Seattle to Spokane distance
Seattle and Spokane are 229 miles (369 km) apart in a straight line and 280 miles (450 km) apart by road: about 5 hr 10 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-90. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 280 mi (450 km)
- Driving time
- 5 hr 10 min
- Straight line
- 229 mi (369 km)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on November 1, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 229 mi (369 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 280 mi (450 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 5 hr 10 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +22% 1.22 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 54 mph (87 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 87° (east) leaving Seattle toward Spokane |
| Midpoint | 47.6587° N, 119.8803° W near Chelan Falls (Washington) |
| Halfway by road | Near Vantage (Washington) 140 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Seattle: 173 ft (53 m) · Spokane: 1,870 ft (570 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Seattle: 784,777 · Spokane: 230,783 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Seattle to Spokane by road
The fastest driving route is 280 miles (450 km) long and takes about 5 hr 10 min without stops or traffic. Almost all of it is on I-90: 277 mi of 280 mi.
The whole route stays in Washington. That’s an average of 54 mph (87 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 2 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 5 hr 50 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Seattle and Spokane are 229 miles (369 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 22% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 122. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 16th for detour (the average is 16%).
From Seattle, Spokane lies to the east (bearing 87°), and from Spokane, Seattle lies to the west. The straight line reaches Spokane on a bearing of 91°: on a sphere the bearing keeps changing along the way, which is why the shortest route looks slightly curved on a flat map.
Halfway between Seattle and Spokane
Halfway along the straight line, 115 miles (184 km) from each city, is the point 47.6587° N, 119.8803° W. It falls near Chelan Falls (Washington, pop. 233), 10.9 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 140 miles (225 km) from each city, near Vantage (Washington), 3.1 mi away. The two midpoints are 46.6 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
Seattle and Spokane share the same time all year: both are on Pacific Time.
No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.
The two cities
Seattle sits at 173 ft (53 m) and Spokane at 1,870 ft (570 m), 1,697 ft (517 m) higher.
Seattle has 784,777 people and Spokane 230,783 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Seattle to Spokane?
229 miles (369 km) in a straight line and 280 miles (450 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-90).
How long is the drive from Seattle to Spokane?
About 5 hr 10 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 2 stops of 20 minutes, about 5 hr 50 min.
Where is the halfway point between Seattle and Spokane?
In a straight line, near Chelan Falls (Washington). By road, 140 mi from each city, near Vantage (Washington).
Are Seattle and Spokane in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Pacific Time all year.
Which city is higher, Seattle or Spokane?
Spokane, at 1,870 ft (570 m); Seattle sits at 173 ft (53 m).
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
More distances from Seattle
All distances- New York to Seattle 2,408 mi straight line · 2,860 mi by road · 50 hr 45 min
- San Francisco to Seattle 679 mi straight line · 807 mi by road · 15 hr 35 min
- Seattle to Portland 145 mi straight line · 173 mi by road · 3 hr 25 min
- Seattle to Vancouver 119 mi straight line · 140 mi by road · 3 hr
- Los Angeles to Seattle 959 mi straight line · 1,135 mi by road · 21 hr 30 min
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on November 1, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- Places near the midpoints: All Map Tools gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · All Map Tools
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology