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Trip from Yakima, WA to Forks, WA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

6h 50m

Distance

311.7 mi

502 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$65

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 35 min
4 AM
6h 39m ★
6 AM
6h 51m
8 AM
7h 14m
10 AM
6h 59m
12 PM
6h 56m
3 PM
7h 0m
5 PM
7h 13m
8 PM
6h 44m

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

Downtown Forks, WA, WA

Forks, WA

Wilawan Pantukang

Trip Overview

The drive from Yakima, WA to Forks, WA covers 311.7 miles and takes about 6h 50m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Selah Road, I 5 North, US 12 West for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $65.24 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

155.9 miles from Yakima, WA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 25m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 50m. Total distance: 311.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

6h 50m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 6h 50m drive with frequent turns across 311.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 28 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Selah Road is one of the defining roads on this drive.

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.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 50m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Yakima, WA to Forks, WA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Selah Road
I 5 North
US 12 West
the route
Highway 12
East Pine Street
West Pine Street
Montesano

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Selah Road — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Yakima, WA and Forks, WA.

1

Start on South 1st Street

1.6 mi · 3 min · South 1st Street
2

Continue on Selah Road

0.1 mi · 12 sec · Selah Road
3

Take the ramp slight right

112 ft · 3 sec
4

Keep slight right

0.2 mi · 23 sec
5

Merge slight left

17 mi · 22 min
6

Turn left

119 mi · 2 hr 22 min
7

Take the exit right toward I 5 North: Seattle

20 mi · 22 min · I 5 North: Seattle
8

Take the exit slight right toward US 12 West: Aberdeen, Tenino

0.3 mi · 45 sec · US 12 West: Aberdeen, Tenino
9

Turn left

0.6 mi · 1 min
10

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route

144 ft · 3 sec · the route
11

Exit the roundabout

7.2 mi · 10 min
12

Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward US Highway 12

89 ft · 2 sec · US Highway 12
13

Exit the roundabout onto US Highway 12

3.3 mi · 4 min · US Highway 12
14

Continue on East Pine Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · East Pine Street
15

Continue on West Pine Street

0.2 mi · 40 sec · West Pine Street
16

Continue on US Highway 12

13 mi · 20 min · US Highway 12
17

Take the ramp left toward Montesano, Aberdeen

21 mi · 29 min · Montesano, Aberdeen
18

Turn slight right onto Fuller Way

397 ft · 12 sec · Fuller Way
19

Enter the roundabout and take exit 3 toward East Market Street

174 ft · 5 sec · East Market Street
20

Exit the roundabout onto East Market Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · East Market Street
21

Turn right onto North Alder Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Alder Street
22

Turn slight left onto Sumner Avenue

2.1 mi · 5 min · Sumner Avenue
23

Continue on Riverside Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Riverside Avenue
24

Turn right onto Levee Street

512 ft · 16 sec · Levee Street
25

Continue on Lincoln Street

0.8 mi · 2 min · Lincoln Street
26

Turn left onto Perry Avenue

101 mi · 2 hr 13 min · Perry Avenue
27

Continue on South Forks Avenue

1.8 mi · 3 min · South Forks Avenue
28

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Evening Departure

This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 155.9 miles from Yakima, WA, or about 3h 25m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 69 miles or 1h 30m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 155.9 miles or 3h 25m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 5h 36m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Forks, WA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Yakima, WA so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Yakima, WA

This is one driving day of about 311.7 miles and 6h 50m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 69 miles from Yakima, WA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 155.9 mi from Yakima, WA · 3h 25m into the drive

city in Lewis County, Washington, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Centralia, WA

156 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

Bonney Lake, WA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 69 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Centralia, WA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 155.9 miles from Yakima, WA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Forks, WA

The final approach into Forks, WA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Forks, WA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$65.24 one way

$130.47 round trip

$5.32/gal 25.4 MPG avg 109 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.58 $68.41 $136.83
premium $5.77 $70.78 $141.57
diesel $5.61 $68.82 $137.64

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$65

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$90–$115

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 109.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $33 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 93.5 1 $32.73 $14.96
Efficient EV 77.9 0 $27.27 $12.47
EV Truck/SUV 124.7 1 $43.64 $19.95

Gas CO2

109 kg

EV CO2

36 kg (67% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 15, 2026

Origin

Yakima, WA

Evening in Yakima on Friday

Local time

7:12 PM

PDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Forks, WA

Evening in Forks on Friday

Local time

7:12 PM

PDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

6h 50m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Yakima, WA to Forks, WA covers 311.7 miles and takes about 6h 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Selah Road, I 5 North, US 12 West. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 155.9 miles from Yakima, WA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $65.24 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 50m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Yakima, WA to Forks, WA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Yakima, WA to Forks, WA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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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