SEAAirport Guide

Five Hours at Seattle Airport: Ride Link Downtown or Stay Airside

Link takes 39 minutes to Westlake. Check the return train and security time before choosing downtown over SEA's food, lounges and quiet rooms.

Westlake Park in downtown Seattle with folding chairs on chevron granite paving under trees.
Westlake Park, Seattle

Keep your five-hour SEA connection inside security unless the city is essential. SEA has food near the gates and art to see while you wait. Sound Transit’s timetable puts the Link ride to Westlake at 39 minutes. Add the station walk and a return through a security checkpoint before you count any time downtown.

If your next flight is on a separate ticket, ask the airline whether you must collect and recheck your bag. An international arrival can take much more of the five hours: SEA asks you to allow 120 to 180 minutes for a connection. Even if you’re connecting, collect checked bags before passport control. After passport control, follow the right-hand walkway to the airline counters to recheck them, then go through security. The International Arrivals Facility transfer checkpoint runs 6 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. and has no TSA PreCheck and exits into the A Concourse. S is the main hub for international passengers, so an S departure means the Underground ride from A. If it’s closed, exit to the public side and use a main checkpoint. Passport control and customs can take 60 minutes or more when several flights land together. If you arrived from an airport with U.S. preclearance, you’ve already cleared passport control and won’t use SEA’s International Arrivals Facility. Our connecting flights guide explains the transfer, and the terminal guide shows each concourse.

Settle the gate before you settle in

SEA has one terminal. You can walk between the A, B, C and D Concourses after security. The N and S Concourses need the SEA Underground train. You stay after security for that ride. The Blue Line links S, B and A, with a train about every three minutes. The Green Line links N, C and D at the same frequency. Change between loops on the Yellow Line between A and D.

Go to your onward concourse first if your gate is in N or S. The Port says an Underground trip between concourses takes two to five minutes. A traveler filmed an N-to-S connection on all three trains. At the S lounge, they planned to stay about five minutes and found mostly drinks.

Eat while you still have a choice

These places are after security. Near A1, Floret by Café Flora lists breakfast, salads and soup, with daily hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Salty’s at the SEA in the Central Terminal lists seafood and the same hours. For a D gate, Ballard Brew Hall at D7 lists sandwiches and beer, with hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. You needn’t cross to another concourse for dinner.

For an A gate late in the evening, Seattle Beer Union at A10 and Starbucks on A at A3 both list service until 11 p.m. Both are after security. Seattle Beer Union opens at 5 a.m. and Starbucks at 3 a.m.

At C, Skillet by C10 is open 4 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Chili’s is open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. C11’s DISH D’LISH Food T’ Go Go keeps longer hours: 3:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. B3 has LouLou Market and Bar, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

At B, McDonald’s by B1 lists 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. Rel’Lish Burger Lounge by B7 lists 4:45 a.m. to 11 p.m. Both are after security.

You can get to Beecher’s Handmade Cheese at N11 from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. If you’re eating later, Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen & Bar at N19 and EMBARQUE Whiskey Grill at N3 both stay open until 11 p.m. For breakfast in N, Bambuza opens at 5 a.m. and EMBARQUE at 6 a.m. In S, Moe’s Indian Kitchen by S2 runs 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Greedy Cow Burger by S3 stays open until 10 p.m., and Smith Cove by S1 serves food and drinks 6 a.m. to midnight.

If your N flight leaves after 11 p.m., Pike and Pine at N2 lists service until 11:30 p.m. It opens at 4:15 a.m. and is after security.

For an overnight stop after security, Qdoba by B1, Starbucks in the Central Terminal and Dilettante Chocolates & Mocha Cafe in the Central Terminal list 24-hour service. For non-food essentials, Hudson in the Central Terminal is open around the clock, and Dufry Duty Free at S10 lists 24-hour service. The food directory has each place by concourse. SEA says restaurants and shops may charge street prices plus up to 10 percent.

