Origin
SeaTac, WA
Afternoon in SeaTac on Friday
Local time
1:02 PM
PDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from SeaTac, WA to Kent, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
15m
Distance
7.8 mi
13 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 18m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 18m
8 PM
0h 14m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
SeaTac, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 7.8-mile drive from SeaTac, WA, to Kent, WA, is easily manageable in about 15 minutes, making it a perfect option for a quick local trip. You'll navigate primarily via South Kent Des Moines Road, International Boulevard, and Pacific Highway South, with no highway driving involved. Given its minimal distance and duration, this route is ideal for a single day trip. The estimated fuel cost is a very reasonable $2. The overall feel is that of a typical local commute, connecting two points within the Pacific Coast region of Washington.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 15m. Total distance: 7.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, as indicated by its profile. With 0% highway share, you'll be on surface streets for the entire 7.8 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 3 miles on South Kent Des Moines Road. This means you'll be making frequent adjustments to your speed and direction, characteristic of urban and suburban navigation rather than open highway cruising. The road personality is defined by its local connectivity.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Kent Des Moines Road is the longest continuous segment at about 3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 7.8 miles you will encounter 8 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; near the start (32nd Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (South 176th Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
32nd Avenue South
Turn right onto 32nd Avenue South
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South 176th Street
Turn right onto South 176th Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
WA 99 / International Boulevard
Turn left onto WA 99 / International Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
WA 516 / South Kent Des Moines Road
Turn left onto WA 516 / South Kent Des Moines Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / uturn lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Kent Des Moines Road | 3 mi | 4m |
| International Boulevard | 2.6 mi | 5m |
| Pacific Highway South | 1 mi | 1m |
| West Willis Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 4th Avenue South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South 176th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 32nd Avenue South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Gowe Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Kent Des Moines Road
— 3 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between SeaTac, WA and Kent, WA.
1
Start on this road
140 ft
·
15 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
52 ft
·
5 sec
3
Turn right onto 32nd Avenue South
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
32nd Avenue South
4
Turn right onto South 176th Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
South 176th Street
5
Turn left onto WA 99
2.6 mi
·
5 min
·
International Boulevard
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on WA 99
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Pacific Highway South
7
Turn left onto WA 516
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
South Kent Des Moines Road
Use the left / uturn lanes.
8
Continue on WA 516
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
West Willis Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
Enter roundabout onto 4th Avenue South
238 ft
·
5 sec
·
4th Avenue South
10
Continue on 4th Avenue South
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
4th Avenue South
11
Turn right onto West Gowe Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Gowe Street
12
Turn left onto 2nd Avenue South
10 ft
·
0 sec
·
2nd Avenue South
13
Arrive at destination
2nd Avenue South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.63 one way
$3.26 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $1.71 | $3.42 |
| premium | $5.77 | $1.77 | $3.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.72 | $3.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.82 | $0.37 |
| Efficient EV | 2 | 0 | $0.68 | $0.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Kent, WA
Afternoon in Kent on Friday
Local time
1:02 PM
PDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
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
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
15m 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 SeaTac, WA to Kent, WA covers 7.8 miles and takes about 15m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Kent Des Moines Road, International Boulevard, Pacific Highway South. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 3.9 miles from SeaTac, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.63 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 7.8 miles you will encounter 8 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; near the start (32nd Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (South 176th Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from SeaTac, WA to Kent, 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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