About Seattle

The City of Seattle is located in the State of Washington on the Puget Sound, surrounded by mountains, evergreen forests, and Lake Washington. Seattle is 113 miles (182 km) south of the US-Canadian boarder.

Seattle was the first major city in the country to make public buses free of charge to riders in the central business district. The Ride Free Area extends from the north at Battery St. to S. Jackson St. on the south, and east at Sixth Avenue to the waterfront on the west.

In just two minutes, a convenient monorail system takes visitors from downtown Seattle to nearby Seattle Center; home to the Space Needle, Experience Music Project, Pacific Science Center and other cultural attractions. The train departs every 10 minutes daily from 09:00 - 23:00 and is just $4 round-trip per adult.

The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) is located 11 miles-17.7 kilometers from the downtown area. There are shuttles, taxis, limo service, rental cars, and public bus transportation available from the airport. The drive to downtown Seattle from Sea-Tac Airport will take about 20 minutes, depending on traffic. Public transportation from the airport to downtown Seattle takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Work is underway to bring light rail to Sea-Tac Airport, connecting downtown Seattle even more efficiently to this already easily accessible transportation hub. Completion is expected in late 2009.

The Washington State Convention and Trade Center (WSCTC) is located in the blocks surrounding Pike St. and Eighth Avenue is within walking distance of nearly all downtown attractions, major hotels, shopping and restaurants.

For further information about Seattle's local attractions, restaurants, transportation, and area maps, please visit Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau Website at http://www.visitseattle.org/visitors/about.

Photos courtesy of Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Top