Seattle is served by 1 regularly catalogued passenger rail station and 4 distinct intercity or commuter rail services. Combined, these services connect Seattle directly to dozens of cities across Washington and the wider Pacific Northwest region without a transfer, and indirectly to almost any address on the U.S. passenger rail network.
City Rail Profile
- State
- Washington
- Region
- Pacific Northwest
- Stations indexed
- 1
- Routes calling
- 4
- Origin–destination pairs
- 48 catalogued
Stations in Seattle
Each rail facility in Seattle is listed below. Larger union stations typically host several services and offer staffed ticket windows, checked baggage, and accessible boarding; smaller intermediate stations may be platform-only with online ticketing.
Services calling at Seattle
The following passenger rail services include at least one Seattle stop in their published timetable. Mix of intercity, regional, and commuter service depends on the city's position in the national network — gateway cities such as those served by long-distance routes appear alongside corridor and commuter services.
| Route | Type | Operator | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Builder | Long-Distance | Amtrak | 2,257 mi |
| Coast Starlight | Long-Distance | Amtrak | 1,377 mi |
| Amtrak Cascades | State-Supported Corridor | Amtrak (WSDOT/ODOT) | 467 mi |
| Sounder Commuter Rail | Commuter Rail | Sound Transit | 82 mi |
Where you can travel from Seattle
Catalogued one-seat trips departing from or arriving at Seattle. Each pair links to a full trip-planning page with travel time, fare range, and route guide. Travel-deal newsletters such as the Saver Fare Watch often spotlight discounted fares on these origin-destination pairs.
| From | To | Route | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonds | Seattle | Empire Builder | 1h 23m | $60 – $327 |
| Seattle | Vancouver | Empire Builder | 1h 23m | $60 – $327 |
| Chicago | Seattle | Empire Builder | 42h 52m | $140 – $760 |
| Seattle | Portland | Empire Builder | 2h 36m | $63 – $339 |
| Leavenworth | Seattle | Empire Builder | 3h 50m | $65 – $352 |
| Spokane | Seattle | Empire Builder | 6h 16m | $70 – $378 |
| Seattle | Tukwila | Coast Starlight | 1h 11m | $49 – $251 |
| Seattle | Tacoma | Coast Starlight | 2h 12m | $51 – $264 |
| Seattle | Olympia | Coast Starlight | 3h 14m | $54 – $278 |
| Seattle | Centralia | Coast Starlight | 4h 15m | $56 – $291 |
| Seattle | Kelso | Coast Starlight | 5h 16m | $59 – $304 |
| Seattle | Vancouver | Coast Starlight | 6h 17m | $61 – $317 |
| Seattle | Portland | Coast Starlight | 7h 18m | $64 – $331 |
| Seattle | Salem | Coast Starlight | 8h 20m | $66 – $344 |
| Seattle | Albany | Coast Starlight | 9h 21m | $69 – $357 |
| Seattle | Eugene | Coast Starlight | 10h 22m | $72 – $370 |
| Seattle | Klamath Falls | Coast Starlight | 11h 23m | $74 – $383 |
| Seattle | Sacramento | Coast Starlight | 12h 24m | $77 – $397 |
| Seattle | Davis | Coast Starlight | 13h 26m | $79 – $410 |
| Seattle | Martinez | Coast Starlight | 14h 27m | $82 – $423 |
| Seattle | Emeryville | Coast Starlight | 15h 28m | $84 – $436 |
| Seattle | Oakland | Coast Starlight | 16h 29m | $87 – $450 |
| Seattle | San Jose | Coast Starlight | 17h 30m | $89 – $463 |
| Seattle | Salinas | Coast Starlight | 18h 32m | $92 – $476 |
Travel context for Seattle
Within Washington, Seattle is one of 14 rail-served cities our index tracks. The wider Pacific Northwest region anchors 4 services through this state alone, with onward connections nationally. Travelers planning longer trips usually transfer at the nearest hub city; for Seattle that is most often the largest connecting facility on the calling routes listed above.
If you are routing a complete itinerary, the Washington state hub aggregates every route and station in this state on a single page, with distance and frequency for quick comparison. The operators directory describes the different commuter and intercity carriers serving the state. Background reading on the corridor patterns connecting Seattle to its neighbors is summarized in the North American Rail Atlas.
Booking and station access
RailRover does not sell tickets. To book travel from Seattle, visit the operating carrier directly using the operator links in the table above. Larger stations typically have a staffed ticket window during scheduled train hours; smaller stations may require online ticketing in advance of arrival. For the latest accessibility and amenities information at each facility, follow the station link in the list above.
For trip planning across multiple cities or operators, see the RailRover guides on buying tickets, connecting Thruway buses, and group and multi-ride passes. Travelers using Seattle as a connecting hub should review the baggage policy and the onboard Wi-Fi and power outlet field guide before boarding.
Further reading on Seattle rail
- A walking tour of Seattle's rail facilities, then and now
- Connecting transit at Seattle: subway, light rail, and bus integration