Commuting From Puyallup to Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Many of the people who move to the Puyallup area are tied to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, either in uniform or as civilian employees and contractors. The question is always the same: can I live in Puyallup and still get to work without losing my mind?

Yes. Thousands of people do it every day. Whether it works for you comes down to three things: which gate you use, what time you report, and which part of the Puyallup area you choose.

The basics

Drive times are general ranges from local experience, not guarantees. Gate hours, security conditions, construction, and incidents all change the trip. Check current gate information with the installation.

The base is large. Lewis Main, Lewis North, and McChord Field together cover tens of thousands of acres along Interstate 5 south of Tacoma. "The commute to JBLM" can mean a 14-mile trip to McChord or a 22-mile trip to the far side of Lewis North. Know your gate before you choose a house.

The main route

Nearly everyone starts the same way.

1. Get to State Route 512. From the valley, you get on near downtown or at Meridian. From South Hill, you drive north to the Meridian interchange, or west to Canyon Road.
2. Take State Route 512 west about 10 miles through Summit and Parkland to Interstate 5 in Lakewood.
3. Go south on Interstate 5 to your gate.

State Route 512 is a freeway the whole way, which is what makes this commute workable. The slow points are the two ends: getting onto 512 from the Puyallup side, and the interchange with Interstate 5 on the Lakewood side.

The back way from South Hill

If you live on the south end of South Hill, in Frederickson, or in Graham, there is a second option that never touches Interstate 5.

Take 176th Street East west across the plateau to State Route 7 in Spanaway, then continue south and west toward the gate on the east side of Lewis Main.

This route has stoplights and lower speeds, and 176th Street carries a lot of traffic of its own. For people who work on the east side of Lewis Main, though, it can beat the freeway route on a bad day and it is a valuable backup when Interstate 5 is blocked. Gate hours on the east side have varied over time, so confirm them before you plan around it.

What rush hour looks like

Morning. Military schedules start early, and so does the traffic. The inbound peak at the gates runs earlier than a typical office commute. If you are due on post for early formation, you will be on the road before 6 a.m., when State Route 512 is moving well. The slowdowns are at the Interstate 5 interchange and at the gate itself.

Evening. This is the harder direction. Interstate 5 northbound through the base and Lakewood is one of the most congested stretches in the South Sound, and State Route 512 eastbound backs up as it approaches the Puyallup exits. Releases around 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. land in the worst of it.

The gate. Count the wait at the gate as part of the commute. On a normal day it is a few minutes. After a holiday weekend, during heightened security, or when a gate is closed, it can be much longer. Most people learn a primary gate and a backup.

Fridays and four-day weekends. Lighter in the morning, heavier and earlier in the afternoon.

Your start point changes the answer

The Puyallup area is spread out. Here is how the starting location affects the drive.

The pattern is simple. For JBLM, west is better than east, and for the freeway route, north is better than south. A home on the west side of South Hill near Canyon Road, or in the Summit area, can save twenty minutes a day compared with a home on the southeast corner of the plateau.

I compare areas for other job centers in my post on which parts of Puyallup are best for your commute.

Why people stationed at JBLM choose Puyallup

There are closer places to live. Lakewood, DuPont, Steilacoom, Spanaway, and Parkland all sit nearer the gates. People choose the Puyallup area anyway, usually for one or more of these reasons.

• Housing variety. A wide range of detached homes with yards, from older houses in the valley to newer subdivisions on the hill.
• A second commute. When one adult works at JBLM and the other works in Tacoma, Kent, Auburn, or Seattle, Puyallup sits in the middle. The Sounder station downtown is a real advantage for the Seattle half of that equation.
• Everyday convenience. Shopping, medical offices, and restaurants are all close.
• Schools. The area is served mainly by the Puyallup School District. I do not rate schools, and I explain how to look up state data in my post on comparing schools in Puyallup.
• Distance from work. Some people simply prefer not to live next to the installation.

Housing notes for military buyers

A few things come up in almost every military move.

VA loans. Eligible buyers can purchase with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. A funding fee applies unless you are exempt. Sellers here see VA offers all the time. A clean offer with a solid lender behind it competes well.

The VA appraisal. It includes minimum property requirements. Homes that need significant repairs can run into trouble. Peeling paint, a failing roof, or missing handrails can hold up a loan, so factor condition into your search.

Timeline. Orders rarely line up neatly with closing dates. Build in room. Sellers will sometimes agree to a rent-back or a flexible closing, and I write those terms into the offer when they are needed.

Buying from another duty station. You can buy without flying in. Video tours, a broker attending the inspection, and remote signing make it possible. My post on buying a home in Puyallup from out of state walks through it.

