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Alderton, WA and Tacoma, WA, road signs point toward Puyallup, Portland, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma Dome Station and City Center.
Puyallup
3 mi in
|
~5m
Portland
11.3 mi in
|
~18m
Tacoma Dome
12.5 mi in
|
~20m
Tacoma Dome Station
12.6 mi in
|
~20m
City Center
13.4 mi in
|
~22m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| River Road | 5.6 mi | 9m |
| Valley Freeway | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| State Route 162 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| WA 410 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| I 5 | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Orting Highway East | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| WA 167 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| I 705 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
River Road
— 5.6 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alderton, WA and Tacoma, WA.
1
Start on WA 162
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
State Route 162
2
Continue on Orting Highway East
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Orting Highway East
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
Toward WA 410 West: Tacoma
4
Merge onto WA 410
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
WA 410
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
47 sec
Toward WA 167 South, WA 161 North, WA 512 West, WA 161 South: Tacoma, Puyallup
6
Merge onto WA 167
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto WA 167
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
WA 167
Toward WA 167 South: Puyallup, Tacoma
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
8
Turn right onto WA 167
5.6 mi
·
9 min
·
River Road
9
Continue on WA 167
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Bay Street
10
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 5 South: Olympia, Portland
11
Merge onto I 5
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
·
I 5
12
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 133
Toward WA 7 South, I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome
13
Keep slight right at fork
334 ft
·
8 sec
Toward I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome Station
14
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 705 North: City Center
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Merge onto I 705
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
·
I 705
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward A Street, City Center
Use the slight left lane.
17
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward South 15 Street, Pacific Avenue
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
18
Continue on South 15th Street
0.3 mi
·
59 sec
·
South 15th Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
19
Turn right onto Tacoma Avenue South
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Tacoma Avenue South
20
Turn right onto South 11th Street
43 ft
·
1 sec
·
South 11th Street
21
Arrive at destination
South 11th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.01 one way
$6.03 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $3.16 | $6.32 |
| premium | $5.77 | $3.27 | $6.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.18 | $6.36 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.26 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Tacoma, WA
Evening in Tacoma on Friday
Local time
6:55 PM
PDT
Current temp
59°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
19 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
25m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Alderton, WA to Tacoma, WA covers 14.4 miles and takes about 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are River Road, Valley Freeway, State Route 162. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 7.2 miles from Alderton, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.01 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 14.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.9 miles (WA 167): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Alderton, WA and Tacoma, WA, road signs point toward Puyallup, Portland, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma Dome Station and City Center.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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