Federal Way

Understand

Federal Way is home to the world headquarters of Weyerhaeuser and World Vision.

The City of Federal Way has a huge population of Korean Americans and used to host the annual Hanwoori Korean Festival, which was a huge event sponsored by the City of Federal Way, Washington State, and various business organizations.

Tourist information

• Visit Federal Way website

Get in

Federal Way is just north of Tacoma, and is less than 10 miles south of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

By car

• Interstate 5 (I-5) runs along the east edge of the city. There are four exits into town:
• Exit #142 A & B ("SR 18/S 348th St")
• Exit #143 ("S 320th St") goes to Federal Way Commons, the closest thing to a 'downtown'
• The S 317th St exit and merge lanes (accessed from the left lanes of both directions) are restricted to carpools (2 or more) and buses.
• Exit #147 ("S 272nd St")
• Pacific Highway S (SR-99) passes through town as Pacific Hwy from Kent/Des Moines in the north and Fife in the south. It runs parallel to I-5 with multiple stores, restaurants, malls and motels along the road. SR-99 provides direct connection between Federal Way and the airport in Sea-Tac where it becomes International Blvd.
• State Route (SR) 18 into S 348th St Connects Federal Way and I-5 corridor to the I-90 corridor near Snoqualmie (Exit 25 of I-90) through Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley and Issaquah. SR-18 ends at its junction with I-5 and becomes S 348th west of the I-5 corridor in Federal Way. It is the shortest way to reach Snoqualmie Pass and anywhere east via I-90 from Federal Way, Tacoma and anywhere south along I-5 WITHOUT going into Seattle or Bellevue.
• Enchanted Pkwy S Connects Federal Way to Mount Rainier via Edgewood, Puyallup, South Hill and Graham in Pierce County. It goes through town as Enchanted Pkwy S which becomes 16th Ave S north of its intersection with S 348th. It ends at its intersection with SR-99 at S 340th Pl.
• SW Dash Point Dr/East Side Dr Connects the SR-99 corridor at the 29700 block into downtown Tacoma via Dash Point State Park and Port of Tacoma Tideflats / Fife. It goes around Federal Way through local residential neighborhoods offering a scenic drive and views of the Sound in some places. Going north from the 29700 block, SR-509 runs concurrent with SR-99 to its intersection with Kent Des Moines Hwy (SR-516) in Des Moines. It is Dash Point Dr in Federal Way and becomes East Side Dr in NE Tacoma.

By light rail

Federal Way is the south terminus of the Link light rail 1 Line, which comes from SeaTac, Seattle Tacoma International Airport, Tukwila, Seattle, Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood to the north. A train runs every 8-15 minutes from 5:00 to midnight. $3

By bus

• 574 Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Kent-Des Moines Hwy (SR-516), S 272nd St, Federal Way, Tacoma Dome & Lakewood. Passengers transfer to Metro #182 to get to NE Tacoma from Federal Way. No direct Pierce Transit bus connects downtown Tacoma to NE Tacoma
• 577 Downtown Seattle and Federal Way
• 578 Downtown Seattle, Federal Way, Auburn and Puyallup

For intercity bus service outside of the region, travel to Seattle or Tacoma.

Get around

By car

Federal Way lies approximately between S 272nd St (27200 block) and S 373rd St (37300 block), which run east and west. 1st Ave S (goes north-south) divides 'South' (east of 1st) from 'Southwest' (west of 1st) as it goes from S 291st St (29100) at Redondo Beach to S 368th St (36800) as a major thoroughfare.

Federal Way's street designation is a continuation of King County's street designation system in South Seattle (S) and West Seattle (SW). The house numbers decrease from south to north; and from the east and from the west towards 1st Ave S. Roads south of the King-Pierce County line, south of Federal Way, change to a Northeast (NE) directional (in the suffix) which is based on Tacoma's directional system as that part of town is in Tacoma but is closer and more connected to Federal Way then it is to Tacoma.

By public transit

• 177 Express bus to Downtown Seattle via I-5 during weekday peak hours only. At other times use 577 or 578 buses.
• 181 Twin Lakes P&R, Federal Way, Outlet Collection Seattle, Auburn, Green River College. Goes down towards Twin Lakes P&R via S 320th & 21st Ave S
• 182 Northeast Tacoma, South Federal Way, Federal Way Transit Center.
• 183 Federal Way, Camelot neighborhood, and Star Lake towards Kent.
• 187 Federal Way Transit Center, Twin Lakes via S 320th, 47th SW/Hoyt Rd, etc
• 193 Express bus to First Hill in Seattle via I-5 during weekday peak hours only. At other times use 577 or 578 buses to downtown Seattle.
• DART 901 Federal Way, Mirror Lake
• DART 903 South Federal Way, Twin Lakes
• RapidRide Line A operates frequently to Tukwila, including the airport, from Federal Way Transit Center on Pacific Hwy/International Blvd (Hwy 99). More frequent stops along SR-99 then the light rail.
• Pierce Transit offers additional local service to areas south of S 320th on their way into Pierce County.
• 402 Travels along Meridian (via multiple stops) from the Federal Way Transit Center to Puyallup through Milton.
• 500 Continues south from Federal Way to downtown Tacoma on Pacific Hwy (Hwy 99) through Fife.
• 501 Goes down towards Tacoma through Edgewood, Milton, and Fife on different turns onto various roads.