Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Understand

Sea-Tac is roughly midway between Seattle and Tacoma, about 15 miles (25 km) south of Seattle and 25 miles (40 km) north of Tacoma. It's the busiest airport in the Pacific Northwest region and one of the busiest in the nation, serving almost 47 million passengers in 2017. The airport consists of a huge central terminal, two satellite terminals, cargo facilities, and three parallel runways running north-south.

Alaska Airlines, despite its name, has its corporate headquarters and largest hub at Sea-Tac, with frequent daily services to Alaska, Canada, Mexico, the United States and Tokyo Haneda (on Hawaiian Airlines' wide body planes) including the east coast. Plans are underway for Alaska Airlines to fly to Seoul Incheon and Rome using Hawaiian Airlines' wide body fleet. Delta Air Lines also maintains a northwestern hub, with numerous destinations in East Asia, Europe, and the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska).

The airport is considered to be one of the more pleasant ones to use in the United States, and has been voted Best North American Airport by Skytrax since 2022, pipping regional rival Vancouver International Airport after it had held the title for 12 consecutive years.

However, Sea-Tac suffers from severe overcrowding during major holiday weekends. As of 2025, the airport was serving over 51 million passengers annually, far over its design capacity of 30 million. The Port of Seattle has initiated numerous construction projects (collectively known as Upgrade SEA) to renovate the terminals and boost their capacity in advance of the 2026 World Cup.

Get around

You can walk between concourses if you are within the Central Terminal. Passengers departing from N or S gates must ride the SEA Underground, formerly called the Satellite Transit System, to get from the Central Terminal to their gate. The SEA Underground has 3 lines: a loop line between A, B, and S gates (Blue Line); another loop line between C, D, and N gates (Green Line); and a line between A and D gates (Yellow Line). All lines are free of charge and very frequent, with trains typically arriving every 3 minutes at all hours.

Eat and drink

As of June 2024, SEA Airport has over 40 eateries across all of its terminals and concourses, including 6 branches of Starbucks, 1 of which is outside the secure area. Offerings range from national fast food chains to affiliates of local Seattle food trucks and restaurants.

Pre-security and baggage claim

There are only a couple of restaurants available outside of security.

Central Terminal

A Gates

B Gates

• Fast food: McDonald's

C Gates

D Gates

Options at D gates are paltry. Eat at the Central Terminal or other gates instead.

North Satellite

South Satellite

South Satellite has few restaurants, and even fewer that are worth a visit. If you have time, search out food in the Central Terminal or gates before heading to the Satellites.

Flights

See also: view full list of airlines at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

All passengers check in and enter security in the Central Terminal, which contains four concourses. There are also two satellite terminals, accessible by train after entering security. The North Satellite (or N Gates, used by Alaska Airlines (C, D, N Gates; occasionally A & S Gates) including their departures to Mexico) is connected by train to C and D Gates. The South Satellite (or S Gates) is connected by train to A and B Gates and is used by Delta Airlines (A, B, S Gates); foreign airlines (departures and arrivals at S Gates); Hawaiian (S Gates); Jetblue (S Gates); Frontier (Gate D24); Sun Country; and United (Gates A11-A14). International arrivals, except those from cities with U.S. customs pre-clearance, use S gates and some A gates; the international arrivals facility is built next to the A concourse in the Central Terminal.

See this link for the flight schedules at the Seattle Tacoma International Airport or this Wikipedia list of destinations served from Seattle Tacoma International Airport.

Note: If you're traveling with Allegiant they only land and take off at Bellingham (BLI IATA), 106 mi north, in Bellingham, as the nearest airport to the Seattle Metropolitan Area. They do not offer flights into or out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Alaska Airlines offers flights to Seattle-Tacoma, Everett Paine Field (PAE IATA) and Bellingham which may be closer to your final destination.

Arrivals

For domestic flights that arrive at the North Satellite or South Satellite, ride the train to the Central Terminal to claim your baggage and exit the airport.

