Origin
Newcastle, WA
Afternoon in Newcastle on Friday
Local time
4:52 PM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newcastle, WA to Kirkland, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
12.1 mi
20 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Newcastle, WA
Harrison Reilly
Kirkland, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Newcastle, WA to Kirkland, WA is 12.1 miles and takes about 20m via I 405, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward drive stays within Washington and the Pacific Coast region, making it an easy local hop. You'll primarily be on the interstate, so expect a quick and efficient journey. It's a short trip, perfect for a quick errand or connecting between two points without a significant time commitment. Consider this route when you need to get from point A to point B swiftly and without much fuss.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 12.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This drive is heavily focused on highway travel, with 77% of the route utilizing major roadways like I 405. You'll experience a long, uninterrupted stretch of 7.3 miles on I 405, offering a consistent driving pace. While the majority is highway, the initial and final segments may involve surface streets like Coal Creek Parkway Southeast and Northeast 85th Street, offering a slight change of scenery before rejoining faster routes. Expect a predominantly smooth, high-speed experience for most of your journey.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 405 is the longest continuous segment at about 7.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 405 and Coal Creek Parkway Southeast. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 12.1 miles you will encounter 13 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 2.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (I 405): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward I 405 North
Navigation decision point
Toward I 405 North
5
3 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 405
Merge onto I 405
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
10.3 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward Northeast 85th Street, Kirkland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 18
Toward Northeast 85th Street, Kirkland
5
11.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
7th Avenue
Enter roundabout onto 7th Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
11.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
7th Avenue
Enter roundabout onto 7th Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 405 | 7.3 mi | 9m |
| Coal Creek Parkway Southeast | 2 mi | 4m |
| Northeast 85th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 7th Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Newcastle Commons Drive | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| 136th Avenue Southeast | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Southeast 71st Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 6th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 405
— 7.3 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newcastle, WA and Kirkland, WA.
1
Start on Southeast 71st Street
476 ft
·
16 sec
·
Southeast 71st Street
2
Continue on 136th Avenue Southeast
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
136th Avenue Southeast
3
Turn right onto Newcastle Golf Club Road
293 ft
·
11 sec
·
Newcastle Golf Club Road
4
Turn left onto Newcastle Commons Drive
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Newcastle Commons Drive
5
Turn right onto Coal Creek Parkway Southeast
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Coal Creek Parkway Southeast
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 405 North
7
Merge onto I 405
7.3 mi
·
9 min
·
I 405
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 18
Toward Northeast 85th Street, Kirkland
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
182 ft
·
6 sec
10
Turn straight onto Northeast 85th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Northeast 85th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto 6th Street
449 ft
·
17 sec
·
6th Street
12
Turn left onto 7th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
7th Avenue
13
Continue on 7th Avenue
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
7th Avenue
14
Continue on 7th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
7th Avenue
15
Turn right onto 1st Street
399 ft
·
11 sec
·
1st Street
16
Arrive at destination
1st Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.53 one way
$5.06 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $2.66 | $5.31 |
| premium | $5.77 | $2.75 | $5.50 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.67 | $5.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.27 | $0.58 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.06 | $0.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.69 | $0.77 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Kirkland, WA
Afternoon in Kirkland on Friday
Local time
4:52 PM
PDT
Current temp
58°F
Mostly Sunny
NNE 3 mph
0% 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
9 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
20m 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 Newcastle, WA to Kirkland, WA covers 12.1 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 405, Coal Creek Parkway Southeast, Northeast 85th Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.1 miles from Newcastle, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.53 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 12.1 miles you will encounter 13 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 2.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (I 405): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Newcastle, WA to Kirkland, 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.
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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