Welcome to Seattle

Seattle, the Emerald City, is in King County in northwestern Washington.  It is the heart of a thriving and prosperous metropolitan area with a shoreline on the Puget Sound and mountains to the east.  With access to the Pacific Ocean and rail connections to the east, Seattle became a major sea ports on the West Coast. 

Seattle is now served by three major interstate highways:  Interstate 5 and Interstate 405, both north-and-south routes, and Interstate 90, a west-to-east route.  The City of Seattle web site has a collection of useful maps to assist with travel planning and driving directions.  The Washington Department of Transportation has several web cams in the Seattle area showing traffic conditions on these routes.

The city's most famous icons are probably its Space Needle (webcam), Pike Place Market and coffee; however, it has much more to offer.  The Washington State Convention and Trade Center attracts many people to its events

History:  Understandably, Seattle has a very interesting history.  Seattle History published by the Seattle Times is a very good introduction to the city's history. The Online Encyclopedia of Washington History has several articles on the history of Seattle and King County.  Use the search option for "Seattle."  The web sites for these organizations are excellent resources for additional information:  The Museum of History and Industry, the Seattle Municipal Archives, the University of Washington Libraries Digital Collection, the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society, the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, the Pacific Northwest Historians Guild, the History House of Greater Seattle, the Korean American Historical Society, the Eastside Heritage Center, the Nordic Heritage Museum and the Northwest Lesbian and Gay History Museum Project.   The University of Washington has an excellent collection of the city's Photographic Heritage.

Seattle has many attractions that include the Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, the Falcon Research Group. the University of Washington's Botanic Gardens, Arboretum and Herb Garden and the Kubota Garden  

Arts and Culture play important roles in the lives of residents of Seattle and visitors to the city.  These web sites will provide an introduction to what Seattle has to offer:  The Paramount, a historic theater; the Seattle Opera, the Seattle Symphony, the Seattle Children's Theatre, the Seattle Repertory Theatre, the 5th Avenue Theatre, the Intiman Theatre, the Art Institute of Seattle, the 911 Media Arts Center, the University of Washington School of Music, the Seattle Folklore Society and All Seattle Tango.  The Experience Music Project in Seattle is an interactive museum telling the story of music in a creative and high-tech way.                 

Seattle has many Museums and Galleries that exhibit collections related to the history of the city, its people and industry.  These web sites will connect you to several of these leading institutions:  The Museum of History and Industry, the Seattle Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, the Children's Museum, the Wing Luke Asian Museum, the Frye Art Museum, the Henry Art Gallery, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, the Museum of Flight, the Pacific Science Center, the Art/Not Terminal Gallery, the Center on Contemporary Art, the Pratt Fine Arts Center, the Soil Art, the Photographic Center Northwest, Youth in Focus, the Pacific Northwest Needle Arts Guild, the Seattle Knitters Guild, the Odyssey Maritime Discover Center, the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, the http://www.pacsci.org/, the Center for Wooden Boats, Northwest Seaport, the Museum of Communications and the Log House Museum

There are many outdoor activities that can be enjoyed in and around Seattle.  The city's official web site has along list of places to enjoy recreation in parks and other locations.  The Mountaineers and Seattle Audubon web sites offer an introduction to their areas of interest.

Other web sites that are good resources for planning travel to Seattle include: The City of Seattle, the Seattle Southside, the Seattle Public Library, the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau, Seattle.net/ and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Seattle region's major newspaper. 

There is a very good selection of hotels and other lodging facilities in Seattle  

Transportation:

Airports:  Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is a major international airport providing commercial passenger services.  It is on the south side of Seattle to the west of the south junction of Interstate 404 with Interstate 5. 

Public Transit:  Metro Bus is a major provider of public transportation in and around Seattle.  Washington State Ferries operate car and passenger ferries over several routes in Puget Sound from Seattle and several other port cities. (ferrycam)  The Seattle Monorail operates over a short distance around the Space Needle.  Sound Transit is a regional bus and rail system the serves four counties in the Seattle area:  King which includes Seattle, Snohomish to the north, and Pierce and Thurston counties to the south.  Community Transit covers Snohomish County but also has service to Seattle.

Commercial Services:  Long-distance rail and bus services operating through Tacoma are provided by Amtrak and Greyhound, respectively.

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