For international flights, travelers first collect their bags and then clear customs and immigration in the separate International Arrivals Facility (IAF) next to Concourse A of the Central Terminal. Passengers arriving at the South Satellite travel to the IAF using a series of corridors and escalators or elevators up into a sky-bridge to go over the tarmac and then back down into the IAF. It is no longer necessary to use an underground train from the S Terminal for international arrivals. Sea-Tac Airport is equipped with Global Entry and Mobile Passport Control express lanes. After clearing customs and immigration, if you're continuing on another flight, you must re-check your checked luggage and clear security in the IAF to return to the gates (via Concourse A); allow about 15–30 minutes for this process, plus the time at baggage claim, immigration, and customs. If you're exiting the airport, follow the exit signs to a long downward ramp as you leave the IAF into the arrivals hall nearest to the bus terminal and Sound Transit stop at the south end of the main terminal.

Departures

Check-in and security screening for all flights are conducted at the Central Terminal. All gates are accessible to travelers after they clear any security checkpoint. Monitors show which checkpoints are open, how long the estimated wait time is at each, which ones are designated for travelers with TSA PreCheck or CLEAR, and which offer priority screening for first class and business class travelers. If you are short on time or if you are not sure which checkpoint to use, talk to airport employees in the security area; they regularly redirect travelers to checkpoints with shorter lines.

The airport offers a free service called SEA Spot Saver, allowing travelers without TSA PreCheck or CLEAR to book a time and checkpoint for security screening. This may save you time.

Popular flights

Seattle is the main gateway to Asia, Alaska, Europe, and Hawaii from the Northwestern United States. Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines operate many daily flights to destinations all across the United States and around the world. Seattle is the main jumping-off point to Alaska, with numerous daily flights to Anchorage, Fairbanks, Ketchikan, and Juneau. Alaska Airlines, Delta, and Hawaiian all fly several daily flights between Seattle/Tacoma and the islands of Hawaii, especially to Honolulu. Near-hourly flights serve Portland, Boise, Spokane, and daily regional flights fly to smaller cities in Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon. There are also frequent flights from Seattle/Tacoma to major cities on the western half of the continental US, including Austin, Denver, Phoenix, Houston, Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco Bay Area, and the Los Angeles Metro Area. Transcontinental flights to the East Coast are also common.

International flights connect Seattle to major cities of Canada (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Victoria); Mexico (Mexico City, Cancun, Gaudalajara, Puerto Vallarta, San Jose del Cabo/Cabo San Lucas); and Central America (San Jose; Liberia, CR; and Belize City) on North America.

There are also direct long haul flights to Europe and the Middle East: (Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Dublin, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Istanbul, London, Munich, Paris, Reykjavík, Rome, Zurich, Doha, Dubai).

There are also direct long haul flights to East Asia and Southeast Asia: (Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Manila, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo)

To (Papeete) in Oceania.

Ground transportation

Nearly all ground transportation means are located within the Airport Parking Garage across from the Central Terminal.

By public transit

See Seattle § By public transit

Two agencies run public transit routes around Seattle. The two systems interoperate smoothly, with unified payment methods, shared bus stops and coordinated routing. In most cases, you won't need to pay attention to which agency runs the route you're taking.

There are several ways to pay fares:

• ORCA cards (One Regional Card for All) can be used to pay for most public transportation services in the Seattle area. They cost $3, plus however much money you put in your "e-purse" when you purchase or top up. Vending machines at the Light Rail stations sell ORCA cards.
• Contactless payment, in the form of a credit card, debit card, phone, or watch compatible with near-field communications (NFC), is accepted on Seattle-area public transit as of February 23, 2026. Tap your card or device at the yellow ORCA payment terminal before you board a train or as you board a bus. A fare inspector may ask you to provide the first 6 digits or last 4 digits of your card number to verify that you have paid; it is not necessary to hand them your card or device. Pay with the same card or device, and you can transfer to another mode, such as from light rail to a bus, within 2 hours, at no extra cost.
• Paper tickets can be purchased for the light rail at station vending machines. They do not need to be tapped, but hang onto yours in case you are asked to show proof of payment. These do not allow for free transfers to buses or other transit modes.
• The Transit GO Ticket mobile app lets you buy tickets with a credit or debit card, and show a barcode to the driver or fare inspector. This does not allow for free transfers to buses or other transit modes.

Riders under 18 are able to ride for free on Seattle-area transit services. Students age 13 and up are encouraged to carry student ID if they are asked to show proof of payment.

By light rail

The Link Light Rail 1 Line is the easiest and cheapest way to get to much of Seattle. It runs every 6-15 minutes M-Sa from 5AM-1AM, Su from 6AM-midnight. (Overnight, Route 597, the Lakewood-Seattle Night Bus, covers most of the same stops.) Adult fares cost a flat $3.00, regardless of distance. Children under 18 ride for free.

