The Link light rail from SEA airport into Seattle
Link runs from SEA to Westlake in 39 minutes for $3. The walk from carousel 16, how to pay, which stop, first and last trains, and the night buses.
Adults 19 to 64 pay $3 for the 1 Line from SeaTac/Airport Station into downtown Seattle. The timetable gives 39 minutes to Westlake. You still need to reach the station through the airport garage, then allow for a train wait and the walk to your final address. If you’re arriving late, check the last departure before setting off from baggage claim.
From baggage claim to the platform
Head toward baggage carousel 16. Go up one floor to the bridge level, cross Skybridge 6, then turn left through parking garage Level 4. Follow the Link light rail signs and the walkway to SeaTac/Airport Station. The station sits beyond the garage, rather than beside the baggage carousels. The walkway is covered and level.
The airport counts 379 steps between the station stop and the main terminal.
If you’re starting on the ticketing level, go down one floor to the bridge level.
The airport’s free Train-to-Plane cart runs between the garage near Skybridges 5 and 6 and the Link station daily from 5 a.m. to midnight. It’s available to everyone and carries bags on the back. For help, call (206) 787-4069 or (206) 787-5906. Outside the cart’s hours, the walkway between the garage and the station is open 24 hours.
If you need a wheelchair, call Prospect Airport Services at (206) 246-1550 when you arrive at the station. Wheelchair dispatch is available from 4 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
One traveler’s video shows the garage walk running on after the floor changes color.
How do you pay?
Youth 18 and under ride free. An eligible ORCA LIFT rider, or a rider with a senior or disability reduced fare permit, pays $1 one way. Sound Transit says a Link day pass costs twice the one-way fare and works only on the date you buy it.
At the station, use whichever payment method you already have:
- Tap a contactless credit or debit card, or an ORCA card, on the reader before boarding.
- Buy a ticket at a station machine with cash, Visa or Mastercard. Keep the ticket for a fare check.
- Buy a Transit GO Ticket in the app and activate it before boarding. Be ready to show the screen if asked.
You don’t need an ORCA card for this single ride. If you’ll change to another transit service, Sound Transit says ORCA and contactless card payments can credit your fare toward a transfer within two hours.
One traveler reported in a video that a ticket machine issued only one ticket after a purchase for two. Count the tickets before you go up to the platform.
Go up to the platform and take the northbound 1 Line toward Lynnwood City Center. The train toward Federal Way goes the other way, away from downtown Seattle.
Can you take luggage on the train?
You can bring luggage. Sound Transit’s rules say to hold personal items or put them in an overhead rack or under a seat.
Which stop do you want?
The 1 Line reaches these stops without a transfer. The times below are scheduled travel from SeaTac/Airport Station, so they exclude the walk to the station, the wait for a train and your walk after you get off.
| Stop northbound from SEA | Scheduled ride from SeaTac/Airport |
|---|---|
| Stadium | 32 minutes |
| International District/Chinatown | 34 minutes |
| Pioneer Square | 36 minutes |
| Symphony | 37 minutes |
| Westlake | 39 minutes |
One traveler with a large suitcase reported that a short walk from Symphony to the hotel included an uphill stretch.
Last train from the airport toward downtown
These are departure times from SeaTac/Airport Station, with the 597 Night Bus that picks up after the last train.
| Day | First train | Last train | 597 Night Bus toward downtown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday through Friday | 4:51 a.m. | 12:05 a.m. | 12:26 to 4:26 a.m. |
| Saturday | 4:48 a.m. | 12:06 a.m. | Until 5:26 a.m. |
| Sunday | 5:58 a.m. | 11:18 p.m. | From 11:26 p.m. |
Weekday departures from SeaTac/Airport Station run at these intervals:
| Weekday period | Trains leave |
|---|---|
| 4:51 to 8:43 a.m. | Every 8 minutes |
| Until 1:53 p.m. | Every 10 minutes |
| Until 5:53 p.m. | Every 8 minutes |
| Until 7:53 p.m. | Every 10 minutes |
| Until 9:05 p.m. | Every 12 minutes |
| Until 11:45 p.m. | Every 16 minutes |
Sound Transit’s weekend guide gives approximate intervals of 10 minutes from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., 12 minutes from 9 to 11 p.m., then 16 minutes after 11 p.m.
If you miss the last train, the 597 Night Bus leaves toward downtown from International Blvd & S 176th St, Bay 2, near the Link station.
King County Metro route 124 also runs toward downtown overnight, roughly from 1 to 5 a.m. It uses a different stop, on the airport access road where it meets International Blvd south of the terminal. Departures toward downtown are about 1:22 and 2:35 a.m., or 1:21 and 2:32 a.m. on Sunday night.
The elevator and stairs on the west side of SeaTac/Airport Station also reach International Boulevard.
Taxis pick up at the north and south curbs on garage Level 3. App-based rideshare uses stalls 1–34 in the middle of the garage’s Level 3 Ground Transportation Plaza. Both run 24 hours.
Sources
- Our Link light rail listing
- Our Train-to-Plane cart listing
- Our Sound Transit Express bus listing
- Our King County Metro bus listing
- Our taxi listing and app-based rideshare listing
- Our terminal & concourses page
- Sound Transit’s 1 Line schedule and service alerts
- Sound Transit’s fares and trip planner
- Sound Transit’s rider rules