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Trip from Buckley, WA to Renton, WA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

47m

Distance

32.8 mi

53 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Fair

2 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 44m ★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 46m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Pierce County, Washington, USA

Buckley, WA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Buckley, WA to Renton, WA covers 32.8 miles and takes about 47m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Valley Freeway, State Route 410 East, Elhi Hill Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.2 miles on Valley Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.86 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 32.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

47m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (89%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 47m highway drive covering 32.8 miles, with most of the trip on Valley Freeway and State Route 410 East. The longest continuous stretch is about 19.2 miles on Valley Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Valley Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 19.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Valley Freeway and State Route 410 East. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Cottage Street.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 47m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Cottage Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.1 miles (WA 410 / State Route 410 East): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 7 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | North Cottage Street

Turn left onto North Cottage Street

Navigation decision point

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Main Street

Turn right onto Main Street

Navigation decision point

4
5.1 mi into trip | ~9m in | WA 410 / State Route 410 East

Enter roundabout onto WA 410 / State Route 410 East

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

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
5
12.7 mi into trip | ~21m in | WA 167 / Valley Freeway

Merge onto WA 167 / Valley Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Valley Freeway 19.2 mi 24m
State Route 410 East 10.1 mi 15m
Elhi Hill Road 2 mi 3m
Rainier Avenue South 0.9 mi 2m
Main Street 0.2 mi <1m
North Cottage Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Valley Freeway — 19.2 mi, about 24m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Buckley, WA and Renton, 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

19 mi · 24 min · Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on WA 167

0.9 mi · 2 min · Rainier Avenue South
Use the left lane.
12

Turn right

39 ft · 2 sec
13

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 16.4 mi from Buckley, WA · 26m into the drive

city in Washington, United States of America

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Pacific, WA

16 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Kent, WA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 32.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Pacific, WA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.4 miles from Buckley, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Renton, WA

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Renton, WA if you are unfamiliar with the area.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.86 one way

$13.73 round trip

$5.32/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.58 $7.20 $14.40
premium $5.77 $7.45 $14.90
diesel $5.61 $7.24 $14.48

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.8 0 $3.44 $1.57
Efficient EV 8.2 0 $2.87 $1.31
EV Truck/SUV 13.1 0 $4.59 $2.10

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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 Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Buckley, WA

Afternoon in Buckley on Friday

Local time

2:50 PM

PDT

Current temp

65°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Renton, WA

Afternoon in Renton on Friday

Local time

2:50 PM

PDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

66°F

Pacific, WA

16 mi in

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

47m 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 Renton, WA covers 32.8 miles and takes about 47m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Valley Freeway, State Route 410 East, 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 16.4 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 $6.86 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 straightforward 47m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Cottage Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.1 miles (WA 410 / State Route 410 East): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

The route from Buckley, WA to Renton, WA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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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