SEAAirport Guide

Parking an EV at Seattle airport

SEA has 94 free Level 2 charging stalls, 64 on Floor 7 and 30 on Floor 4. See how to get one, what it costs and what the Port doesn't say.

The roof deck and spiral ramp towers of the parking garage seen from above at Seattle-Tacoma airport.
Parking garage, SEA

SEA’s garage has 94 free Level 2 charging stalls, first come, first served. You pay normal parking rates and nothing for the electricity. Look for green striping and the words “Electric Car Charging Only.”

Set your route to 17801 International Blvd, SeaTac, WA. The chargers are in the airport garage.

Which floor to aim for

Floor 7, General Parking Floor 4, Reserved Parking
Charging stalls 64, in Rows E and F 30, in Rows E and F
Charger speed Level 2 Level 2
Charging price Free Free
Parking price $8.00 per hour, $37.00 per day, $222.00 per week $47.00 per 24-hour period
Booking None, drive up Required, with a QR code

Floor 4 makes sense only if you’d book it anyway, at $10 more a day than Floor 7. Our Reserved Parking listing and General Parking listing give each floor’s entry and payment rules.

How to get a charger

  1. Drive to Floor 7 (or Floor 4 if you’ve booked it) and look for Rows E and F.
  2. Take any stall with green striping in Rows E or F.
  3. Plug in and confirm the car has started charging before you leave.
  4. Walk down to Floor 4. Skybridges 1 to 6 leave from garage Level 4 and lead to terminal Level 4, one level below ticketing, where you go up one level to check in.
  5. On your return from General Parking, pay at an exit lane or at the pay machines on Floor 4. The machines take cards only, and the exit-lane cashiers take cash or cards. General Parking rates include all taxes and fees.

Floor 4 is reservation only. Book at reservesea.portseattle.org at least 6 hours ahead and up to 120 days out. You pay online by card or Apple Pay, and the price includes all taxes and fees. You can change or cancel up to 6 hours before your entry time. Enter through the white Reserved Parking lane using your reservation’s QR code, up to one hour early, and scan it again on exit. The reservation guarantees a parking space but not a charging stall.

What PlugShare says about Floor 7

PlugShare’s listing for the Floor 7 bank shows J-1772 plugs and calls the bank non-networked. It says availability is “highly variable, often full.”

What a trip costs

Trip Floor 7, General Parking Floor 4, Reserved Parking
1 day $37 $47
3 days $111 $141
7 days $222 $329

The Floor 4 figures for 3 and 7 days are the $47 daily rate multiplied by the days. Overstays on Floor 4 cost $10.00 per hour, up to the daily maximum. Our parking guide compares General Parking, reserved Floor 4, the over-height lot and Doug Fox, plus the cell phone lot. The extended stay listing covers trips past 30 days, which need an online reservation or an arrangement with the Public Parking Office at (206) 787-4069.

If Floor 7 is full

  • The cell phone lot. An older Port blog post lists two Level 3 fast-charging stations there, and PlugShare lists a CCS1 plug. The cell phone lot is free to park at 2623 S. 170th Street. Its 20-minute limit and stay-with-your-vehicle rule apply. It suits a top-up while you wait for a passenger, not a parking spot for the trip.
  • An off-site lot. SeaTacPark says its EV spaces run on a Level 1 cable you supply, plugged into a standard outlet, first come, first served. That’s the company’s own description, and it’s slower than the garage.
  • Leave the car home. From the garage’s north end on Level 4, a walkway leads to SeaTac/Airport Link station. The 1 Line takes 39 minutes to Westlake, and an adult fare is $3.00. The free Train-to-Plane cart runs between the station and garage Level 4 by Skybridges 5 and 6, outside security, daily from 5 a.m. to midnight.

Sources