Puyallup to Tacoma Commute: What Rush Hour Looks Like

Of all the commutes out of Puyallup, Tacoma is the easiest. The two cities are neighbors, there are several ways to make the trip, and even a bad day is manageable compared with a drive to Seattle.

"Easy" still depends on your start point, your end point, and your timing. Here is how it breaks down.

The basics

Drive times are general ranges from local experience, not guarantees. Conditions vary by day, route, weather, and incidents.

Those figures are from downtown to downtown. Start on the south end of South Hill and you can add 15 to 25 minutes of local driving before you reach a highway.

The three main routes

River Road

River Road East is the direct line. It follows the south bank of the Puyallup River northwest from downtown Puyallup and brings you into east Tacoma near the Tacoma Dome, Interstate 5, and the roads into downtown.

Good for: downtown Tacoma, the Dome District, the port and tideflats, and Interstate 5 northbound toward Fife.

Watch for: stoplights, truck traffic to the port, and backups where it meets Interstate 5 and Pacific Avenue. It is a four-lane surface highway, not a freeway.

State Route 512 to Interstate 5

State Route 512 is a freeway that runs west from Puyallup through Summit and Parkland to Interstate 5 in Lakewood. From there you go north on Interstate 5 into Tacoma.

Good for: south Tacoma, the Tacoma Mall area, Lakewood, University Place, and the west side by way of State Route 16.

Watch for: congestion at the Interstate 5 interchange and on Interstate 5 itself through Tacoma. This route is longer in miles, and for downtown Tacoma it is usually slower than River Road unless River Road is jammed.

Pioneer Way and the back roads

Pioneer Way East runs west from Puyallup along the foot of the hill into east Tacoma. Locals also use Canyon Road, 72nd Street East, and other surface streets through Summit and Midland.

Good for: east Tacoma, the Hilltop and hospital district by way of city streets, and as a relief valve when the highways are stuck.

Watch for: two-lane stretches, school zones, and lower speeds.

Rush hour, described

Morning, toward Tacoma. Traffic builds from about 6:30 and peaks between 7 and 8:30. River Road slows at the signals and near Interstate 5. State Route 512 westbound is usually steady until the Interstate 5 interchange, where it can back up.

Evening, toward Puyallup. This is usually the worse direction. From about 3:30 to 6:30, Interstate 5 through Tacoma is heavy, River Road eastbound is slow leaving the city, and State Route 512 eastbound backs up approaching the Puyallup exits, especially Meridian.

Fridays are heavier in the afternoon. Rain slows everything. A crash on Interstate 5 pushes traffic onto River Road and Pioneer Way within minutes.

A realistic rush-hour range from downtown Puyallup to downtown Tacoma is 30 to 45 minutes. Most days fall in the lower half.

Your starting point matters more than your route

The Puyallup area is large. Here is how the starting location changes the trip.

If you work in Tacoma, the west and north sides of the Puyallup area are the convenient ones. The far south and southeast parts of the plateau are the long ones. I compare areas in my post on which parts of Puyallup are best for your commute.

Where in Tacoma you work

Tacoma is spread out, and the destination changes the answer.

A job in the west end of Tacoma from the south end of South Hill is a real commute. A job in the Dome District from downtown Puyallup is about as short as a suburban commute gets.

Transit options

Driving is how most people make this trip. There are alternatives.

Sounder. The S Line runs from Puyallup to Tacoma Dome Station in well under half an hour. The catch is direction. Most trains run toward Seattle in the morning and toward Tacoma and Lakewood in the afternoon, which is the reverse of a Puyallup-to-Tacoma commute. A limited number of trips run the other way. Check the current schedule to see whether any fit your hours.

Pierce Transit. Bus routes connect Puyallup and South Hill with Tacoma. Trips are longer than driving and require checking the schedule against your shift. See Pierce Transit for routes.

Light rail in Tacoma. Once you are at Tacoma Dome Station, the T Line runs through downtown to the Stadium District and Hilltop, including the hospital area.

Vanpool. Pierce Transit runs a vanpool program. Large Tacoma employers often have existing groups.

Biking. For the ambitious, the valley is flat. A shared-use trail being built along the State Route 167 extension is planned to link downtown Puyallup with Fife and Tacoma.

What is changing: the State Route 167 extension

The state is completing State Route 167 as a tolled expressway from Puyallup to Interstate 5 in Fife and on to the Port of Tacoma. Work is being done in stages over several years.

When finished, it will give valley traffic, especially trucks, a freeway route to the port and Interstate 5 that does not rely on River Road and local streets. The project also widens the existing highway near North Meridian.