If you are already outside security, Neighborhood Cafe lists 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sourced Market by Door 25 lists 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. For essentials, 7-Eleven at Baggage Claim 15 is open 24 hours. These three are before security, so you can use them before deciding to screen again.

After the meal, refill your bottle near your gate: A2 or A4, B3 or B8, C2 or C3, D1 or D3, N1 or N13, and S7 or S10. For power, the charging map marks stations by A1 and A8, B5 and B7, C20, D3 and D7, N9 and N11, and S1 and S10. N’s points are FuelRod kiosks. The airport’s free network is SEA-FREE-WIFI.

Spend the middle stretch on art and a walk

Look for Kokeshi-no-kai by Saya Moriyasu and Flying Fish by Judith and Daniel Caldwell. The art page shows featured works and where they hang in the terminal.

The free Lookout at C is above C3 on the third level, after security, if you’d rather watch the airfield. SEA also has free live music by local performers several times a day in different parts of the airport.

If you’re traveling with a small child, SEA has play areas near A1 and D25. The A1 area closes for cleaning on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 1 to 3 a.m. Across from the A1 play area, the Little Free Library has children’s books. A second book exchange is above A Station near the escalator across from A3. Both are after security. Take a book or leave one. For another activity, download the free Agents of Discovery app and search for SEA’s airport Missions, a set of interactive challenges.

Find quiet without mistaking it for a bed

SEA’s interfaith prayer and meditation rooms are in the A Station hallway and above C3 near the Lookout, both after security. A third space is before security near Skybridge 2. They are open all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Monday and Wednesday, hours are midnight to 11:30 p.m. On Tuesday and Thursday, they run 4 a.m. to midnight. Food, drinks, resting and sleeping aren’t allowed. Use the rooms for a quiet pause, then leave them free for prayer and meditation.

If noise or light is overwhelming, SEA’s sensory rooms in the A Station hallway and above C3 are open daily 4 a.m. to midnight. Each has bench seating, interactive chairs, dimmable lights and acoustic panels. Call SEA at (206) 787-5229, then press 1 for the sensory room key code. Space is limited, and children need an adult with them.

For a massage, Terminal Getaway Spa is near A5 after security. The airport map lists 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, while Explore SEA’s description gives massages from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and noon to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

For a private seat and desk, Jabbrrbox booths sit near A5 and A8. Book on the outside of the booth in 15-minute blocks, up to two hours. The units aren’t wheelchair accessible. SEA lists no public nap room or day room.

Traveling military members and their families can use the USO Center on the Main Terminal mezzanine above Checkpoint 4, before security. It has a bunk room, snacks and luggage storage, all free. Sunday hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, it opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 4 a.m. the next day. On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, it opens at 8 a.m. and closes at midnight.

Is a lounge worth paying for?

The Club at SEA in A sells $50 passes and opens daily 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. The Club at SEA in S sells $60 passes and opens daily 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. It’s above S10. Take the elevator next to S9. Both are after security. The A Club sells passes regardless of airline or ticket class. Both accept eligible Priority Pass and LoungeKey members. You can enter only within three hours of departure. A pass includes Wi-Fi, snacks, beverages and bar service. That leaves the first two hours of your layover for a meal or a walk.

Alaska Lounges sell $65 single-entry passes when space is available. You need same-day ticketed travel on Alaska, Hawaiian, a oneworld airline or an Alaska partner. Your pass works only at the lounge where you buy it. All three are after security. The C lounge by C16A opens 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. D by D1 and N above N15 are open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. If your gate is at D or N, these are closer than either Club. Check the lounge guide for eligibility before counting on a pass.

If you already have lounge access, the United Club near A9 and the Centurion Lounge in the Central Terminal close at 10 p.m. Delta Sky Club at A1 closes at 11:15 p.m. The A11 Sky Club and Delta One Lounge close at 10:30 p.m. British Airways Terraces Lounge in S closes at 8 p.m. Africa Lounge by A5 is a restaurant, despite the name.

