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Trip from Seattle, WA to Arlington Heights, WA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 13m

Distance

53.3 mi

86 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 7m ★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 10m

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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Download GPX
city in and county seat of King County, State of Washington, United States

Seattle, WA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Arlington Heights, WA, WA

Arlington Heights, WA

JOHN CALLERY

Trip Overview

The drive from Seattle, WA to Arlington Heights, WA covers 53.3 miles and takes about 1h 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 5, Oso Slide Memorial Highway, State Highway 530 Northeast for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 42.5 miles on I 5. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.16 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 13m. Total distance: 53.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (87%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 13m highway drive covering 53.3 miles, with most of the trip on I 5 and Oso Slide Memorial Highway. The longest continuous stretch is about 42.5 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 24 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 42.5 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and Oso Slide Memorial Highway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Madison Street.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 13m drive. You will face about 17 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Madison Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (4th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (University Street): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 17 key points

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

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Madison Street

Turn left onto Madison Street

Navigation decision point

7
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | 4th Avenue

Turn right onto 4th Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
5
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | University Street

Turn right onto University Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.7 mi into trip | ~2m in | I 5

Merge onto I 5

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
43.2 mi into trip | ~54m 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.

On the drive from Seattle, WA to Arlington Heights, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Darrington along the way.

Darrington

43.2 mi in | ~54m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 5 42.5 mi 52m
Oso Slide Memorial Highway 2.6 mi 3m
State Highway 530 Northeast 2.3 mi 3m
115th Avenue Northeast 2 mi 4m
WA 530 1.5 mi 2m
228th Street Northeast 0.6 mi 1m
State Route 530 Northeast 0.3 mi <1m
East Division Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 5 — 42.5 mi, about 52m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Seattle, WA and Arlington Heights, WA.

1

Start on this road

31 ft · 7 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto Madison Street

204 ft · 11 sec · Madison Street
3

Turn right onto 4th Avenue

0.2 mi · 39 sec · 4th Avenue
Use the straight lane.
4

Turn right onto University Street

0.1 mi · 26 sec · University Street
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Toward I 5 North
6

Merge onto I 5

42 mi · 52 min · I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Exit 208 Toward WA 530 East: Arlington, Darrington Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Turn right onto WA 530

2.3 mi · 3 min · State Highway 530 Northeast
9

Enter roundabout onto WA 530

51 ft · 0 sec · WA 530
10

Continue on WA 530

0.3 mi · 26 sec · WA 530
11

Enter roundabout onto WA 530

89 ft · 1 sec · WA 530
12

Continue on WA 530

1.1 mi · 1 min · WA 530
13

Enter roundabout onto West Division Street

96 ft · 2 sec · West Division Street
14

Continue on West Division Street

0.1 mi · 18 sec · West Division Street
15

Enter roundabout onto East Division Street

65 ft · 2 sec · East Division Street
16

Continue on East Division Street

0.2 mi · 26 sec · East Division Street
17

Turn left onto Manhattan Avenue

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Manhattan Avenue
18

At end of road, turn right onto WA 530

517 ft · 17 sec · East Burke Avenue
19

Continue on WA 530

0.1 mi · 13 sec · Talcott Street
20

Continue on WA 530

0.3 mi · 34 sec · State Route 530 Northeast
21

Continue on WA 530

2.6 mi · 3 min · Oso Slide Memorial Highway
22

Turn right onto 115th Avenue Northeast

2.0 mi · 4 min · 115th Avenue Northeast
23

Turn left onto 228th Street Northeast

0.6 mi · 1 min · 228th Street Northeast
24

Arrive at destination

228th Street Northeast

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 26.6 mi from Seattle, WA · 34m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Everett, WA

27 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.

Popular next leg

Everett, WA to Arlington Heights, WA

25.5 mi · 37m

Pacing Suggestions

Shoreline, WA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Alderwood Manor, WA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 26.6 miles from Seattle, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Arlington Heights, WA

The final approach into Arlington Heights, 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

$11.16 one way

$22.31 round trip

$5.32/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.58 $11.70 $23.40
premium $5.77 $12.10 $24.21
diesel $5.61 $11.77 $23.54

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16 0 $5.60 $2.56
Efficient EV 13.3 0 $4.66 $2.13
EV Truck/SUV 21.3 0 $7.46 $3.41

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

6 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 as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Seattle, WA

Morning in Seattle on Friday

Local time

10:34 AM

PDT

Current temp

56°F

Mostly Sunny

SSW 5 to 8 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 10:49AM PDT until April 17 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Spokane WA

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 16 at 10:33AM PDT until April 17 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Pendleton OR

Destination

Arlington Heights, WA

Morning in Arlington Heights on Friday

Local time

10:34 AM

PDT

Current temp

57°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

1 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

1h 13m 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 Seattle, WA to Arlington Heights, WA covers 53.3 miles and takes about 1h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 5, Oso Slide Memorial Highway, 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 26.6 miles from Seattle, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $11.16 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 13m drive. You will face about 17 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Madison Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (4th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (University Street): Navigation decision point.

On the drive from Seattle, WA to Arlington Heights, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Darrington along the way.

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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