Coming by train

Amtrak to Seattle and Seatac: which station to use

Seattle has two Amtrak stations. King Street Station downtown has every Amtrak train: the Amtrak Cascades, the Coast Starlight and the Empire Builder. Tukwila Station, about five minutes by car from Seatac, has only the Amtrak Cascades. Going to the airport, an airport hotel or Westfield Southcenter on the Cascades: get off at Tukwila. Going downtown or to a cruise, or riding the Coast Starlight or the Empire Builder: King Street.

Book a ride from the train

Every Amtrak train: King Street Station
Closest to SEA: Tukwila Station
Seattle–Portland: 6 round trips a day
Seattle–Portland time: About 3 h 25 min

Next Amtrak departures

Amtrak's schedule for today and tomorrow, checked Nov 14. Trains can run late.

King Street Station

Tomorrow

7:10 am
to Eugene
Amtrak Cascades 503
Ride there
8:30 am
to Vancouver BC
Amtrak Cascades 516
Ride there
8:55 am
to Portland
Amtrak Cascades 505
Ride there

Later trains are on the operator's schedule.

All trains at King Street Station

Tukwila Station

Tomorrow

7:25 am
to Eugene
Amtrak Cascades 503
Ride there
9:10 am
to Portland
Amtrak Cascades 505
Ride there
9:49 am
to Seattle
Amtrak Cascades 500
Ride there

Later trains are on the operator's schedule.

All trains at Tukwila Station

Check Amtrak for the latest

Which station should you use?

If you're going to	Use	Then
Seatac Airport	Tukwila, on the Cascades	About five minutes by car, or the F Line and Link one stop. From King Street, Link takes about 34 minutes.
A hotel by the airport or Southcenter	Tukwila, on the Cascades	A short ride, or the F Line to Southcenter.
Downtown Seattle	King Street	Link north, a short ride, or a walk to Pioneer Square.
A cruise from Pier 66 or Pier 91	King Street	A car or taxi: about 1.5 miles to Pier 66 and 4 miles to Pier 91, with no bus between.
Los Angeles or California	King Street, on the Coast Starlight	Daily, Seattle to Los Angeles.
Chicago, Spokane or Minneapolis	King Street, on the Empire Builder	Daily, Seattle to Chicago.
Vancouver BC	King Street, on the Cascades or a Thruway bus	Two Cascades round trips a day; bring a passport.

Seatac Airport
Tukwila, on the Cascades
About five minutes by car, or the F Line and Link one stop. From King Street, Link takes about 34 minutes.
A hotel by the airport or Southcenter
Tukwila, on the Cascades
A short ride, or the F Line to Southcenter.
Downtown Seattle
King Street
Link north, a short ride, or a walk to Pioneer Square.
A cruise from Pier 66 or Pier 91
King Street
A car or taxi: about 1.5 miles to Pier 66 and 4 miles to Pier 91, with no bus between.
Los Angeles or California
King Street, on the Coast Starlight
Daily, Seattle to Los Angeles.
Chicago, Spokane or Minneapolis
King Street, on the Empire Builder
Daily, Seattle to Chicago.
Vancouver BC
King Street, on the Cascades or a Thruway bus
Two Cascades round trips a day; bring a passport.

From Amtrak, WSDOT's Amtrak Cascades pages, Sound Transit and the Port of Seattle. Check the timetable for your date.

The details

Start with your train, then where you're headed. The Coast Starlight and the Empire Builder only stop at King Street. On the Cascades you can choose: Tukwila is the stop before Seattle coming north and the stop after it going south, and it puts you minutes from SEA. King Street is the staffed station, with checked baggage and bag storage.

The Amtrak Cascades

Vancouver BC to Eugene through Seattle and Portland, with Tukwila, Tacoma, Olympia/Lacey, Centralia, Kelso/Longview and Vancouver WA between Seattle and Portland. Six round trips a day run between Seattle and Portland, about 3 hours 25 minutes on the direct trains, and two between Seattle and Vancouver BC.

Amtrak Cascades

Coast Starlight and Empire Builder

The Coast Starlight runs daily between Seattle and Los Angeles, and the Empire Builder daily between Seattle (and Portland) and Chicago through Spokane and Minneapolis/St. Paul. In Seattle both use King Street Station only.

King Street Station guide

Tukwila: the stop by the airport

A platform with a shelter, no ticket office, checked baggage or restrooms, and 390 Sound Transit parking spaces. The RapidRide F Line links it to Southcenter and to Link at Tukwila International Blvd.

Tukwila Station guide

Bags on the train

Amtrak allows one personal item and two carry-ons each. Checked baggage is at King Street Station, not Tukwila; at King Street, arrive 45 minutes before the train to check a bag.

Amtrak's carry-on rules

A train and a flight the same day

Trains can run late, and the airport's security line still comes after the ride. Leave a wide cushion and plan to be at SEA two hours before a domestic flight, three for international. On the Cascades, Tukwila saves the trip back from downtown.

When to leave for SEA

A night before the train or the flight

Hotels around Southcenter are a short ride from both Tukwila Station and SEA, and many run free airport shuttles. For a downtown night, Pioneer Square and Chinatown are a walk from King Street.

Seatac airport hotels

Coming to Seattle by train? A hotel, each day and the rides to and from King Street Station, in one plan. Plan the trip

If this happens, do this

You're on the Coast Starlight or the Empire Builder
Neither stops at Tukwila.
Get off at King Street, then Link to SEA (about 34 minutes) or a car.
You're carrying cruise luggage
There's no bus from King Street to the piers, and Link is hard work with big bags.
Book a car from the station to Pier 66 or Pier 91.
You need to check a bag
Tukwila has no checked baggage service.
Start or end the train trip at King Street Station.

Before you go

1Your train and the station it stops at
2Bags within the allowance, or King Street for checked bags
3The way from the station: Link, the F Line or a booked car
4A cushion before any flight or ship check-in
5A passport for Vancouver BC

Common mistakes

Getting off at King Street for a flight when Tukwila is closer
Expecting the Coast Starlight or the Empire Builder at Tukwila
A tight gap between a train and a flight
Counting on a bus from the station to the cruise piers

Questions people ask

Is there an Amtrak station near Seatac Airport?

Yes. Tukwila Station, an Amtrak Cascades stop, is about five minutes from SEA by car. By transit, take the RapidRide F Line to Tukwila International Blvd, then Link one stop to SeaTac/Airport.

How do I get from King Street Station to the airport?

Take the Link 1 Line south from International District/Chinatown Station, across 4th Avenue, to SeaTac/Airport: about 34 minutes, $3 for an adult.

Which Amtrak trains go to Seattle?

The Amtrak Cascades (Vancouver BC to Eugene), the Coast Starlight (Los Angeles) and the Empire Builder (Chicago). All three stop at King Street Station; only the Cascades stop at Tukwila.

How long is the train from Portland to Seattle?

About 3 hours 25 minutes on the direct Amtrak Cascades trains, with six round trips a day.

Can I take Amtrak to a Seattle cruise?

Yes: ride to King Street Station, then take a car or taxi about 1.5 miles to Pier 66 or 4 miles to Pier 91. There's no bus from the station to the terminals.

From the train to the plane, hotel or ship

A private car that meets your train at Tukwila or King Street, with room for the bags. Change the pickup or drop-off in the form; you see the exact fare before you book.