Origin
Kirkland, WA
Afternoon in Kirkland on Friday
Local time
4:51 PM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kirkland, WA to Arlington, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
43.5 mi
70 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 53m
★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kirkland, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Arlington, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Kirkland, WA to Arlington, WA covers 43.5 miles and takes about 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 5, I 405, State Highway 530 Northeast for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 25.7 miles on I 5. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.10 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 43.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 58m highway drive covering 43.5 miles, with most of the trip on I 5 and I 405. The longest continuous stretch is about 25.7 miles on I 5.
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.
I 5 is the longest continuous segment at about 25.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and I 405. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 7th Avenue.
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 43.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (7th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (7th Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.8 miles (I 405): 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.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
7th Avenue
Turn left onto 7th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
7th Avenue
Enter roundabout onto 7th Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
2.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 405
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
13.1 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward I 5 North: Everett, Vancouver British Columbia
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 North: Everett, Vancouver British Co...
8
39.3 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Take the exit toward WA 530 East: Arlington, Darrington
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 208
Toward WA 530 East: Arlington, Darrington
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Kirkland, WA and Arlington, WA, road signs point toward Vancouver British Columbia and Darrington.
Vancouver British Columbia
13.1 mi in
|
~18m
Darrington
39.3 mi in
|
~51m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 5 | 25.7 mi | 31m |
| I 405 | 11.4 mi | 14m |
| State Highway 530 Northeast | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| WA 530 | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Northeast 85th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 7th Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Division Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 6th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 5
— 25.7 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kirkland, WA and Arlington, WA.
1
Start on 1st Street
399 ft
·
16 sec
·
1st Street
2
Turn left onto 7th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
7th Avenue
3
Continue on 7th Avenue
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
7th Avenue
4
Continue on 7th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
7th Avenue
5
Turn right onto 6th Street
449 ft
·
14 sec
·
6th Street
6
Turn left onto Northeast 85th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Northeast 85th Street
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
8
Merge onto I 405
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 405
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
8.4 mi
·
10 min
·
I 405
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
I 405
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
48 sec
Toward I 5 North: Everett, Vancouver British Columbia
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto I 5
26 mi
·
31 min
·
I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 208
Toward WA 530 East: Arlington, Darrington
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto WA 530
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
State Highway 530 Northeast
15
Enter roundabout onto WA 530
51 ft
·
0 sec
·
WA 530
16
Continue on WA 530
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
WA 530
17
Enter roundabout onto WA 530
89 ft
·
1 sec
·
WA 530
18
Continue on WA 530
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
WA 530
19
Enter roundabout onto West Division Street
96 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Division Street
20
Continue on West Division Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
West Division Street
21
Enter roundabout
124 ft
·
3 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 21.8 mi from Kirkland, WA · 29m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.8 miles from Kirkland, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Arlington, WA
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Arlington, 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
$9.10 one way
$18.21 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $9.55 | $19.10 |
| premium | $5.77 | $9.88 | $19.76 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.60 | $19.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13 | 0 | $4.57 | $2.09 |
| Efficient EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.4 | 0 | $6.09 | $2.78 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Destination
Arlington, WA
Afternoon in Arlington on Friday
Local time
4:51 PM
PDT
Current temp
38°F
Mostly Cloudy
N 1 to 6 mph
4% chance
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
11 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
58m 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 Kirkland, WA to Arlington, WA covers 43.5 miles and takes about 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 5, I 405, State Highway 530 Northeast. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 21.8 miles from Kirkland, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.10 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 43.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (7th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (7th Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.8 miles (I 405): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Kirkland, WA and Arlington, WA, road signs point toward Vancouver British Columbia and Darrington.
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 Arlington, WA
More trips to Arlington, WA
Explore more options from Kirkland, WA or browse trips ending in Arlington, WA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse WA road trips.