OPEN
NO RESTRICTIONS
Last updated at: NOV 5, 2026, 8:55 AM PST · WSDOT · Pass report Thu, Nov 5, 7:29 AM
Stevens Pass is open, no restrictions in either direction, 36 degrees at the summit, road surface bare and wet with ice in places, updated Thu, Nov 5, 7:29 AM.
Startup, Snohomish County · US 2 milepost 31 · Elevation about 150 ft · About 33.6 miles west of Stevens Pass summit
Eastbound over Stevens Pass
Summit 4,061 ft · 36°F at the summit · Bare and wet with ice in places.
Westbound over Stevens Pass
Summit 4,061 ft · 36°F at the summit · Bare and wet with ice in places.
Startup is one of the smallest named places on the US 2 corridor, a wide spot between Sultan and Gold Bar named, local lore says, for a settler whose team stalled here on the old wagon road. There is little more than a cluster of homes, a convenience stop, and the river, but every Stevens Pass regular knows the name from the mileposts, because Startup is where the valley floor run ends and the foothills begin to press in on both sides.
The highway through Startup is where drivers feel the grade change without seeing it: the road starts working, the river runs faster and closer, and by Gold Bar the mountains own the horizon. In wet weather this stretch collects standing water in the wheel tracks, and on the first cold night of the year it is one of the first places black ice surprises people who left Everett in the rain. Keep speed honest here; the climbing lanes ahead reward patience.
The full Stevens Pass conditions page carries the summit story: avalanche zones, the two climbs, and the storm playbook.
Every camera on the highway is on the US 2 cameras page, in milepost order from Everett to Wenatchee.
Planning the whole drive? The route pages break the corridor into its three drives.
What is the weather in Startup today?
The weather section on this page shows the current National Weather Service picture for Startup itself, with the hourly and seven day outlook. Valley weather and summit weather are different facts on this corridor, so check both before a pass drive.
How far is Startup from Stevens Pass?
Startup sits at US 2 milepost 31, about 33.6 highway miles west of the Stevens Pass summit at milepost 64.6. The live Stevens Pass status at the top of this page is the current word on the pass itself.
Do I need chains leaving Startup today?
Check the live Stevens Pass posting at the top of this page. The posting in force at the summit applies to the whole mountain segment, and the chain law page explains what each posting requires of your vehicle.