title: How Far Is Seattle to Tacoma? Distance, Drive Time and Traffic
url: https://boardspy.site/blog/how-far-seattle-to-tacoma/
type: Article
dateModified: 2026-08-16
publisher: BoardSpy
quick_answer: Quick answer: About 33 miles. Roughly 40 minutes with no traffic, and well over an hour with it.
primary_keyword: how far is seattle to tacoma
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faqs[5]{q,a}:
  How far is Seattle to Tacoma?,About 33 miles downtown to downtown. Free-flow is about 40 minutes. Weekday peaks run 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes on I-5 south. Pattern estimates, not live times.
  When is the worst time to drive Seattle to Tacoma?,Southbound 3:00–6:30 p.m. Employment concentrates in Seattle, so evenings load southbound. Mornings southbound are easier than evenings.
  Is SR 167 faster than I-5?,Sometimes. SR 167 to SR 512 via Puyallup is longer in miles and often faster when I-5 is broken, especially for east-side origins or destinations.
  Can you take a train from Seattle to Tacoma?,Yes. Sounder commuter rail on the south line and Sound Transit express buses skip I-5 for the portion they cover. At 5 p.m. downtown-to-downtown, rail is often faster in the real world.
  Does Sea-Tac change the drive?,Yes. The airport sits about one-third of the way down the corridor and adds traffic that does not follow commute hours, including early morning and late evening.
citations[3]{name,url}:
  Sound Transit,https://www.soundtransit.org/
  WSDOT rest areas,https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/rest-areas
  BoardSpy data sources,https://boardspy.site/facts/data-sources/
internal_links[3]{label,url}:
  Best time to leave in Seattle,https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-leave-seattle-avoid-traffic/
  Does rain make traffic worse?,https://boardspy.site/blog/does-rain-make-traffic-worse/
  How far is Seattle to Bellevue,https://boardspy.site/blog/how-far-seattle-to-bellevue/