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About Seattle
With a population of nearly 4 million, Seattle is the largest city in Washington and a major center for the USA's Pacific Northwest region. This is an area of lush, green rain forests and extraordinary natural beauty, which attracts tourists from all over the world for outdoor physical activities and Seattle's unique cultural scene.
While in the city, you can visit the Flight Museum, Space Needle, Woodland Zoo and the site of the first Starbucks branch, which opened here in 1971. Seattle has an educated and cultured atmosphere, with many concert halls, art galleries, and coffee shops to enjoy. It is also the birthplace of famous rock bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains, and influenced world fashion for a time in the 1990s with its "grunge" movement.
Seattle is famous for being rainy and cool year-round, thanks to its Oceanic climate. That shouldn't detract the visitor from enjoying the surrounding nature and taking part in the numerous mountain biking, rock climbing, or hiking opportunities the surrounding area has to offer.
Transportation to Seattle City Center from Airport
Seattle Tacoma Intl. Airport
Neighboring Canada, the seaport city of Seattle is the largest city in the state of Washington and a major city in the U.S. The city gets its name from an ancient Native American chief and its official nickname is Emerald City due to its lush greenery and beautiful nature.
The city of Seattle is served by the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a major airport that handled over 42 million passengers in 2015. Also referred to as Sea-Tac Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is used as a major transfer airport due to its proximity to Canada. Located about 24 km from the city, there are a variety of transportation alternatives to get to the city center from the airport that are both quick and easy. The Link Light Rail system provides transportation between Sea-Tac Airport and downtown Seattle, which takes about 40 minutes. Other transportation alternatives to get to the city center from the airport include taxis, shuttle services, and rental cars.
Link Light Rail
The Link Light Rail system is the most commonly used means of public transportation in Seattle. These light rail trains are a great transportation alternative to get to the city center from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. These trains provide transportation directly from the airport to downtown Seattle. The Link Light Rail is accessibly from the parking lot, on level 4. Trains operate every 7.5 to 15 minutes and take about 40 minutes to get to the city center from the airport. Monday to Saturday the Link Light Rail operates from 5 am to 1 am and on Sundays it operates from 6 am to midnight. Tickets can be purchased from kiosks at the station with cash or credit card.
Bicycle
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport features various bicycle resources for passengers who want to travel to and from the airport by bike. The airport features bicycle assembly stations, bicycle parking areas, and long-term storage areas. There are over 50 bicycle rental stations located in the city that are a part of the city’s bike share system. Fees start at 8 USD. You can get to the city center from the airport by following the special bike paths and shared roadways.
Hotel Shuttle Services
Many hotels located in Seattle provide their guests with airport shuttle services. To take advantage of this service make sure to discuss it with the hotel you are staying at in advance. We recommend making a reservation for this service. Hotel shuttle services are an extremely practical and comfortable means of transportation but it can be a bit more expensive than taking a taxi. Depending on your destination in the city it can take about 20 minutes to get to downtown Seattle from the airport.
Taxi
Taxis are a very convenient transportation alternative to get to the city center from Sea-Tac Airport. Taxis are easily accessible from the taxi stands that are located on the 3rd floor of the parking lot. A taxi to the city center from the airport costs 50 USD on average and takes 20 minutes if there’s no traffic. The fare and duration will vary depending on your final destination in the city.
Rental Car
Renting a car is another way to get to the city center from the airport. Renting a car is also a great option for getting around in the city during your trip. Rental car companies at the airport are located at the Rental Car Facility. Shuttle buses depart from the terminal exits and provide transportation to the Rental Car Facility. Depending on the traffic it takes about 20 minutes to get to the city center from Sea-Tac Airport. Rental car companies that you can choose from include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar Car Rental, Enterprise, Firefly, Hertz, National, Payless, and Sixt.
Shuttle
There are various shared ride van and scheduled airporter services that provide transportation from Sea-Tac Airport to the city center. Each company has specific drop off and pick up locations. For more information on shuttle services to the city, shuttle operators and fares please visit Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s website.
