How long driving from seattle to vancouver

Planning to fly a plane instead? Travelmath helps you find the driving time based on actual directions for your road trip. You can find out how long it will take to drive between any two cities, airports, states, countries, or zip codes.

This can also help you plan the best route to travel to your destination. Compare the results with the flight time calculator to see how much longer it might take to drive the distance instead of flying. The road trip from Seattle to Vancouver covers miles and takes about 2 hours 30 minutes to complete. Although this means you can easily do the trip in a day, a better idea would be to spread it out over the course of at least 3 days. This scenic itinerary lets you get a good look at the bluish-green waters of the Pacific Ocean, and most of the drive takes you past dense forests on either side with mountains in the background.

While the trip itself is short, you should keep in mind that crossing the Canadian border may or may not extend your travel time by an indefinite amount of time. This is especially true on weekends, when people who don't have time for longer drives would be doing this trip.

Another thing to remember is that both Seattle and Vancouver are notoriously hard to drive through during rush hour, so if you're doing the drive during a workday, be sure to monitor traffic as you make your way out of the former and into the latter. The best road trip route from Seattle to Vancouver will have you hugging the coast the entire way to the end.

With that said, detours are highly encouraged so that you can check out some of the best parks and forests in the States and Canada. From Seattle, you'll be following Interstate 5 all the way to the Canadian border. Cross the river again, and you'll be in South Vancouver.

Don't miss out on the chance to stop during the road trip from Seattle to Vancouver just because it's short - to make the most of it, you'll at least want to devote a full weekend to the drive. Here are some of the best places to stop:. If you're going to be making one detour on the road trip from Seattle to Vancouver, it might as well be the stunning Whidbey Island. Stunning farmlands and unforgettable island landscapes are hard to say no to, and the best place to experience them is Coachman Inn Oak Harbor.

This resort manages to mix quaintness and luxury without feeling the least bit tacky - the rooms feel like genuine homes as opposed to hotel rooms, and the window view of the exterior is on another level entirely. The best part of staying here would have to be stretching your legs in front of the swimming pool as you take in the sunrays, although you can't go wrong with a dip in the hot tub either.

As you might expect, Canadian officers generally tend to be cheerier than those on the other side of the border. However, the queue can be long, extending your travel time by several minutes or up to four hours, depending on how unlucky you get.

You can check Canadian Border Traffic to see current wait times at each crossing point. If possible, avoid making your northbound crossing between 6 and 10 p. Also, note going back into the U.

July, August, and September are the busiest months. Another factor to keep in mind is both Emerald City and Vancouver are notoriously jammed during rush hour. Obviously, most people will need a passport to cross this international border, like any other. But if you are a U. You can check out Rentalcars. The distance from Seattle to Vancouver is about miles. Naturally, the duration will vary depending on the route you take and your travel method.

But the average Seattle to Vancouver drive time is about 2. You have a few options when it comes to transport, including a BoltBus or Greyhound, plane, train, or driving. Public transit is doable, but it will require more planning compared to driving your own vehicle, so the latter is highly recommended.

This ferry runs twice daily from May to September and once daily the rest of the year. From there, you can drive to downtown Vancouver in about an hour. Another option is to follow Interstate 5 from Seattle to Canada.

Peace Arch is the highest traffic, with the longest lines. Pacific Highway is usually less congested. If you decide to take the ferry from Port Angeles on your Seattle to Vancouver road trip and have the time, consider staying here for a night or two and checking out nearby Olympic National Park.

Yes, a rainforest in the U. The Boeing Factory employs multitudes of locals and is, as you can imagine, a huge source of local pride. The tour takes a couple of hours and offers a different perspective on the travel experience.

Another of the best things to do between Seattle and Vancouver is to get a taste of Washington wine in Wenatchee. Though little-known compared to other American mega-producers like Napa Valley and Sonoma, Wenatchee, a rural agrarian community nestled against the Canadian border in Washington state, has earned aplomb in the wine world over the past several years.

The greater Wenatchee area is also home to the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, another lesser-known gem and a worthwhile stop on a Seattle to Vancouver itinerary. The forest encompasses 1,, acres, with miles bordering the eastern side of the Cascade Mountain Range.

Instead of heading straight north, you can go west from I-5 to Mukilteo and take the ferry to Whidbey Island. A popular weekend getaway for Seattleites, the misty isle features miles of coastline, quaint small towns, and the famous Deception Pass State Park and Deception Pass Bridge.