SeaTac/Airport (Light Rail) Station (64) is connected by a bridge to the parking garage, which is in turn connected to the fourth level of the Central Terminal by Skybridge #6. Be warned: it's about a 5-10 minute walk from the terminal to the rail platform. From Baggage Claim, follow signs for "Link Light Rail" at Carousels #15 & 16. Walk along the north side of the parking garage from Skybridge #6 to the rail platform. There may be carts available to shuttle travelers between the station and Central Terminal, at no charge. There is a bus stop underneath the station, along each side of International Blvd.

To Downtown Seattle, the ride takes about 40 minutes. Board 1 Line trains on the northbound track, the one further from the airport terminal; trains that stop in Seattle are usually signed as terminating at "Lynnwood City Center". The train stops in Tukwila, South Seattle, SoDo, and the International District before reaching Downtown, and continues to Capitol Hill, the University of Washington, Northgate, Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood. The 1 Line also goes south of the airport, to Federal Way.

Greyhound, Greyhound Connect (Dungeness Lines) and Flixbus offer connections to Portland (via Tacoma or Olympia), Olympic Peninsula (Greyhound Connect by Dungeness Line), Seattle Bus Station, and Wenatchee (Flixbus by Wenatchee Shuttle) from SeaTac. Additional local (Seattle) stops offered by Flixbus (by MTR Wesern) from SeaTac are the International District (6th Ave S & S Lane St), and the University of Washington (1100 NE Campus Pkwy). Alternatively take the northbound train to Stadium Station (54) on Busway and S Royal Brougham. Walk east (right) from the tracks, along Royal Brougham, towards 6th Ave, to the bus station (503 S Royal Brougham). The bus station is right next to the Stadium (Light Rail) Station.

To Everett, take the Link Light Rail to Lynnwood and transfer to:

• Route 512 travels northwards to Everett Station from Lynnwood Station via Ash WAy P&R. From Everett Station transfer to Island Transit #412C to Camano Island or Skagit Transit 90x to Mount Vernon.
• Route 513 travels northwards to Seaway Transit Center via Eastmont P&R and Ash Way P&R, from Lynnwood Station. At Seaway Transit Center transfer to Everett Transit #8 bus to Paine Field Airport or the 18 bus to the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal for the ferry to Whidbey Island.

By bus

Fares are payable with an ORCA card, in cash, or using tickets in the Transit GO Ticket mobile app. Bus cash boxes cannot break bills and do not provide change.

There is a bus stop underneath the Link light rail station, along each side of International Blvd. From the rail platform there is a skybridge that goes over the Airport Expressway Rd and International Blvd to the bus stop.

To Lakewood, Tacoma, West Seattle, and Bellevue, find Sound Transit's airport bus stop on the arrivals level at the south end of the Central Terminal (follow signs from Baggage Claim for "ST 560/574"). Both ST routes stop outside Door 00 of the Airport Terminal, just past Baggage Carousel 1 and another downstairs from the Light Rail station on International Blvd at S 176th St (see below under "King County Metro").

• Route 560 offers all-day direct service to West Seattle (via Burien) and to Bellevue (via Renton) in the other direction from the airport. The fare is $3.25 for adults and free for children under 18. The bus runs both directions from the same stop, so check the sign above the windshield: for West Seattle it will say "560 Westwood Village" and for Bellevue it will say "560 Bellevue."
• Route 574 offers all-day direct service to Lakewood, Tacoma, and Federal Way from the airport. The fare is $3.25 for adults and free for children under 18. Passengers transfer to Intercity #600 or 610 at the SR 512 Park & Ride in Lakewood to continue to Lacey and Olympia, and to Grays Harbor Transit #40 in Olympia to go further out towards Aberdeen and Hoquiam (via Montesano and Elma).

To South Seattle, Tukwila, Burien, and most places within 5 mi of the airport, King County Metro's local bus routes stop along International Blvd, just outside the airport.

