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Trip from Seattle, WA to Esperance, WA

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

Drive Time

21m

Distance

14.9 mi

24 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 20m ★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 21m

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

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

Seattle, WA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Esperance, WA, WA

Esperance, WA

Eclipse Chasers

Trip Overview

Seattle to Esperance is 14.9 miles and takes about 21 minutes via I 5, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Washington's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward drive. It's a quick connection, ideal for when you need to get from point A to point B without a significant time commitment. Think of it as a brief transition rather than a destination in itself. With only 1 day recommended, this route is perfect for a quick shuttle or a minor relocation.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 14.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

21m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This drive is primarily highway-focused, with 76% of the journey on major roads like I 5. You'll experience the efficiency of interstate travel for the longest stretch, a continuous 11.3 miles on I 5. The remaining segments involve local roads, including Edmonds Way and Northeast 205th Street - Lake Ballinger Way, which offer a slight change of pace from the freeway. Expect a fairly consistent driving experience with minimal complexity, suitable for those who prefer direct travel.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 13 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 11.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 5 and Edmonds Way. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Madison Street.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 14.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.

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 11.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 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.
8
11.9 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the exit toward WA 104: Edmonds, Lake Forest Park

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Exit 177 Toward WA 104: Edmonds, Lake Forest Park
8
12.2 mi into trip | ~16m in

Keep slight left at fork toward WA 104 West: Edmonds

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward WA 104 West: Edmonds
9
12.5 mi into trip | ~17m in

Keep slight right at fork toward WA 104 West: Edmonds, Kingston Ferry

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward WA 104 West: Edmonds, Kingston Ferry

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Seattle, WA and Esperance, WA, road signs point toward Lake Forest Park and Kingston Ferry.

Lake Forest Park

11.9 mi in | ~16m

Kingston Ferry

12.5 mi in | ~17m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 5 11.3 mi 14m
Edmonds Way 1.2 mi 2m
Northeast 205th Street - Lake Ballinger Way 0.7 mi 1m
North 205th Street - Lake Ballinger Way 0.4 mi <1m
4th Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
University Street 0.1 mi <1m
Madison Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 5 — 11.3 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Seattle, WA and Esperance, 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

11 mi · 14 min · I 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Exit 177 Toward WA 104: Edmonds, Lake Forest Park Use the right lane.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 27 sec
Toward WA 104 West: Edmonds Use the slight left lane.
9

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 13 sec
Toward WA 104 West: Edmonds, Kingston Ferry Use the straight / right lanes.
10

Turn right onto WA 104

0.7 mi · 1 min · Northeast 205th Street - Lake Ballinger Way
11

Continue on WA 104

0.4 mi · 45 sec · North 205th Street - Lake Ballinger Way
12

Keep slight right at fork onto WA 104

1.2 mi · 2 min · Edmonds Way
13

Arrive at destination

WA 104

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.12 one way

$6.24 round trip

$5.32/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.58 $3.27 $6.54
premium $5.77 $3.38 $6.77
diesel $5.61 $3.29 $6.58

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.5 0 $1.56 $0.72
Efficient EV 3.7 0 $1.30 $0.60
EV Truck/SUV 6 0 $2.09 $0.95

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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

Late night in Seattle on Friday

Local time

5:27 AM

PDT

Current temp

56°F

Mostly Sunny

S 6 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Destination

Esperance, WA

Late night in Esperance on Friday

Local time

5:27 AM

PDT

Current temp

46°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

10 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

21m 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 Esperance, WA covers 14.9 miles and takes about 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 5, Edmonds Way, Northeast 205th Street - Lake Ballinger Way. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 7.4 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 $3.12 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 short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 14.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Madison Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (4th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Between Seattle, WA and Esperance, WA, road signs point toward Lake Forest Park and Kingston Ferry.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park.

How this page is built

Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.

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