Cities near Seattle, WA
Quick answer
The nearest major metro to Seattle is Portland, OR, 150 miles south — roughly 2 hr 55 min by road. Its combined sales tax rate is 0% against 10.45% in Seattle.
Distance to nearby metros
Great-circle distance from the Seattle centroid (47.611, -122.331).
| Metro | Straight line | Est. drive | Direction | Combined rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR | 150.4 mi | 2 hr 55 min | south | 0% |
| Spokane, WA | 227.8 mi | 4 hr 25 min | east | 9% |
Source: Place centroids: USGS/Census public-domain coordinates · rates as published for 2026
How these distances are calculated
Straight-line figures are great-circle distances between incorporated-place centroids using the haversine formula on a 3,958.76-mile mean-radius sphere — exact to within a few metres for this purpose. Drive time is an estimate: road distance is modelled at 1.2× the straight line (the standard North American circuity factor) at 62 mph for trips over 60 miles and 35 mph below that. It is not a routed itinerary and ignores traffic, terrain and tolls.