Overview
Burien is in King County, on Puget Sound just south of Seattle. Amidst the strip malls and car dealerships of suburban Seattle is 'Old Town' Burien, a main street holding onto the area's early charm.
1 sights · 2 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Burien
Seahurst (Ed Munro) Park
Burien's premier park, on the Puget Sound.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 78°F; winter lows dip to about 35°F. Wettest: Nov and Jan. (climate data from nearby Kent)
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.
- SEA Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Seattle — 2 mi away (major hub). Directions
- BFI King County International Airport - Boeing Field, Seattle — 5 mi away. Directions
Burien is immediately west of Sea-Tac Airport, a major national hub.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Food for you
Burien offers a wide variety of ethnic restaurants including food from Australia, China, El Salvador, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam.
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 plane
Burien is immediately west of Sea-Tac Airport, a major national hub.
Fortunately for residents, the flight paths parallel the city, so there is little noise from jets.
By car
State Route 509 (SR-509) runs through the city from Seattle to the north, and from Des Moines to the south.
State Route 518 (SR-518) enters the city from the east, from SeaTac, Tukwila, and the I-5/I-405 interchange to the rest of the Puget Sound.
By bus
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 560 to Bellevue and West Seattle
Get around
By public transit
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.
An ORCA card allows you to transfer to other transit agencies for free. Make use of the excellent Trip Planner to make sure you can get to your destination.
When traveling to destinations outside of the downtown core, you should make sure to ask the drivers in Metro buses with green and white "EXPRESS" signs in their windows and those whose route signs say "VIA EXPRESS" if they are going to your destination. Some of these express routes are intended for regular commuters traveling between residential neighborhoods and downtown and make few or no stops between.
See
Buy
Shop Burien Farmers Market
Market with 40 to 50 vendors each week. Vendors include a food booth, handmade goods, farm fresh products and fresh baked products.
Eat
Burien offers a wide variety of ethnic restaurants including food from Australia, China, El Salvador, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam.
Eat Grand Central Bakery
Artisan bread, buttery pastries, hand-made soups and a wide variety of sandwiches.
Eat Ivar's Seafood Bar
A small local chain of casual NW seafood.
Drink
Drink Elliot Bay Brewery
Famous for their burgers, they have one of the largest hand crafted selections of Organic ales in the NW, along with an extensive menu and great seasonal specials.
Drink Tin Room Bar
The historic High-Line Tin Shop has been lovingly converted into a bar, with a private theater for events.
Sleep
Burien is located only minutes away from SeaTac Airport, with one of the highest concentrations of hotels in the state. However, there are also a few places within Burien proper.
Go next
Burien is just south of White Center and Seattle and only a few minutes west of SeaTac.
Nearby
White Center
City / town · 6 listings · 3 mi away
SeaTac
City / town · 6 listings · 3 mi away
Tukwila
City / town · 24 listings · 3 mi away
Vashon Island
City / town · 28 listings · 7 mi away
Renton
City / town · 47 listings · 7 mi away
Southworth
City / town · 7 listings · 8 mi away
Blake Island
Park · 4 listings · 8 mi away
Kent
City / town · 15 listings · 8 mi away
My experience
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