Kirkland to Seattle

We can drive from Kirkland to downtown Seattle in 20 minutes or less, nonrush hour.

We have several options for going west to Seattle. We can drive on I-405 down, around, and then I-5 north into Seattle. We can take a "short cut" and cross Lake Washington on I-90 and its bridge or go over the SR-520 bridge. 

It takes about 10 minutes to get to the I-90 floating bridge that goes over the lake, onto Mercer Island, and then the rest of the way over the lake into Seattle. The first Lake Washington (I-90) bridge was built in 1940. The SR-520 bridge is closer to us, only 5 minutes or so from here. It was opened in 1963. Both bridges are floating bridges. 

Until 1940 the shortest way to get to Seattle was by boat across Lake Washington. Ferry service between Kirkland and Seattle started in the late 1800s and continued until 1950.

Click here to read more about ferry service on Lake Washington. Be sure to read to the end of the linked article to find out the fate of the last regular service ferry boat on Lake Washington. 

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