For Tacoma commuters, the likely effects are less truck traffic on River Road and a new, tolled way to reach Interstate 5. During construction, expect lane shifts and delays near the work zones.

Follow progress on the WSDOT project page.

The costs

A ten-mile commute is inexpensive as commutes go.

• Fuel: modest.
• Parking: downtown Tacoma has paid parking, though it costs far less than Seattle. Many employers outside the core have free lots.
• Tolls: none on the current routes to central Tacoma. The Narrows Bridge is tolled if you continue to the peninsula. The new State Route 167 expressway will be tolled.
• Time: an hour a day or less, for most people.

Making it easier

Things local commuters do.

1. Check conditions before leaving. The state's traffic map and app show real-time speeds and incidents.
2. Learn two routes. River Road and State Route 512 fail on different days.
3. Shift by 20 minutes. Leaving at 6:40 instead of 7:00 often saves more than 20 minutes.
4. Know the train blockages. Freight trains cross streets in the valley. A long train can hold up a route for several minutes.
5. Avoid fair-season shortcuts. In September, streets near the fairgrounds are slow. Plan around them.
6. Fuel up in Puyallup. Fewer stops on the way home.

Weather and the commute

• Rain is constant in winter and adds a few minutes on most days.
• Fog settles in the valley on still mornings and slows River Road.
• Snow and ice are rare. When they come, the hills between South Hill and the valley are the trouble spots. From the valley floor, the drive to Tacoma is nearly flat.
• Flooding. In major storms, low-lying roads near the river can be affected. It is uncommon and usually brief.

Living in Puyallup and working in Tacoma

This is one of the most common arrangements I see, and it works well. People choose it for a newer or larger home, a yard, or the feel of a smaller town, while keeping a short drive to a city job.

It also runs the other way. People live in Tacoma and work in Puyallup at the hospital, the schools, or along Meridian, and they have the reverse commute with lighter traffic.

If you are choosing between the two cities as a place to live, see my post on Puyallup versus Tacoma.

Hybrid schedules and shift work

The answer changes with your schedule, sometimes more than with your address.

Two or three days a week. If you only make the trip part of the week, a 40-minute bad day is easy to absorb, and you can pick the home you like most and worry less about its distance from a highway.

Early shifts. Hospital, port, and manufacturing shifts that start before 6 a.m. miss the morning peak entirely. The drive in is close to the off-peak time. The drive home in the mid-afternoon is the one to test.

Swing and night shifts. These run against traffic in both directions most days. Transit options are thin at those hours, so plan on driving.

School drop-off first. If you take children to school or childcare before work, you will be leaving at the heart of the peak. Add that stop to your test drive, because the first two miles on local streets often take longer than the ten miles after them.

If your job moves within Tacoma

Employers relocate and people change jobs. A home that works for the Dome District also works reasonably well for the port, downtown, and the hospital district. A home chosen for a west Tacoma job is a longer drive to everything else. If you expect to change roles in the next few years, a location with quick access to both River Road and State Route 512 keeps your options open.

How to test it

1. Pick two or three homes or areas you are considering.
2. On a weekday, drive from each to your workplace, leaving at your real time.
3. Drive home at your real time.
4. Try both River Road and State Route 512.
5. Repeat on a rainy day if you can.

Twenty minutes versus forty is the difference between a commute you forget about and one you plan your life around. It is worth an afternoon to find out which you are buying.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Puyallup from Tacoma?

About 10 miles from downtown to downtown. It is one of the shorter commutes in Pierce County.

How long does it take to drive from Puyallup to Tacoma?

Around 20 minutes outside rush hour. At peak times, plan on roughly 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your route and where you start and end.

What is the best route from Puyallup to Tacoma?

River Road is the most direct to downtown Tacoma and the port. State Route 512 to Interstate 5 is better for south and west Tacoma and Lakewood.

Can I take the train from Puyallup to Tacoma?

The Sounder S Line connects Puyallup with Tacoma Dome Station, but most trains run toward Seattle in the morning and toward Tacoma in the afternoon. Check the schedule for trips that match your hours.

Is the commute from South Hill to Tacoma bad?

It is longer than from downtown Puyallup, mainly because of the local drive to State Route 512. From the south end of South Hill, allow extra time at peak hours.

Related reading

• Which Parts of Puyallup Are Best for Your Commute?
• Puyallup vs. Tacoma: How Living in Each Compares
• Commuting From Puyallup to Joint Base Lewis-McChord
• How Bad Is Traffic on South Hill?

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.