Arriving by Plane at the
SeaTac
Airport (Seattle Airport)
Many Seattle visitors arrive by plane at the Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport (SeaTac). The municipal corporation that runs SeaTac
Airport is called The Port of Seattle. There are many shuttle buses that can
take you to Seattle and elsewhere in the region, or you can rent a car, grab
a taxi or limo, or take public transportation.
The drive to downtown Seattle from SeaTac Airport will take
20-30 minutes -- depending on the traffic. A trip to downtown Seattle from
the airport on public transportation takes 30-40 minutes.
If you are driving yourself, from the airport to
downtown Seattle, start going towards the AIRPORT EXIT on NORTH EXIT
WAY, take the WA-518 EAST ramp, merge on WA-518 EAST, take the I-5 NORTH
EXIT, merge on I-5 NORTH and head north for 10 miles. You will see the
Seattle skyline approaching as you near downtown.
There are several downtown exits; exit 165 will take you to Seneca Street in
the heart of downtown Seattle; if you take exit 167 and follow the SEATTLE
CENTER signs, this will take you to the
Seattle Centre and the
Seattle Space needle.
Sea-Tac Airport
recently spent $126 million to give its central terminal an extreme makeover,
adding an airy Northwest-themed food and retail hub, the Pacific Marketplace.
The area is enclosed on one side by a 350-foot-long, 60-foot-high wall of
windows overlooking the runway.
Sea-Tac Airport Restaurants
Accessible only to ticketed passengers, the Pacific Mar¬ketplace includes
restaurants such as Anthony's, a stalwart of Northwest cuisine, which offers a
sit-down restaurant and a quicky fish 'n chips bar. Local celebrity chef Kathy
Casey has branched out from her Pike Place Market deli Dish D'Lish, offering a
great take-out option now that airlines are cutting back on in-flight meals.
Dilettante Chocolates' Mocha Cafe can fix you up with something decadent to sip
while you wait for your flight, and if a microbrew is more your thing, you'll
find Africa Lounge in Concourse A and Seattle Tap Room and Destination Bar
located outside the security area.
Sea-Tac Airport Shops
The Pacific Marketplace's Northwest flavor is reflected in its shops, too.
Fireworks, Seattle's favorite destination for eclectic and funky gifts by local
artists, has set up shop there. Duck into adventure apparel store Ex Officio for
insect-repellant shirts and pants, or drop into Borders to choose something from
a large selection of books. Pick up scented bubble bath at the Body Shop for a
gift or an indulgence for yourself.
Art at Sea-Tac Airport
A place where art is an important element, the airport invested in some new art
for the remodel, including one piece titled Landing. The art¬work is made up of
hundreds of tiny pewter salmon and figurines of local icons such as Jimi
Hendrix's guitar and
the pig from Pike Place Market. Collectively they make up the figure of a snow
goose.
Cell Phone Lot at Sea-Tac Airport
The airport has also added a cell-phone waiting lot, so family members can wait
there for you to tell them you've arrived and then pick you up at the baggage
claim curb. But if they're late, don't worry. There's lots to do inside.