• The SeaTac/Airport Station (64) bus stop is downstairs from the Link Light Rail station, at International Blvd & S 176th St. King County Metro buses do not pick at the other stop outside Door 00 (Baggage Carousel 1) of the airport terminal.
• Route 156 will take you northbound to Tukwila's Southcenter Mall or southbound to Highline College
• Route 161 goes westbound to Burien Transit Center and southbound to Kent.
• The Rapid Ride A Line travels between the Tukwila International Blvd Station and Federal Way Transit Center along International Blvd/Pacific Hwy (Hwy 99) via the airport at the International Blvd & S 176th St stop.
• The Tukwila International Blvd Station (63), is the nearest bus transit center. It is the northern terminus of Rapid Ride A and the next stop north on the Link Light Rail 1 Line.
• Rapid Ride F Line Burien to Renton via Tukwila International Blvd Station, Tukwila Transit Center (adjacent to Southcenter Mall), Tukwila Sounder Station, downtown Renton Transit Center.
• Route 124 Goes up to Georgetown (neighborhood) along SR-99 (International Blvd, E Marginal Way) from Tukwila International Blvd Station. Continues to Downtown Seattle along Airport Way S from Georgetown. Quicker to take the Link Light Rail if going to downtown Seattle.
• Route 128 West Seattle to Southcenter via White Center, Tukwila International Blvd Station

By intercity bus and shuttle

Most of these intercity bus services pick up passengers from the Scheduled Airporter bus stops at the southern end of the main terminal building outside door 00, past Baggage Carousel 1. The Airporter stops are next to the Sound Transit bus stop for routes 560 & 574 (see above under 'By bus'). However, some shuttles (namely the ShuttleExpress, Speedi Shuttle, Downtown Airporter, hotel shuttles and off-site parking shuttles) pick up from the third floor of the parking garage, across from the central terminal:

There are also shuttles by different companies to the San Juan Islands and Vashon Island.

To reach the Greyhound bus station at 530 S Royal Brougham, take the Link Line #1 train from SeaTac to Stadium Station on Busway and Royal Brougham, south of downtown Seattle (SODO). Walk one block east along S Royal Brougham. The bus station is next to the Stadium Light Rail Station. To get to King St Station (Amtrak & Sounder) take any northbound bus coming up on Busway from the bus stop next to Stadium Station and get off at 4th and Jackson. King St Station is at opposite side of the 4th Ave from the northbound bus stop on 4th & Jackson.

By taxi or ride-hailing

All taxis and rides can be hailed at the third floor of the parking garage.

The ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft are available and very popular for airport pickups, although fares vary widely and are often higher than taxi fares. Request a ride while you're in the terminal, then follow signs to the rideshare pickup area on level 3 of the parking garage.

Taxis are also on level 3 of the parking garage, closer to the Central Terminal than Uber and Lyft are. Metered taxis have three-digit numbers, are painted in one color, and charge based on distance and time. "For hire" cars have four-digit numbers, are painted in two colors, and charge a flat rate (plus a tip, at the passenger's discretion) based on the destination ZIP code. Confirm this rate before you get in a flat rate taxi. Carry cash; Seattle airport taxi drivers are notorious for telling passengers that they accept cards at the start of a trip, then making up an excuse for their card readers being broken when it's time to pay. Taxi drivers may provide receipts on request, although these are often slips of paper that the passenger is expected to write the fare and tip on themselves. Because many travelers prefer Uber and Lyft, it is often faster and less expensive to get a taxi by walking up to the taxi line.

Other taxis and "for-hires" can drop you off, but to leave the airport, you must go to the taxi line or book a for-hire car in advance.

Limos and towncars can be competitively priced with taxis, making them good value for a bit of extra space and comfort.

By car

It takes roughly 30 minutes to drive to Downtown Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue in normal traffic; however, it can take well over an hour during busy commute periods.

Parking

Parking is provided in a single building that can accommodate 13,000 cars, the largest of its kind under one roof in the world. All spots are eligible for short-term or long-term parking. Level 4 has the easiest access to the terminal, as all the skybridges are on that level, but levies different fares compared to floors 2-3 and 5-8. The level 4 parking rates are $4 per hour, $35 daily. Other floors are $3 per hour, $28 daily, $130 for 7 days. Discounts may apply for all charges if you use a parking card.

There's also a selection of cheap and secure off-airport parking lots along International Blvd.

