How do I get around Seattle?

The 1 Line light rail is your default. It runs from SeaTac Airport through Beacon Hill, the International District, Pioneer Square, Westlake, Capitol Hill, the University of Washington, and up to Northgate. The full airport-to-downtown run takes about 40 minutes and costs $3.25. Buy an ORCA card from any station vending machine for $5 and load $20 for a few days of riding. That card scans on Link, every King County Metro bus, the streetcar, the Sounder commuter rail, and Washington State Ferries. One card, one tap. Trains run every 8 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes after 10 PM. The last southbound train leaves Westlake station around 12:15 AM on weeknights. If you do nothing else before arriving, download the Transit app. It shows real-time arrivals for everything ORCA covers.

King County Metro fills what the rail doesn't reach. The RapidRide C and D lines run frequently along major corridors, and the E Line on Aurora Avenue connects to Woodland Park Zoo and points north every 10 minutes. Bus fares top out at $2.75 with ORCA, and transfers are free for 2 hours. For crosstown trips the train can't serve, like Ballard to Capitol Hill, Uber and Lyft are both active. A typical ride from Capitol Hill to Fremont runs $10-14. Taxis exist but almost nobody takes them. Skip the monorail from Westlake Center to Seattle Center. It costs $3.50 for a 2-minute trip covering 1 mile. You could walk that stretch in 15 minutes flat.

Seattle is walkable within neighborhoods, but the hills will surprise you. The grade from the waterfront up to Pike Place Market, which has been there since 1907, rises roughly 30 meters in 2 blocks. Capitol Hill earns its name. Queen Anne has a gentle north slope and a south face steep enough to make your calves burn. Wear shoes with real soles. The flat stretches feel different. The waterfront path from Olympic Sculpture Park south past Pier 57 runs about 3 kilometers on level ground, with the smell of salt water and creosote drifting off old pier pilings. June through September tends to stay dry most days, with highs around 22°C. The rain arrives sideways from October through April. An umbrella marks you as a tourist. Locals pull on a shell jacket and keep moving.

The Washington State Ferries terminal sits at Colman Dock, Pier 52, a 5-minute walk from Pioneer Square station. The Bainbridge Island ferry takes 35 minutes, costs $9.85 for a walk-on passenger, and the return trip is free. On a clear afternoon you'll feel the cold Puget Sound wind cutting across the upper deck while the diesel engine hums through the floor beneath your feet. The Olympic Mountains grow larger the whole crossing. The King County Water Taxi to West Seattle departs from Pier 50 at $5.75 per ride. Worth noting, these are commuter routes that run on strict schedules. The 5 PM sailings fill with Bainbridge-bound office workers, so board at least 15 minutes early or you'll stand squeezed between cars on the vehicle deck.