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Trip from Port Townsend, WA to Tacoma, WA

Drive Time

1h 58m

Distance

79.8 mi

128 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$17

one way

EV Charging

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station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 25 min
4 AM
1h 50m ★
6 AM
1h 58m
8 AM
2h 15m
10 AM
2h 4m
12 PM
2h 2m
3 PM
2h 5m
5 PM
2h 14m
8 PM
1h 53m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Washington, United States

Port Townsend, WA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Port Townsend, WA to Tacoma, WA covers 79.8 miles and takes about 1h 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on State Highway 16, State Highway 3 Northeast, Beaver Valley Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 26.1 miles on State Highway 16. At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.75 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

0 planned breaks

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

Midpoint

39.9 miles from Port Townsend, WA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 2m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 1h 58m highway drive covering 79.8 miles, with most of the trip on State Highway 16 and State Highway 3 Northeast. The longest continuous stretch is about 26.1 miles on State Highway 16.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
State Highway 16 is the longest continuous segment at about 26.1 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Highway 16 and State Highway 3 Northeast. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near Kearney Street.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

This is a straightforward 1h 58m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Kearney Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (East Sims Way): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.6 miles (WA 20 / West Sims Way): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

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

5
0.7 mi into trip | ~2m in | Kearney Street

At end of road, turn left onto Kearney Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.9 mi into trip | ~2m in | East Sims Way

Enter roundabout onto East Sims Way

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
2.6 mi into trip | ~6m in | WA 20 / West Sims Way

Enter roundabout onto WA 20 / West Sims Way

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
25.9 mi into trip | ~43m in

Take the exit

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
7
77.5 mi into trip | ~1h 51m in

Take the exit toward Sprague Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 1A Toward Sprague Avenue

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
State Highway 16 26.1 mi 32m
State Highway 3 Northeast 23.2 mi 31m
Beaver Valley Road 9.1 mi 13m
State Route 104 5.1 mi 6m
Rhody Drive 2.8 mi 5m
Airport Cutoff Road 2.2 mi 3m
State Highway 3 West 2.1 mi 3m
State Route 20 2.1 mi 3m
Longest stretch: State Highway 16 — 26.1 mi, about 32m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Port Townsend, WA and Tacoma, WA.

1

Start on Tyler Street

144 ft · 11 sec · Tyler Street
2

Turn left onto Lawrence Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · Lawrence Street
3

At end of road, turn left onto Kearney Street

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Kearney Street
4

Enter roundabout onto East Sims Way

13 ft · 0 sec · East Sims Way
5

Continue on East Sims Way

1.5 mi · 3 min · East Sims Way
6

Enter roundabout onto WA 20

113 ft · 2 sec · West Sims Way
7

Continue on WA 20

0.3 mi · 40 sec · West Sims Way
8

Enter roundabout onto WA 20

102 ft · 1 sec · West Sims Way
9

Continue on WA 20

0.4 mi · 47 sec · West Sims Way
10

Continue on WA 20

2.1 mi · 3 min · State Route 20
11

Continue on WA 19

2.2 mi · 3 min · Airport Cutoff Road
12

Continue on WA 19

2.8 mi · 5 min · Rhody Drive
13

Continue on WA 19

9.1 mi · 13 min · Beaver Valley Road
14

Enter roundabout onto WA 104

211 ft · 2 sec · State Route 104
15

Continue on WA 104

4.9 mi · 6 min · State Route 104
16

Enter roundabout onto WA 104

117 ft · 1 sec · State Route 104
17

Continue on WA 104

0.1 mi · 16 sec · State Route 104
18

Continue on WA 104

1.6 mi · 2 min · Hood Canal Floating Bridge
19

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 13 sec
Use the right lane.
20

Merge onto WA 3

23 mi · 31 min · State Highway 3 Northeast
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21

Continue on WA 3

2.1 mi · 3 min · State Highway 3 West
22

Continue on WA 16

0.2 mi · 19 sec · West State Route 16
23

Continue on WA 16

26 mi · 32 min · State Highway 16
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 35 sec
Exit 1A Toward Sprague Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25

Turn left

0.4 mi · 53 sec
26

Continue on Sprague Ramp

0.3 mi · 43 sec · Sprague Ramp
27

Continue on South Sprague Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · South Sprague Avenue
28

Turn right onto South 11th Street

0.9 mi · 2 min · South 11th Street
29

Arrive at destination

South 11th Street

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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 39.9 miles from Port Townsend, WA, or about 1h 2m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 26.1 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 79.8 miles or 1h 58m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 39.9 miles or 1h 2m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 39m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Port Townsend, 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 Port Townsend, WA

This is one driving day of about 79.8 miles and 1h 58m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Port Townsend, WA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on State Highway 16 for about 26.1 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 39.9 mi from Port Townsend, WA · 1h 2m into the drive

city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bremerton, WA

40 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

Federal Way, WA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 79.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Bremerton, WA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 39.9 miles from Port Townsend, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Tacoma, WA

The final approach into Tacoma, 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 Tacoma, WA.

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

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park

Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park

National Historical Park

Seattle flourished during and after the Klondike Gold Rush. Merchants supplied people from around the world passing through this port city on their way to a remarkable adventure in the Yukon Territory...

16 mi from route ~40 min detour Free near mile 55
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$16.75 one way

$33.50 round trip

$5.33/gal 25.4 MPG avg 28 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.57 $17.49 $34.98
premium $5.77 $18.13 $36.26
diesel $5.64 $17.73 $35.46

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$17

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$42–$67

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 27.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 23.9 0 $8.38 $3.83
Efficient EV 20 0 $6.98 $3.19
EV Truck/SUV 31.9 0 $11.17 $5.11

Gas CO2

28 kg

EV CO2

9 kg (68% 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 5 hours ago

Origin

Port Townsend, WA

Afternoon in Port Townsend on Monday

Local time

2:56 PM

PDT

Current temp

51°F

Chance Light Rain

W 8 mph 37% chance Live forecast

Winter Storm Watch

Winter Storm Watch issued April 13 at 2:38AM PDT until April 15 at 11:00PM PDT by NWS Seattle WA

Winter Storm Watch

Winter Storm Watch issued April 13 at 12:01AM PDT until April 16 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Portland OR

Destination

Tacoma, WA

Afternoon in Tacoma on Monday

Local time

2:56 PM

PDT

Current temp

38°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

13 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 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 Port Townsend, WA to Tacoma, WA covers 79.8 miles and takes about 1h 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are State Highway 16, State Highway 3 Northeast, Beaver Valley Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 39.9 miles from Port Townsend, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.75 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 straightforward 1h 58m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Kearney Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (East Sims Way): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.6 miles (WA 20 / West Sims Way): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
The route from Port Townsend, WA to Tacoma, WA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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