Seattle airport to downtown: every option and what it costs

Take Link light rail unless you land after the last train or can’t manage your bags on foot. An adult ride costs $3, and Sound Transit’s timetable has it at Westlake in 39 minutes. One traveler’s video showed an average Uber of $65, and another found $80 on a Friday evening.

The options side by side

Link: the walk and the ticket

The station sits across the garage from the terminal. Sound Transit’s route starts at carousel 16 and goes up one floor to Skybridge 6. Across the bridge, turn left through the garage. Destination 4 Vacation put it at “about a 5-minute walk, all level.” The free Train-to-Plane cart covers the garage stretch from 5 a.m. to midnight. Food Lover Asian said of the walk: “You’ll be sweaty for sure, a little bit.”

Tap a credit, debit or ORCA card, or buy at the ticket machines. Mr Traveler paid for two tickets at one machine and got one, so buy them one at a time. Board the 1 Line toward Lynnwood. Our Link light rail guide walks you from carousel 16 to the platform.

Two adults and two kids pay $6 on Link, because ages 18 and under ride free. That compares with the $65 Uber one traveler showed.

Which downtown stop to ride to

First and last trains, and how often they run

Weekday trains from SeaTac/Airport run at these intervals:

On weekends, trains run about every 10 minutes from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Landing after the last train

Sound Transit’s Night Bus, route 597, starts after the last train and then comes about every 30 minutes. The table below gives each night’s first and last bus. The walkway between the garage and the station is open 24 hours. The Port says the pedestrian bridge to International Boulevard is open around the clock, and the elevator and stairs on the west side of the station reach street level on International Boulevard. The Port’s public-transit page calls this bus the 570 and gives the same stop, International Boulevard and South 176th Street.

King County Metro’s route 124 is the other overnight bus downtown. It leaves at about 1:22 and 2:35 a.m., or 1:21 and 2:32 a.m. after a Sunday night. The Port says route 124 runs on the airport drives between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Its stop is on the airport access road where it meets International Boulevard, south of the terminal. Departure times are on the signs at its stop, and printed timetables are at the Ground Transportation Information Booth. Both Metro and Sound Transit buses take a contactless card or ORCA. Cash must be exact because drivers carry no change.

Taxis

The Port says SEA has metered taxis only, charging by the mile and by time, and that you can pay by cash, card or digital payment. Travel Adventures with Eric B put the meter to downtown at “around $40 to $50,” while Food Lover Asian said that without a flat rate “it will be as much as Uber.” The fleet includes wheelchair-accessible vans and 11-seat vans. For an accessible pickup on the baggage claim level, go to Skybridge 2 near Door 10 or Skybridge 5 near Door 22. Taxi questions go to the Ground Transportation Information Booth.

Uber and Lyft

Food Lover Asian found the waiting area “very convenient, but can be super chaotic, especially when a lot of people waiting in line.” The Port says UberX, UberPool and every Lyft ride board on garage Level 3, while Uber Black and premium rides skip the plaza and meet you at the baggage claim door you pick. For accessibility help, have your driver call Ground Transportation at (206) 787-5906. The Port tells riders to refuse offers from “helpful strangers”, who may be illegal operators.

Travel Adventures with Eric B warned that Uber and Lyft prices “fluctuate a lot.” Uber Reserve lets you request a ride from SEA from 2 hours to 90 days ahead when the option shows in the app.

Premier’s shared and private vans

Premier Airport Shuttle’s airport listing offers shared vans, which it calls the most economical, and private non-stop vans. Both go to any home, hotel or business in the Greater Puget Sound area. The listing says most fares don’t include a tip and most riders add 10 to 20 percent. The Port adds that Premier runs seasonal scheduled Seattle cruise ship and downtown Seattle airport transfers. If your flight is late or canceled, call Premier at (206) 244-0011.

Cruise day: Pier 66 works by train, Pier 91 doesn’t

Destination 4 Vacation called Pier 66, the Bell Street terminal, “an easy 15-minute walk” from Westlake, so for that pier Link and a short walk cover the trip. Destination 4 Vacation notes there’s no light rail stop at Pier 91, the Smith Cove terminal in Magnolia. The video’s fix is Link to Westlake and a rideshare from there: “My Uber trip from Westlake to Pier 91 ran about $20 compared to $50 or $60 going directly from the airport.”

A commenter under that video warned against walking it. The route runs through an industrial area, beside a fast road and railroad tracks. The video also names Seattle Express and Premier as shuttles to Pier 91, both by advance reservation.

Sources

This site’s pages:

• Link light rail, Train-to-Plane cart, taxis, app-based rideshare, Premier door-to-door, Sound Transit Express buses, King County Metro
• The Link light rail from SEA airport into Seattle

Official pages:

• Sound Transit, 1 Line page
• Sound Transit, 1 Line schedule and timetable
• Sound Transit, fares page
• King County Metro schedule data

Traveler videos:

• Travel Adventures with Eric B, “How to get from Seattle/Tacoma airport to Downtown Seattle”
• Mr Traveler, “How to: Seattle Link Light Rail Train from SeaTac Airport to Downtown Seattle- Complete Tour Guide”
• Destination 4 Vacation, “SeaTac Airport to Downtown Seattle for $3? Learn all About Seattle’s Link Light Rail for Your Cruise”
• foodloverasian, “How to use Link Light Rail from Sea-Tac International Airport to downtown Bellevue in 4K”