Origin
Vancouver, WA
Late night in Vancouver on Friday
Local time
5:58 AM
PDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Vancouver, WA to Carson, WA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 10m
Distance
49.8 mi
80 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 5m
★
6 AM
1h 10m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 14m
12 PM
1h 13m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 21m
8 PM
1h 7m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carson, WA
William Jacobs
Trip Overview
This 49.8-mile journey from Vancouver, WA to Carson, WA is easily manageable as a day trip, taking about 1 hour and 10 minutes to complete. The drive primarily utilizes local roads like Evergreen Highway, Southeast Lewis and Clark Highway, and Lewis and Clark Highway, with a 100% highway share. Expect a fuel cost of around $10 for this relatively short excursion. The route offers a turn-heavy local drive experience, perfect for a leisurely exploration within the Pacific Coast region of Washington. With no designated stops, you have the flexibility to pause whenever you wish.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 10m. Total distance: 49.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (1%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
You'll find this route to be a turn-heavy local drive, characterized by its winding nature rather than long, straight stretches. The entire 49.8 miles are on local roads, offering a more intimate connection with the landscape. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 22.3 miles on Evergreen Highway. This driving profile means you'll be actively navigating, making it engaging for those who enjoy a more involved road experience.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Evergreen Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 22.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 10m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.4 miles (WA 14 / Lewis and Clark Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 South: Portland
Navigation decision point
Toward I 5 South: Portland
7
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward WA 14 East: Camas
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 1A
Toward WA 14 East: Camas
4
17.4 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
WA 14 / Lewis and Clark Highway
Enter roundabout onto WA 14 / Lewis and Clark Highway
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
18.4 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
WA 14 / Southeast Lewis and Clark Highway
Enter roundabout onto WA 14 / Southeast Lewis and Clark Highway
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
48.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
|
Wind River Road
Enter roundabout onto Wind River Road toward Carson
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Toward Carson
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Evergreen Highway | 22.3 mi | 31m |
| Southeast Lewis and Clark Highway | 16.3 mi | 20m |
| Lewis and Clark Highway | 4.9 mi | 6m |
| Lewis and Clark Trail Highway | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Wind River Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| I 5 | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| 2nd Street | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| East Fourth Plain Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Evergreen Highway
— 22.3 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Vancouver, WA and Carson, WA.
1
Start on East Fourth Plain Boulevard
329 ft
·
9 sec
·
East Fourth Plain Boulevard
2
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
57 sec
Toward I 5 South: Portland
3
Merge onto I 5
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
·
I 5
4
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 1A
Toward WA 14 East: Camas
Use the slight right lane.
5
Continue on WA 14
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Southeast Lewis and Clark Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on WA 14
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Lewis and Clark Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Enter roundabout onto WA 14
85 ft
·
1 sec
·
Lewis and Clark Highway
8
Continue on WA 14
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Lewis and Clark Highway
9
Enter roundabout onto WA 14
102 ft
·
1 sec
·
Southeast Lewis and Clark Highway
10
Continue on WA 14
4.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Southeast Lewis and Clark Highway
11
Continue on WA 14
22 mi
·
31 min
·
Evergreen Highway
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on WA 14
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
2nd Street
Use the straight lane.
13
Continue on WA 14
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Lewis and Clark Trail Highway
14
Enter roundabout onto Wind River Road
196 ft
·
8 sec
·
Wind River Road
Toward Carson
15
Continue on Wind River Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Wind River Road
Toward Carson
16
Turn right onto Hot Springs Avenue
270 ft
·
9 sec
·
Hot Springs Avenue
17
Turn right onto 1st Street
196 ft
·
8 sec
·
1st Street
18
Arrive at destination
1st Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 24.9 mi from Vancouver, WA · 33m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.9 miles from Vancouver, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Carson, WA
The final approach into Carson, 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
$10.42 one way
$20.85 round trip
$5.32/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.58 | $10.93 | $21.86 |
| premium | $5.77 | $11.31 | $22.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.00 | $21.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.23 | $2.39 |
| Efficient EV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.36 | $1.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.9 | 0 | $6.97 | $3.19 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Carson, WA
Late night in Carson on Friday
Local time
5:58 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°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
7 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 10m 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 Vancouver, WA to Carson, WA covers 49.8 miles and takes about 1h 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Evergreen Highway, Southeast Lewis and Clark Highway, Lewis and Clark Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 24.9 miles from Vancouver, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $10.42 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 10m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.4 miles (WA 14 / Lewis and Clark Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
The route from Vancouver, WA to Carson, WA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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. 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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