Seattle, United States

City guide

Seattle

July to September for the dry, sunny stretch known locally as Seattle's 'second summer', when Rainier is usually visibleBest time
United StatesRegion

Seattle sits between the Puget Sound and the Cascades, a green, hilly, caffeine-fuelled city that gave the world grunge and modern coffee culture and now runs on Amazon and Microsoft money. Pike Place Market's fish-throwing theatre sits a few blocks from glassy tech offices, and on a clear day Mount Rainier looms over the skyline. The trade-off for the scenery is famously grey, drizzly weather for much of the year.

Photo: Jeffery Hayes / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

About Seattle

Seattle sits between the Puget Sound and the Cascades, a green, hilly, caffeine-fuelled city that gave the world grunge and modern coffee culture and now runs on Amazon and Microsoft money. Pike Place Market's fish-throwing theatre sits a few blocks from glassy tech offices, and on a clear day Mount Rainier looms over the skyline. The trade-off for the scenery is famously grey, drizzly weather for much of the year.

Country: United StatesTime zone: UTC-8
Seattle, United StatesSeattleSee what's on

The vibe & who it suits

Seattle sits between the Puget Sound and the Cascades, a green, hilly, caffeine-fuelled city that gave the world grunge and modern coffee culture and now runs on Amazon and Microsoft money. Pike Place Market's fish-throwing theatre sits a few blocks from glassy tech offices, and on a clear day Mount Rainier looms over the skyline. The trade-off for the scenery is famously grey, drizzly weather for much of the year.

Best forCoffee culture, live music history, easy access to mountains and water
When to goJuly to September for the dry, sunny stretch known locally as Seattle's 'second summer', when Rainier is usually visible
Getting aroundLink light rail connects the airport, downtown and university area but the network is still expanding; hilly streets make walking tiring in places; ferries run regularly to Bainbridge Island and the San Juans; traffic congestion is a real problem at peak times.
Where to stayCapitol Hill is the nightlife and LGBTQ+ hub with dense bars and live music; Ballard has a Nordic-heritage feel, breweries and a popular Sunday farmers market; Downtown/Belltown puts you walking distance from Pike Place Market but feels more corporate and touristy after dark.
Maybe skip ifSun-seekers β€” expect overcast skies and rain from October through May, plus some of the priciest housing in the US

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