CNA Classes Near Redmond, WA: Programs, Costs, and Commute to Federal Way

Since Sound Transit opened the 2 Line's cross-lake segment on March 28, 2026, a Redmond resident can ride light rail from Downtown Redmond, Marymoor Village, Redmond Technology, or Overlake Village stations to Seattle and transfer to the 1 Line south to Federal Way Downtown without a bus. That trip, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours, or a 32-mile drive of about 40 minutes off-peak, is what separates Redmond from the 4-week, 108-hour Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) course at Huduma CNA Programs, priced at $1,100 tuition plus about $105 for books and supplies. Every approved Washington program teaches the same 108 clock hours (35 theory, 33 skills lab, 40 clinical) and feeds the same $155 two-part exam, so a Redmond student is comparing calendars, total price, testing arrangements, and commute, not curriculum.

Start with the four questions that decide the program

1. When do you need the credential? A quarter-based college course finishes in 10 to 12 weeks after the quarter starts; a 4-week private course finishes in 4 weeks from any cohort date.
2. What is the all-in price? Tuition plus books plus the fixed $155 exam plus the DOH application fee (per the current fee schedule) plus travel.
3. Who gives the skills test? A program that administers Part 1 on site saves a separate booking through the Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) online scheduling system.
4. How many trips will you make? A 20-day weekday cohort means 20 round trips; a weekend cohort means the same hours across more calendar weeks but on lighter-traffic days.

Where Redmond residents actually train

Redmond itself has no standalone private CNA school of scale; the city's health care footprint is the EvergreenHealth Redmond and Swedish Redmond emergency campuses on the east side of the city, plus outpatient clinics, senior living, and adult family homes. Training happens in neighboring cities or by rail.

The 2 Line changes the Redmond commute

Times are approximate and based on Sound Transit published information as of September 2026.

• Downtown Redmond, Marymoor Village, Redmond Technology, Overlake Village are the four Redmond stations on the 2 Line, which now runs across I-90 through Mercer Island and Judkins Park to the International District/Chinatown station and on to Lynnwood.
• Transfer at International District/Chinatown (or any shared downtown station) to a southbound 1 Line train.
• 1 Line south to Federal Way Downtown. Sound Transit and regional press put Federal Way to downtown Seattle at about 50 minutes.
• Total from Downtown Redmond: roughly 1.5 to 2 hours each way once the Redmond to Seattle leg and the transfer are included. Peak trains on both lines run about every 8 to 10 minutes, so the transfer wait is short.

Driving from Redmond

Redmond to Federal Way Downtown is about 32 miles via SR 520 or I-405 to I-5 south. Off-peak, about 40 minutes; the afternoon return through Renton and Bellevue is the slow leg. The Federal Way Downtown station garage has about 1,500 stalls and the school is a short walk away, so a driver has parking, and a rider has a station, at the same destination.

Cost comparison a Redmond student can fill in

Financial help exists for Redmond residents who qualify; grant and scholarship sources are listed in CNA training grants and scholarships in Washington State.

Weekday or weekend from Redmond

A weekday day cohort suits a Redmond student who is between jobs or whose employer will release them for 4 weeks; the outbound trip runs against the heaviest morning traffic direction on I-405, which helps. A weekend cohort suits the Redmond tech-sector spouse, the retail worker at Redmond Town Center, or the caregiver with weekday shifts; weekend traffic on SR 520 and I-5 is lighter and both rail lines operate. The weekend pattern delivers the identical 108 hours over more calendar weeks. Planning around a job and a household is covered in childcare, commuting, and CNA class schedules.

After graduation: Redmond and Eastside employers

The two emergency campuses in Redmond, EvergreenHealth's Level III trauma hospital in Kirkland's Totem Lake district, Overlake in Bellevue, and the skilled nursing, assisted living, and adult family home network across the Eastside are the local market. Indeed's August 2026 posting data shows about $23.73 per hour for nursing assistants in Kirkland, the closest city reported, and about $23.62 statewide, both approximate. Employers by setting are in CNA jobs in Redmond, WA.

How the Federal Way course runs

The CNA Traditional program covers 108 clock hours in 4 weeks with licensed-nurse instructors, a background check before clinical placement in a licensed nursing facility, at least four attempts at the skills competency exam as WAC 246-841A-430 requires, and the $100 skills test administered on site. A high school diploma or GED is required and instruction is in English. Redmond HCAs with an active credential should look at the 40-hour HCA to CNA bridge instead. Cohort dates are on the schedules page.

Frequently asked questions

Are there CNA classes in Redmond, WA? Not as a standalone private school. Redmond residents use WABON-approved college programs in Bellevue and Kirkland, facility-based training, or a 4-week private course reached by the 2 Line or I-405.

How do I get from Redmond to a CNA class in Federal Way by train? Board the 2 Line at any of the four Redmond stations, ride across I-90 to the International District/Chinatown station, and transfer to a southbound 1 Line train to Federal Way Downtown. Plan roughly 1.5 to 2 hours.

What is the shortest CNA program near Redmond? For someone without an HCA credential, a 4-week 108-hour course. For an active HCA, the 40-hour bridge finishes in 5 weekdays.

Is the $1,100 tuition the whole cost? No. Add about $105 for books and supplies, $155 for the two exam parts, and the DOH application fee per the current fee schedule.

Can I do part of the course online? Theory hours can sometimes be delivered remotely, but the 33 lab hours and 40 clinical hours must be in person under WAC 246-841A-440. See online CNA classes in Washington.

The credential steps after class are in the Washington NAC exam guide.