Origin
Covington, WA
Night in Covington on Friday
Local time
10:05 PM
PDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Covington, 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
30m
Distance
21.2 mi
34 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Covington, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 21.2-mile drive from Covington, WA to Tacoma, WA takes about 30 minutes and is perfect for a single day trip. The route is primarily highway-focused, with 83% of the journey on major roads, making it an efficient option for getting between these two Pacific Coast locations. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this is an economical choice for a quick excursion. You won't need to worry about overnight stays, as the short duration allows for plenty of flexibility in your schedule. This drive is designed for direct travel, so expect a functional rather than a scenic experience.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 21.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a predominantly highway-focused experience on this route, with 83% of your travel occurring on major thoroughfares. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.2 miles on State Route 18, offering a consistent pace. The drive progresses through a mix of State Route 18, I-5, and I-705, ensuring a relatively fast and direct journey. While not characterized by winding scenic byways, this route prioritizes efficiency and straightforward travel, allowing you to cover ground quickly.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
State Route 18 is the longest continuous segment at about 10.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Route 18 and I 5. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in.
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 21.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp toward WA 18 West: Auburn
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward WA 18 West: Auburn
7
10.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward I 5: Seattle, Tacoma
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.
Toward I 5: Seattle, Tacoma
8
11.2 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South, WA 161: Enchanted Parkway South, Tacoma
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 5 South, WA 161: Enchanted Parkway Sou...
8
20.1 mi into trip
|
~27m 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
20.4 mi into trip
|
~28m 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 Covington, WA and Tacoma, WA, road signs point toward Tacoma Dome, Tacoma Dome Station and City Center.
Tacoma Dome
19.2 mi in
|
~26m
Tacoma Dome Station
19.4 mi in
|
~26m
City Center
20.1 mi in
|
~27m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Route 18 | 10.2 mi | 12m |
| I 5 | 7.2 mi | 9m |
| I 705 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Tacoma Avenue South | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South 15th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Southeast 272nd Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South 11th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
State Route 18
— 10.2 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Covington, WA and Tacoma, WA.
1
Start on WA 516
209 ft
·
11 sec
·
Southeast 272nd Street
2
Continue on WA 516
270 ft
·
18 sec
·
Southeast 272nd Street
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward WA 18 West: Auburn
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto WA 18
10 mi
·
12 min
·
State Route 18
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 5: Seattle, Tacoma
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 5 South, WA 161: Enchanted Parkway South, Tacoma
Use the straight lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 5 South: Tacoma
8
Merge onto I 5
7.2 mi
·
9 min
·
I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 133
Toward WA 7 South, I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome
10
Keep slight right at fork
334 ft
·
8 sec
Toward I 705 North: City Center, Tacoma Dome Station
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 705 North: City Center
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto I 705
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
·
I 705
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward A Street, City Center
Use the slight left lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward South 15 Street, Pacific Avenue
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
15
Continue on South 15th Street
0.3 mi
·
59 sec
·
South 15th Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Tacoma Avenue South
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Tacoma Avenue South
17
Turn right onto South 11th Street
43 ft
·
1 sec
·
South 11th Street
18
Arrive at destination
South 11th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.44 one way
$8.87 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $4.65 | $9.31 |
| premium | $5.77 | $4.81 | $9.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.68 | $9.36 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.23 | $1.02 |
| Efficient EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.85 | $0.85 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Night in Tacoma on Friday
Local time
10:05 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
1 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
30m 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 Covington, WA to Tacoma, WA covers 21.2 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are State Route 18, I 5, I 705. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.6 miles from Covington, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.44 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 21.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Covington, WA and Tacoma, WA, road signs point toward Tacoma Dome, Tacoma Dome Station and City Center.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Tacoma, WA
More from Covington, WA
More trips to Tacoma, WA
Explore more options from Covington, WA or browse trips ending in Tacoma, WA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse WA road trips.