Overview
Bothell is a city of around 33,000 on the Sammamish River, (mostly) in King County of Washington State. It's about 15 miles northeast of downtown Seattle, near Woodinville.
This article also includes the commuter community of Kenmore, to the west of Bothell at the northern tip of Lake Washington.
2 things to do · 5 places to eat · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Bothell
Saint Edward State Park
A 326 acre park on the grounds of a former Catholic seminary. The historic building, built in 1931, fell into disrepair until it was renovated into a hotel, and then sold to the state. A series of trails runs through the…
Log Boom Park
This 3.9 acre park provides access to Lake Washington. The public dock is a fantastic place to watch the seaplanes land, toss out a line for fishing or simply enjoy the sunset. Amenities include a sandy beach, water acce…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 78°F; winter lows dip to about 37°F. Wettest: Nov and Jan. (climate data from nearby Seattle)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PAE Seattle Paine Field International Airport, Everett — 10 mi away. Directions
- BFI King County International Airport - Boeing Field, Seattle — 17 mi away. Directions
- SEA Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Seattle — 23 mi away (major hub). Directions
Interstate 405 (I-405) is the outer loop of Interstate 5 that runs from Lynnwood to Tukwila (and the airport), through Bothell.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Log Boom Park
- Lunch Ranch Drive-In
- Afternoon Saint Edward State Park
- Dinner The Cottage
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
Interstate 405 (I-405) is the outer loop of Interstate 5 that runs from Lynnwood to Tukwila (and the airport), through Bothell.
There are tolls for the express lanes of I-405, with rates that vary by time of day and traffic levels. There are no toll booths. If the vehicle has a "Good to Go" sticker on the windshield, the toll is deducted from a prepaid account. Otherwise, transponders take a picture of the license plates, front and back, and mail the bill to the registered owner.
State Route 522 (WA-522) runs as Bothell Way from North Seattle to the west, and as a separated highway from Woodinville and I-405 to the east.
By bicycle
The Burke-Gilman Trail runs along the western rim of Lake Washington through Seattle and Lake Forest Park, then along the Sammamish River through Kenmore, Bothell, Woodinville, and Redmond. Despite the hilly surroundings, the track is flat as it used to be a railway line.
By seaplane
Go Kenmore Air Harbor
A seaplane base at the northern end of Lake Washington. It is primarily used by regional seaplane airline Kenmore Air, serving areas all around Puget Sound and Canada.
Get around
By car
Bothell Way (WA-522) is the main east-west artery, and really the only practical east-west through-road in the area. Before the floating bridges, it was the most direct way to get around Lake Washington, and the suburban roadside development still echoes its history as an old highway.
Main Street is the heart of downtown Bothell, a small walkable area around which flows towards the growing UW Bothell campus.
By public transit
Go Community Transit
Operates local and regional public transit bus routes in Snohomish County, except only local routes in Everett. Communities within the county served by this operator's routes include Arlington, Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Snohomish, and Stanwood from Bothell:
- Swift Green connects Seaway Transit to Canyon Park P&R, north of Bothell, via Airport Rd, 126th SW and Bothell-Everett Hwy. This replaces route 105.
- Route 106 connects UW Bothell and downtown Bothell to Mariner P&R
- Route 120 connects Canyon Park to Lynnwood Transit Center via Bothell
- Route 424 connects SR-522 and 132nd Ave NE stop in Woodinville (nearest to Bothell) with Snohomish via Monroe in one direction and downtown Seattle in the other. This route operates during weekday peak hours. Goes towards Seattle in the mornings and towards Snohomish during the evenings. Passengers transfer to 522 from SR-522 and 12th Ave NE to get into Bothell.
Go King County Metro
Runs bus, streetcar and monorail routes within King County. Serves Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Mercer Island, North Bend, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Tukwila, Vashon Island, White Center, and Woodinville.
- Route 230 Woodinville to Kirkland through Bothell, Brickyard and Juanita. Travels mainly on the west side of the I-405 corridor.
- Route 239 Bothell to Kirkland via Brickyard P&R and Totem Lake Transit Center. Travels mainly on 124th Ave NE east of the I-405 corridor.
- Route 372 goes around Lake Washington towards University Washington in the U-District through Lake City, Kenmore and Forest Park from UW Bothell/Cascadia College. It approaches UW on 25th Ave NE.
Go Sound Transit
Runs express and intercity public transit routes across the Seattle area, including Sounder trains, Link light rail and express buses (routes 510-596). Serves King County (e.g. Bellevue, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, Seattle), Snohomish County (e.g. Everett, Lynnwood), and Pierce County (e.g. Puyallup, Tacoma).
- Route 522 goes around Lake Washington towards the Roosevelt Station in Ravenna (north of Seattle) along Bothell-Lake City Wy (SR-522) through Lake City, Kenmore and Forest Park.
- Route 535 Bellevue to Lynnwood via Totem Lake, Canyon Park, UW Bothell/Cascadia College and Bothell P&R on I-405 and Alderwood Pkwy in Lynnwood.
Do
Do Log Boom Park
This 3.9 acre park provides access to Lake Washington. The public dock is a fantastic place to watch the seaplanes land, toss out a line for fishing or simply enjoy the sunset. Amenities include a sandy beach, water access for hand-powered watercraft, a picnic shelter, boat rentals, an ADA accessible concrete path promenade, the Kenmore History Path, playground area, access to the Burke-Gilman Trail, daytime moorage, and restroom.
Do Saint Edward State Park
A 326 acre park on the grounds of a former Catholic seminary. The historic building, built in 1931, fell into disrepair until it was renovated into a hotel, and then sold to the state. A series of trails runs through the park for bicyclists and hikers, to an undeveloped beach on Lake Washington.
Learn
Buy
Eat
Eat Alexa's Cafe and Catering
Small little cafe with kitsch appeal. Excellent Tomato Basil Soup.
Eat The Cottage
Aesthetically pleasing restaurant.
Eat Ranch Drive-In
Classic fast-food burgers, fries and shakes. A local favorite!
Eat Ta Joia
Inventive Latin-Asian fusion.
Sleep
Nearby
Woodinville
City / town · 6 listings · 3 mi away
Mountlake Terrace
City / town · 8 listings · 5 mi away
Kirkland
City / town · 20 listings · 6 mi away
Lynnwood
City / town · 10 listings · 6 mi away
Shoreline
City / town · 9 listings · 6 mi away
Edmonds
City / town · 26 listings · 8 mi away
Redmond
City / town · 31 listings · 8 mi away
Bellevue
City / town · 62 listings · 11 mi away
My experience
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