Origin
Seattle, WA
Evening in Seattle on Friday
Local time
6:04 PM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Seattle, WA to Ames Lake, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
23.4 mi
38 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Seattle, WA
Wikimedia Commons
Ames Lake, WA
John De Leon
Trip Overview
The drive from Seattle, WA to Ames Lake, WA covers 23.4 miles and takes about 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on WA 520, Northeast Redmond Fall City Road, I 5 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.5 miles on WA 520. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.90 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 23.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 35m highway drive covering 23.4 miles, with most of the trip on WA 520 and Northeast Redmond Fall City Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 12.5 miles on WA 520.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
WA 520 is the longest continuous segment at about 12.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on WA 520 and Northeast Redmond Fall City Road. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Madison Street.
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 23.4 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: near the start (Madison Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (4th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles (WA 520): 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
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.
8
2.5 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
WA 520
Take the exit onto WA 520 toward WA 520: Bellevue, Kirkland
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 168B
Toward WA 520: Bellevue, Kirkland
6
15 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward WA 202: Redmond Way
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward WA 202: Redmond Way
6
21.4 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Northeast Ames Lake Road
Turn left onto Northeast Ames Lake Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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 Ames Lake, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Kirkland along the way.
Kirkland
2.5 mi in
|
~4m
|
via WA 520
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| WA 520 | 12.5 mi | 15m |
| Northeast Redmond Fall City Road | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| I 5 | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Northeast Ames Lake Road | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Redmond Way | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Northeast Quail Creek Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| 4th Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| University Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
WA 520
— 12.5 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Seattle, WA and Ames Lake, 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
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit onto WA 520
13 mi
·
15 min
·
WA 520
Exit 168B
Toward WA 520: Bellevue, Kirkland
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward WA 202: Redmond Way
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto WA 202
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Redmond Way
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on WA 202
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Northeast Redmond Fall City Road
11
Turn left onto Northeast Ames Lake Road
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Northeast Ames Lake Road
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right onto Northeast Quail Creek Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Northeast Quail Creek Drive
13
Turn left onto Quail Creek Way Northeast
282 ft
·
14 sec
·
Quail Creek Way Northeast
14
Turn right onto Northeast 26th Street
239 ft
·
16 sec
·
Northeast 26th Street
15
Turn left onto 279th Court Northeast
249 ft
·
11 sec
·
279th Court Northeast
16
Turn slight left
190 ft
·
13 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.90 one way
$9.79 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $5.14 | $10.27 |
| premium | $5.77 | $5.31 | $10.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.17 | $10.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.12 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.05 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Ames Lake, WA
Evening in Ames Lake on Friday
Local time
6:04 PM
PDT
Current temp
66°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
17 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
35m 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 Seattle, WA to Ames Lake, WA covers 23.4 miles and takes about 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are WA 520, Northeast Redmond Fall City Road, I 5. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.7 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 $4.90 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 23.4 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: near the start (Madison Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (4th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles (WA 520): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Seattle, WA to Ames Lake, WA, road signs begin pointing toward Kirkland 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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