Origin
Buckley, WA
Afternoon in Buckley on Friday
Local time
4:45 PM
PDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buckley, WA to Federal Way, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
23.6 mi
38 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buckley, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Buckley, WA to Federal Way, WA is 23.6 miles and takes about 39 minutes via State Route 410 East, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Pacific Coast region, making it an easy local excursion. Given its highway-focused profile and under-an-hour duration, this route is ideal for a quick transit or a leisurely drive with plenty of time for activities at your destination. You'll find this drive straightforward, connecting two points within Washington without significant complexity.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 23.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This route offers a highway-focused drive, with 69% of the journey on such roads. You'll experience stretches of higher-speed travel, including the longest uninterrupted segment of 10.1 miles on State Route 410 East. The drive transitions between freeway conditions and potentially more local road segments as you approach Federal Way, offering a varied but generally efficient travel experience. Expect to navigate through typical Pacific Northwest landscapes as you make your way across the 23.6 miles.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
State Route 410 East is the longest continuous segment at about 10.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Route 410 East and Valley Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 12.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 23.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 12.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
12.3 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward WA 167 North: Seattle
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward WA 167 North: Seattle
6
18.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward 15th Street Southwest
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward 15th Street Southwest
6
19.2 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward 15th Street Southwest
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward 15th Street Southwest
6
19.4 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
West Valley Highway North
At end of road, turn right onto West Valley Highway North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
19.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
South Peasley Canyon Road
Turn left onto South Peasley Canyon Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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 Buckley, WA to Federal Way, WA, road signs begin pointing toward 15Th Street Southwest along the way.
15Th Street Southwest
18.9 mi in
|
~29m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Route 410 East | 10.1 mi | 15m |
| Valley Freeway | 6.2 mi | 7m |
| Elhi Hill Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| South Peasley Canyon Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| South 320th Street | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Pacific Highway South | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West Valley Highway North | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 15th Street Southwest | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
State Route 410 East
— 10.1 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buckley, WA and Federal Way, WA.
1
Start on this road
88 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto North Cottage Street
119 ft
·
7 sec
·
North Cottage Street
3
Turn right onto Main Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Main Street
4
Turn left onto WA 410
4.9 mi
·
8 min
·
State Route 410 East
5
Enter roundabout onto WA 410
95 ft
·
1 sec
·
State Route 410 East
6
Continue on WA 410
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
State Route 410 East
7
Continue on WA 410
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Elhi Hill Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Continue on WA 410
4.6 mi
·
6 min
·
State Route 410 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward WA 167 North: Seattle
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto WA 167
6.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward 15th Street Southwest
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
264 ft
·
18 sec
Toward 15th Street Southwest
13
Turn left onto 15th Street Southwest
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
15th Street Southwest
14
At end of road, turn right onto West Valley Highway North
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
West Valley Highway North
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto South Peasley Canyon Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Peasley Canyon Road
Use the left lane.
16
Enter roundabout onto South Peasley Canyon Road
67 ft
·
1 sec
·
South Peasley Canyon Road
17
Continue on South Peasley Canyon Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Peasley Canyon Road
Use the left lane.
18
Continue on South 320th Street
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
South 320th Street
19
Turn right onto WA 99
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Pacific Highway South
20
Turn right onto South 312th Street
158 ft
·
5 sec
·
South 312th Street
Use the right lane.
21
Turn right
24 ft
·
1 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.94 one way
$9.88 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $5.18 | $10.36 |
| premium | $5.77 | $5.36 | $10.72 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.21 | $10.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.30 | $1.51 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Federal Way, WA
Afternoon in Federal Way on Friday
Local time
4:45 PM
PDT
Current temp
47°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
18 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
39m 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 Buckley, WA to Federal Way, WA covers 23.6 miles and takes about 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are State Route 410 East, Valley Freeway, Elhi Hill Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.8 miles from Buckley, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.94 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 23.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
The main spots that need attention: at 12.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
On the drive from Buckley, WA to Federal Way, WA, road signs begin pointing toward 15Th Street Southwest along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park and Mount Rainier National Park.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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