Origin
Lake Cavanaugh, WA
Afternoon in Lake Cavanaugh on Friday
Local time
4:46 PM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake Cavanaugh, WA to Anacortes, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 7m
Distance
36.8 mi
59 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 2m
★
6 AM
1h 7m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 17m
8 PM
1h 4m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Cavanaugh, WA
John De Leon
Anacortes, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Lake Cavanaugh, WA to Anacortes, WA covers 36.8 miles and takes about 1h 7m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Lake Cavanaugh Road, State Route 20, State Route 9 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.2 miles on Lake Cavanaugh Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.70 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 7m. Total distance: 36.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Lake Cavanaugh, WA to Anacortes, WA covers 36.8 miles and takes about 1h 7m, 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.
Lake Cavanaugh Road is the longest continuous segment at about 10.2 miles.
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 0.1 miles in near West Shore Drive.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 36.8 miles you will encounter 18 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West Shore Drive): Navigation decision point; at 16.3 miles (Mount Vernon Big Lake Road): Navigation decision point; at 17.8 miles (East Division Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Shore Drive
At end of road, turn left onto West Shore Drive
Navigation decision point
4
16.3 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Mount Vernon Big Lake Road
Turn left onto Mount Vernon Big Lake Road
Navigation decision point
4
17.8 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
East Division Street
Enter roundabout onto East Division Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
20.5 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
WA 536 / South 3rd Street
Turn left onto WA 536 / South 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
6
32.7 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
State Route 20 Spur
Keep slight right at fork onto State Route 20 Spur toward Anacortes, San Juans Ferry
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Anacortes, San Juans Ferry
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 Lake Cavanaugh, WA to Anacortes, WA, road signs begin pointing toward San Juans Ferry along the way.
San Juans Ferry
32.7 mi in
|
~59m
|
via State Route 20 Spur
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Cavanaugh Road | 10.2 mi | 17m |
| State Route 20 | 7 mi | 9m |
| State Route 9 | 4.7 mi | 7m |
| Memorial Highway | 4 mi | 6m |
| East Division Street | 2.9 mi | 7m |
| State Route 20 Spur | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| R Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| West Division Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Lake Cavanaugh Road
— 10.2 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Cavanaugh, WA and Anacortes, WA.
1
Start on East Tree Bark Lane
316 ft
·
16 sec
·
East Tree Bark Lane
2
At end of road, turn left onto West Shore Drive
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
West Shore Drive
3
Continue on West Shore Drive
115 ft
·
4 sec
·
West Shore Drive
4
Turn right onto South Shore Drive
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Shore Drive
5
Turn left onto Lake Cavanaugh Road
10 mi
·
17 min
·
Lake Cavanaugh Road
6
Turn right onto WA 9
4.7 mi
·
7 min
·
State Route 9
7
Turn left onto Mount Vernon Big Lake Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Mount Vernon Big Lake Road
8
Continue on East Division Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East Division Street
9
Enter roundabout onto East Division Street
75 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Division Street
10
Continue on East Division Street
2.1 mi
·
5 min
·
East Division Street
11
Continue on North 6th Street
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
North 6th Street
12
Turn left onto East Fulton Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
East Fulton Street
13
Turn left onto North 4th Street
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
North 4th Street
14
Continue on WA 99
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
South 2nd Street
15
Turn left onto West Montgomery Street
261 ft
·
18 sec
·
West Montgomery Street
16
Turn left onto WA 536
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
South 3rd Street
17
Continue on WA 536
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
West Division Street
Use the straight lane.
18
Continue on WA 536
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Memorial Highway
19
Take the ramp onto WA 536
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
WA 536
20
Merge onto WA 20
7.0 mi
·
9 min
·
State Route 20
21
Keep slight right at fork onto State Route 20 Spur
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
State Route 20 Spur
Toward Anacortes, San Juans Ferry
22
Turn right onto R Avenue
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
R Avenue
23
Keep slight left at fork onto R Avenue
90 ft
·
5 sec
·
R Avenue
24
Keep slight right at fork onto R Avenue
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
·
R Avenue
25
Enter roundabout onto R Avenue
101 ft
·
5 sec
·
R Avenue
26
Continue on R Avenue
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
R Avenue
27
Turn left onto 20th Street
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
20th Street
28
Turn right onto WA 20 SPUR
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Commercial Avenue
29
Turn left onto WA 20 SPUR
11 ft
·
0 sec
·
12th Street
30
Arrive at destination
WA 20 SPUR
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 18.4 mi from Lake Cavanaugh, WA · 34m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 36.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.4 miles from Lake Cavanaugh, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Anacortes, WA
The final approach into Anacortes, WA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.70 one way
$15.40 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $8.08 | $16.15 |
| premium | $5.77 | $8.36 | $16.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.12 | $16.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11 | 0 | $3.86 | $1.77 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.22 | $1.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.15 | $2.36 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Anacortes, WA
Afternoon in Anacortes on Friday
Local time
4:46 PM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
58°F
Mount Vernon, WA
18 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
7 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
1h 7m 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 Lake Cavanaugh, WA to Anacortes, WA covers 36.8 miles and takes about 1h 7m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Lake Cavanaugh Road, State Route 20, State Route 9. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 18.4 miles from Lake Cavanaugh, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.70 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 36.8 miles you will encounter 18 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West Shore Drive): Navigation decision point; at 16.3 miles (Mount Vernon Big Lake Road): Navigation decision point; at 17.8 miles (East Division Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
On the drive from Lake Cavanaugh, WA to Anacortes, WA, road signs begin pointing toward San Juans Ferry along the way.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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