If you need a shower, SEA’s map marks them in the A1 Sky Club, the A11 Delta lounges, the Centurion Lounge, The Club in S and the British Airways lounge. There is no public shower.

Would leaving SEA be worth it?

Usually, no. Sound Transit’s timetable gives SeaTac/Airport to Westlake as 39 minutes outbound. The return train takes about as long, though that is an estimate. Those 78 minutes exclude the station walks, train waits, time in the city and the return through a security checkpoint. SEA advises arriving two hours before a domestic departure and three before an international one.

Five hours leaves 102 minutes downtown, or 42

Start with 300 minutes between flights. Estimate 39 minutes each way to Westlake, then subtract SEA’s 120-minute domestic return allowance: 102 minutes remain. With SEA’s 180-minute international allowance, it’s 42 minutes. Deplaning, station walks and train waits come out of both figures, so neither is time you can safely promise yourself downtown. Sound Transit’s timetable puts the outbound ride to Stadium at 32 minutes, seven minutes less than Westlake.

A six-hour layover adds 60 minutes

With six hours between flights and the same 39-minute estimate each way, 162 minutes remain after the domestic return allowance. With the international allowance, it’s 102 minutes. You still need to subtract your station walks, waits and time getting off the first flight.

If you still want to go, confirm your airline has checked your bag through. Smarte Carte storage is before security on baggage claim level between Carousels 9 and 10. It’s open daily 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., except 11:30 a.m. to noon and 6 to 6:30 p.m. Listed bag charges start at $20 under 22 inches, then $25 for 23 to 27 inches and $30 for 28 to 30 inches. You can’t reserve space. Staff ask for ID and hand-search every item at drop-off. Storage is first come, first served. The price list doesn’t say whether those charges cover a day or a stay.

From baggage claim, go up one floor near Carousel 16, cross Skybridge 6 and turn left through the garage to SeaTac/Airport Station. The airport counts 379 steps from the station to the main terminal. If that walk is too much, the free Train-to-Plane cart runs between the station and garage Level 4 near Skybridges 5 and 6, daily 5 a.m. to midnight. An adult Link fare is $3 each way, or $6 for two trips. Youth 18 and under ride free. Seniors, disabled riders and ORCA LIFT riders pay $1 each way. Pay at a station machine, with an ORCA card, in the Transit GO Ticket app, or by tapping a contactless credit or debit card. Weekday trains toward downtown run every 8 to 10 minutes until 7:53 p.m. and every 12 to 16 minutes after that. Weekends run about every 10 minutes until 9 p.m., then every 12 to 16 minutes. The first Link trains leave at 4:51 a.m. weekdays, 4:48 a.m. Saturday and 5:58 a.m. Sunday. Last trains leave at 12:05 a.m. on weekday nights, 12:06 a.m. Saturday night and 11:18 p.m. Sunday night.

On return from downtown, take Link back to SeaTac/Airport Station and follow the garage walkway to the main terminal. All regular checkpoints lead to all gates, but choose one near yours that’s open when you arrive. Checkpoint 1 is on baggage claim level near the south Arrivals doors 4 and 6. It is closest to A and S and lists 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. Checkpoints 2 and 3 are also closest to A and S. Checkpoint 2 lists 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Checkpoint 3 lists 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Checkpoint 4 is closest to the Central Terminal, B and C, and stays open 24 hours. Checkpoints 5 and 6 are closest to C, D and N. Checkpoint 5 lists 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. Checkpoint 6 lists 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. TSA can change closing times, so check the security checkpoint guide and live waits before returning. At peak hours, SEA says waits can reach 45 to 60 minutes. The airport’s security page, flySEA app and terminal signs show live waits. SEA’s busiest periods include before 9 a.m., 2 to 5 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m.

Sources