Trip from Kennewick, WA to East Wenatchee, WA

Drive Time

2h 53m

Distance

130.5 mi

210 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$27

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 33 min
4 AM
2h 43m ★
6 AM
2h 54m
8 AM
3h 16m
10 AM
3h 1m
12 PM
2h 59m
3 PM
3h 2m
5 PM
3h 15m
8 PM
2h 47m

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

Downtown Kennewick, WA, WA

Kennewick, WA

Frank Cone

Downtown East Wenatchee, WA, WA

East Wenatchee, WA

JOHN CALLERY

Trip Overview

The drive from Kennewick, WA to East Wenatchee, WA covers 130.5 miles and takes about 2h 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Vantage Highway, State Route 28, State Route 243 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 48.1 miles on Vantage Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $27.39 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

65.2 miles from Kennewick, WA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 27m into the drive .

Drive Character

The drive from Kennewick, WA to East Wenatchee, WA covers 130.5 miles and takes about 2h 53m, 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 30 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Vantage Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 48.1 miles.

Elevation Profile

Gently rolling terrain

1,375 ft 377 ft

Total Climb

1,497 ft

Total Descent

1,221 ft

Highest Point

1,375 ft

~103.3 mi in

Elevation Range

998 ft

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 8.3 miles in near WA 240.

Route Complexity 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 21 significant decision points across 130.5 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 8.3 miles (WA 240): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.8 miles (WA 240): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.1 miles (WA 240): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 21 key points

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

6
8.3 mi into trip | ~12m in | WA 240

Keep slight right at fork onto WA 240

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane.
8
9.8 mi into trip | ~14m in | WA 240

Take the exit onto WA 240 toward WA 240 West: Vantage, Wellsian Way

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. Exit 4 Toward WA 240 West: Vantage, Wellsian Way
5
10.1 mi into trip | ~14m in | WA 240

Keep slight left at fork onto WA 240 toward WA 240 West: Vantage

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward WA 240 West: Vantage
5
22.6 mi into trip | ~31m in

Enter roundabout

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
62.5 mi into trip | ~1h 23m in | WA 243 / State Route 243

Enter roundabout onto WA 243 / State Route 243 toward Vantage

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Toward Vantage

Towns Along This Route

Between Kennewick, WA and East Wenatchee, WA, road signs point toward Vantage and Wenatchee.

Vantage

62.5 mi in | ~1h 23m | via WA 243

Wenatchee

89.5 mi in | ~1h 58m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Vantage Highway 48.1 mi 1h 2m
State Route 28 25.5 mi 33m
State Route 243 14.3 mi 21m
I 90 11.5 mi 12m
White Trail Road 8.8 mi 11m
WA 240 8.6 mi 10m
WA 281 5.6 mi 7m
Bypass Highway 3.9 mi 5m
Longest stretch: Vantage Highway — 48.1 mi, about 1h 2m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Kennewick, WA and East Wenatchee, WA.

1

Start on North Newport Street

0.1 mi · 37 sec · North Newport Street
2

Turn left onto West Kennewick Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · West Kennewick Avenue
3

Turn left onto North Fruitland Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · North Fruitland Street
4

Turn left onto West Columbia Drive

0.5 mi · 1 min · West Columbia Drive
5

Enter roundabout onto WA 240

0.1 mi · 8 sec · WA 240
6

Continue on WA 240

6.4 mi · 8 min · WA 240
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight right at fork onto WA 240

1.4 mi · 1 min · WA 240
Use the slight right lane.
8

Take the exit onto WA 240

0.3 mi · 21 sec · WA 240
Exit 4 Toward WA 240 West: Vantage, Wellsian Way Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto WA 240

0.2 mi · 16 sec · WA 240
Toward WA 240 West: Vantage
10

Merge onto WA 240

3.9 mi · 5 min · Bypass Highway
11

Turn left onto WA 240

8.3 mi · 11 min · Vantage Highway
12

Turn slight left

119 ft · 2 sec
13

Enter roundabout

105 ft · 1 sec
14

Continue

247 ft · 4 sec
15

Turn straight onto WA 240

40 mi · 50 min · Vantage Highway
16

Enter roundabout onto WA 243

86 ft · 1 sec · State Route 243
Toward Vantage
17

Continue on WA 243

14 mi · 21 min · State Route 243
Toward Vantage
18

At end of road, turn left onto WA 26

0.9 mi · 1 min · WA 26
19

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Toward I 90 East: Spokane
20

Merge onto I 90

12 mi · 12 min · I 90
21

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 36 sec
Toward WA 281 North: Quincy, Wenatchee
22

Turn left onto WA 281

5.6 mi · 7 min · WA 281
23

Turn left onto White Trail Road

8.8 mi · 11 min · White Trail Road
24

Enter roundabout onto WA 28

156 ft · 5 sec · State Route 28
25

Continue on WA 28

25 mi · 33 min · State Route 28
26

Turn straight onto WA 28

0.2 mi · 23 sec · WA 28
27

Enter roundabout onto WA 28

105 ft · 1 sec · Sunset Highway
28

Continue on WA 28

0.4 mi · 46 sec · Sunset Highway
29

Turn right onto 9th Street

431 ft · 11 sec · 9th Street
30

Arrive at destination

9th Street Northeast

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 65.2 miles from Kennewick, WA, or about 1h 27m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 48.1 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 80 miles or 1h 48m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 65.2 miles or 1h 27m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 22m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near East Wenatchee, WA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Kennewick, WA so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Kennewick, WA

This is one driving day of about 130.5 miles and 2h 53m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Kennewick, WA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Vantage Highway for about 48.1 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 65.2 mi from Kennewick, WA · 1h 27m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Yakima, WA

65 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

Yakima, WA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Yakima, WA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 65.2 miles from Kennewick, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in East Wenatchee, WA

The final approach into East Wenatchee, WA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around East Wenatchee, WA.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$27.39 one way

$54.78 round trip

$5.33/gal 25.4 MPG avg 46 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.57 $28.60 $57.20
premium $5.77 $29.65 $59.30
diesel $5.64 $28.99 $57.99

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$27

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$52–$77

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 45.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 39.2 0 $13.70 $6.26
Efficient EV 32.6 0 $11.42 $5.22
EV Truck/SUV 52.2 0 $18.27 $8.35

Gas CO2

46 kg

EV CO2

15 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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast data refreshed 16 hours ago

Origin

Kennewick, WA

Evening in Kennewick on Sunday

Local time

7:14 PM

PDT

Current temp

41°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

East Wenatchee, WA

Evening in East Wenatchee on Sunday

Local time

7:14 PM

PDT

Current temp

44°F

Mostly Clear

N 5 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 11 at 8:35PM PDT until April 13 at 5:39AM PDT by NWS Spokane WA

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

3 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

2h 53m on the road

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Kennewick, WA to East Wenatchee, WA covers 130.5 miles and takes about 2h 53m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Vantage Highway, State Route 28, State Route 243. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 65.2 miles from Kennewick, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $27.39 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.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 21 significant decision points across 130.5 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 8.3 miles (WA 240): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.8 miles (WA 240): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.1 miles (WA 240): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Between Kennewick, WA and East Wenatchee, WA, road signs point toward Vantage and Wenatchee.

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