Resale and rental. If you expect to move again in three or four years, think about your exit before you buy. Some homeowner associations limit rentals. Washington also regulates rent increases and tenancy terminations. Read the rules before you count on renting the house out after your next orders.

Housing allowance. Rates change every year and depend on rank and dependency status. Use the official calculator for current figures, and build your budget around the full payment, including property tax, insurance, and any association dues.

Getting on base for family members

Daily life often involves the installation even for those who do not work there: the commissary, the exchange, Madigan, child and youth programs, and recreation.

From Puyallup, those are 25 to 40 minute trips. Families who expect to use on-base services several times a week sometimes find a home on the west side of the area worth the trade. Families who expect to use them once or twice a month usually do not notice the difference.

The good news is that Puyallup has its own hospital, clinics, grocery stores, and youth programs, so many errands never require the drive.

Transit and carpools

Driving is how nearly everyone makes this trip.

• Vanpools. Pierce Transit runs a vanpool program, and groups serving JBLM have operated for years. A vanpool can use carpool lanes and splits the cost.
• Carpools. Units and offices often organize their own.
• Buses. Pierce Transit serves the corridor between Puyallup, South Hill, and Lakewood. Connections onto the installation are limited, and the trip is long. Check Pierce Transit for current routes.
• Sounder. The train does not serve the base. Lakewood Station is the closest stop, and the schedule runs the wrong direction for a Puyallup to JBLM commute.

Road work to know about

Two long-running efforts affect this drive.

Interstate 5 through the base. The state has spent years widening and rebuilding the freeway and its interchanges through the JBLM corridor. Sections that were once daily bottlenecks have improved, and work continues in stages. Expect lane shifts when crews are active.

State Route 167 completion. The state is extending State Route 167 from Puyallup to Interstate 5 in Fife as a tolled expressway. It will not change the JBLM route directly, but it should pull some port-bound traffic off the roads around the north end of Puyallup. Details are on the WSDOT project page.

Weather

• Rain slows Interstate 5 most winter days.
• Fog is common on the prairie around the base and in the Puyallup valley on still mornings.
• Snow and ice are occasional. When they arrive, the hills between South Hill and the valley are the problem on the Puyallup end. The installation may adjust reporting times. Know your unit's policy.

Ways to make it easier

1. Shift your time if you can. Fifteen minutes earlier in the morning often saves more than fifteen minutes.
2. Learn two gates.
3. Check traffic before you leave. The state's traffic map and app show real-time speeds on Interstate 5 and State Route 512.
4. Know the back way. Even if you never use it daily, it will save you on the day the freeway closes.
5. Fuel up on the way home, not on the way in.
6. Keep a go-bag in the car in winter: a blanket, water, and a phone charger.

Test it before you buy

If you are in the area, drive it at your real report time and your real release time from each neighborhood on your list. Do it twice.

If you are not here yet, I can drive it for you and send the times, with video of the route and the neighborhood. A relocation is hard enough without guessing at the commute.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Puyallup from JBLM?

About 15 to 20 miles to the main gates, depending on which part of the installation you are going to and where in the Puyallup area you start.

How long is the commute from Puyallup to JBLM?

Roughly 25 to 35 minutes outside peak hours and 40 to 60 minutes at rush hour, including typical gate waits. The evening drive home is usually the slower direction.

What is the best route from Puyallup to JBLM?

State Route 512 west to Interstate 5 south is the main route. From the south end of South Hill, 176th Street East to State Route 7 through Spanaway is an alternative toward the east side of Lewis Main.

Which part of Puyallup is closest to JBLM?

The west side: Summit, Fruitland, and the western part of South Hill near Canyon Road. These areas reach State Route 512 or 176th Street quickly.

Is Puyallup a common place for JBLM families to live?

Yes. Many service members and civilian employees live in the Puyallup area for its range of housing, local services, and its position between the base and other job centers.

Related reading

• Which Parts of Puyallup Are Best for Your Commute?
• How Bad Is Traffic on South Hill?
• Puyallup to Tacoma Commute: What Rush Hour Looks Like
• How to Buy a Home in Puyallup From Out of State

Equal Housing Opportunity. Austin Robertson, License # 21036843, Austin Robertson and Allena Robertson Real Estate Brokers, regulated by the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). This article is general information only. It is not legal, tax, insurance, lending, or construction advice, and it is not an appraisal of any property. Robertson & Co. supports fair housing and does not describe or recommend neighborhoods based on who lives there. Costs, rates, and rules change. Confirm the details with the sources linked above before you act.