Best route to Boulder Co. from Tacoma Wa.

First, do not carry chains and do not go anywhere chains would be required. I don't give a ship about what law says I have to have on board. I am not moving over any road that requires them! Patience Grasshopper! The road will be clear in the next day or so. With that in mind and good weather in front of you, you can take any route you please. Obviously, you want to stay on the Interstate highways as they are maintained 24/7/365 if humanly possible.
If it were me (and it's not) "and the weather looked great" I would take the shortest Interstate only Google Maps route available with would be I-5 S to Portland and I-84 E yada, yada, I-80 to I-25 and home.

Made this trip in the opposite direction last January in a car that does not accept any chains. I did have chains just to check the block going over the passes between Boise, ID and Pendleton, OR.

Our route going backward was I-5 to I-84 all the way to the _84/I-80 junction just east of SLC, UT. From there to Laramie, WY on I-80 then south on HWY 287 all the way to Fort Collins, CO. You can jump on I-25 at this point or stay on 287 depending on traffic.

:S

donn0128 wrote:
Carrying chains is always advisable in the mountain west. Dont want to chain up, dont go. There will be places and times that you either have to sit it out or chain up. As for travel? North out of Denver to I80 west to I84 west. Just west of Pendelton,OR 395 North connecting to I82 and I90 into Seattle, and I5 south to Tacoma. As an alternative, I84 clear into Portland and I5 north to Tacoma.
There are several places weather will cause you problems. Thru Wy, Id, and eastern Oregon are all potiential bad areas.

X2 best option
Keep in mind you will need to carry chains by law at this time of year even if you never intend to use them. I doubt you'll get checked but it is possible. Good luck! Just plan on waiting out weather delays that time of year maybe a day.

Carrying chains is always advisable in the mountain west. Dont want to chain up, dont go. There will be places and times that you either have to sit it out or chain up. As for travel? North out of Denver to I80 west to I84 west. Just west of Pendelton,OR 395 North connecting to I82 and I90 into Seattle, and I5 south to Tacoma. As an alternative, I84 clear into Portland and I5 north to Tacoma.
There are several places weather will cause you problems. Thru Wy, Id, and eastern Oregon are all potiential bad areas.

Unfortunately you have a tough time that time of year. Mountains to the east and to the south. Watch the weather and pick a day to get through the mountains from Medford and Grant's Pass to California. Chains technically have to be on board but a good weather day will get you through and then cut across from the south on 40 and back north on 25 if weather cooperates. Perhaps others who drive that all the time no better than I but winter time in the the central and northern rockies and others can mean chains or wait. Good luck. On my winter trips from LA to Wisconsin I have had to go as far south as the 10 to avoid mountain weather and other years have come across on the 40 with clear roads.