By rental car

The rental car facility is located off-site; a free shuttle service operates 24 hours a day between the central terminal and the rental car facility. Stops for this shuttle are located at the far ends of the central terminal, outside Baggage Carousels 1 and 16. All of the major companies are at the car rental facility, where you can compare prices and pick up your car. The car rental facility is also the same place to return your car, directly accessible from SR 518.

Renting from the airport will incur an 11% "airport tax" surcharge. You can avoid this fee by renting from a downtown or other non-airport location, which may save a bit of money on the rental, but those savings would be offset somewhat by the expense and hassle of getting yourself and your luggage to the rental location.

Access towards the airport

The airport is easily accessible from Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue.

• to From Interstate 5 (I-5) from Seattle or Tacoma, take exit 154B for SR-518 westbound. From SR-518 take the airport exit as it is clearly marked. If returning a rental car it is also possible to exit off at S 188th St at exit 152 of I-5 as there is a "ConnocoPhillips 76" gas station at this exit and a couple more further down S 188th St at its intersection with International Blvd (SR-99, see below) to re-fuel before returning a rental car.
• From SR-99 (State Route 99, Aurora Ave) from Seattle, go south through a 2-mile-long tunnel, then bear right onto SR-509. Exit to SW 148th Street and turn left for SR-518, then follow signs to the airport. This is often the fastest route when I-5 from Seattle is congested, as it often is during rush hour. SR-99 goes by the airport as International Blvd.
• to From Bellevue and The Eastside, go straight ahead past the I-5 interchange, I-405 becomes SR-518. From there, the exit to the airport is clearly marked.

If you are meeting arriving passengers, you can wait at the free Cell Phone Lot. Waiting at the Arrivals and Departures areas is discouraged, and security often moves cars along that idle for more than a minute.

By bicycle

In a city as bike-friendly as Seattle, it's no surprise that there are facilities for biking to the airport and flying with your bike, whether you rode there or brought your bike on public transit. A bike assembly station near baggage claims 9 and 10 has tools and air pumps. Short term bike racks are available, and there is long-term storage near baggage claims 12 and 13.

Wait

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport presents live music every day at some point in the terminal. Seattle's famous music scene attracts local Northwest artists to perform frequently at the busiest hour of flights for entertainment (mostly 10AM-1PM). Even the airport announcements are conducted by local famous artists, such as Quincy Jones, Macklemore and Sir Mix-A-Lot.

There are over 100 permanent and rolling art masterpieces created by 85 local artists throughout the airport, most at the ticketing centers and then scattered throughout the whole area. Some of them may be unnoticeable enough to be seen though, such as at the supporting columns, on walls towards the restroom, on the ceiling, even at the supporting wall of the runway. Most of the main attractions though, is along the walk from the Center Terminal towards Concourse A.

For the kids, there is a dedicated playing area for them between the Central Terminal and Concourse A. There is also a big and satisfactory mother's room inside.

Sea-Tac has two Little Free Libraries where people can drop off a book and pick up a book at no cost. One, focused on children's books, is next to the playground near Gate A1. Another, of general interest, is across from Gate A3.

Lounges

Nearby

• International Blvd passes along the front of the airport between Tukwila in the north and Federal Way in the south through Des Moines and Kent. It runs parallel to I-5 but with multiple hotels/motels, restaurants and stores along the road. SR-99 serves as the main arterial road through the area.

*The bus can also take you to Federal Way (Rapid 'A', 574) if you are craving for a Korean delight.

• to State Route (SR) 518 / I-405 goes across the north end of the airport runways, connecting Burien in the west to its junction with I-5 near Southcenter Mall in the east. The airport road is accessed via the same exit as SR-99, follow signs. The highway continues across I-5 and becomes I-405 as it curves northwards towards Bellevue through Renton and Newcastle. Southcenter Mall is accessed via Exit 1 of I-405 ("SR-181 West Valley Highway/Interurban"). Going west SR-518 ends at its junction with SR-509 where it continues into Burien as S 148th St.

*The Southcenter Mall at Tukwila is just about two miles away, You can take the King County Metro bus (Rapid 'F', 156) there. It can be accessed via Exit 1 of I-405 by car. * See also the SeaTac and Burien articles as the airport is in the City of Sea-Tac with Burien nearby in the west side. *Go to Burien by the same bus service (Routes 128, 161, 560, Rapid 'F') or White Center (Rapid 'H' from Burien; 128 and 560 from Airport) for a little bit of all of the above.