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West Seattle to Seattle
Explore two very different parts of the same city. Water Taxi sails between downtown and West Seattle last an average of 10-15 minutes each way. Easily connect to the waterfront pathway and accessible shuttles to Alki Beach Park.
Sailing schedule
Choose a travel date:
Crossing time is approximately 10-15 minutes.
| Departs Pier 50 | Departs West Seattle |
|---|---|
| 5:55 am | 6:15 am |
| 6:30 am | 6:50 am |
| 7:05 am | 7:25 am |
| 7:40 am | 8:00 am |
| 8:15 am | 8:35 am |
| 8:50 am | 9:10 am |
| 10:30 am | 11:00 am |
| 11:30 am | 12:00 pm |
| 12:30 pm | 1:00 pm |
| 1:30 pm | 2:00 pm |
| 2:30 pm | 3:00 pm |
| 3:25 pm | 3:45 pm |
| 4:05 pm | 4:25 pm |
| 4:45 pm | 5:05 pm |
| 5:25 pm | 5:45 pm |
| 6:05 pm | 6:25 pm |
| 6:45 pm | 7:05 pm |
Crossing time is approximately 10-15 minutes.
| Departs Pier 50 | Departs West Seattle |
|---|---|
| 5:55 am | 6:15 am |
| 6:30 am | 6:50 am |
| 7:05 am | 7:25 am |
| 7:40 am | 8:00 am |
| 8:15 am | 8:35 am |
| 8:50 am | 9:10 am |
| 10:30 am | 11:00 am |
| 11:30 am | 12:00 pm |
| 12:30 pm | 1:00 pm |
| 1:30 pm | 2:00 pm |
| 2:30 pm | 3:00 pm |
| 3:25 pm | 3:45 pm |
| 4:05 pm | 4:25 pm |
| 4:45 pm | 5:05 pm |
| 5:25 pm | 5:45 pm |
| 6:05 pm | 6:25 pm |
| 6:45 pm | 7:05 pm |
| 7:30 pm | 8:00 pm |
| 8:30 pm | 9:00 pm |
| 9:30 pm | 10:00 pm |
| 10:45 pm | 11:00 pm |
Crossing time is approximately 10-15 minutes.
| Departs Pier 50 | Departs West Seattle |
|---|---|
| 8:30 am | 9:00 am |
| 9:30 am | 10:00 am |
| 10:30 am | 11:00 am |
| 11:30 am | 12:00 pm |
| 12:30 pm | 1:00 pm |
| 1:30 pm | 2:00 pm |
| 2:30 pm | 3:00 pm |
| 3:30 pm | 4:00 pm |
| 4:30 pm | 5:00 pm |
| 5:30 pm | 6:00 pm |
| 6:30 pm | 7:00 pm |
| 7:30 pm | 8:00 pm |
| 8:30 pm | 9:00 pm |
| 9:30 pm | 10:00 pm |
| 10:45 pm | 11:00 pm |
Crossing time is approximately 10-15 minutes.
| Departs Pier 50 | Departs West Seattle |
|---|---|
| 8:30 am | 9:00 am |
| 9:30 am | 10:00 am |
| 10:30 am | 11:00 am |
| 11:30 am | 12:00 pm |
| 12:30 pm | 1:00 pm |
| 1:30 pm | 2:00 pm |
| 2:30 pm | 3:00 pm |
| 3:30 pm | 4:00 pm |
| 4:30 pm | 5:00 pm |
| 5:30 pm | 6:00 pm |
| 6:30 pm | 7:00 pm |
Transit connections
Passengers can transfer to or from the Water Taxi at both terminals using the following Metro routes:
Arbor Heights, Roxhill, Westwood Village, High Point, West Seattle, Downtown Seattle
Alki, Alaska Junction, Genesee Hill, Admiral District, Downtown Seattle
Fairwood, Renton, Downtown Seattle
Shorewood, White Center, Olson Place/Myers Way P&R, Federal Center South, Downtown Seattle
Westwood Village, West Seattle, South Seattle College, Downtown Seattle
Kent, Southcenter, Tukwila, Downtown Seattle
Lake Meridian, Kent, Downtown Seattle
Federal Way, Downtown Seattle
South Lake Union, Downtown Seattle, West Seattle, Alaska Junction, Fauntleroy, Westwood Village
Burien, White Center, Westwood Village, Delridge, Seattle Ferry Terminal, Downtown Seattle
Alaska Junction, Seacrest Park
Admiral Junction, Alki, Seacrest Park
| Fare type | Cash or Ticket | ORCA |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (19 to 64 years) | $5.75 | $5.00 |
| ORCA LIFT | — | $3.75 |
| Senior (65+ years) or Disabled | $2.50* | $2.50* |
| Youth (0 to 18 years) | Free | Free |
| Bicycles & pets | No extra charge | No extra charge |
* With a Regional Reduced Fare Permit
Terminals
West Seattle (Seacrest Dock)
The Water Taxi docks in Seacrest Park in West Seattle. The park is easy to reach by neighborhood shuttle and waterfront pathways for walkers, rollers and bicyclists. Visitors to West Seattle will find easy access to waterfront trails, Alki Beach, fishing piers, restaurants and shops along California Avenue.
Amenities
- Restrooms
- Boat launch
- Fishing pier
- Scuba diving launch
Parking
A very limited amount of short-term parking is available at Seacrest Park. On-street parking is available along Harbor Avenue SW.
Downtown Seattle Terminal
The terminal is located at Pier 50 on the downtown Seattle waterfront.
Amenities
The King County Water Taxi terminal at Pier 50 can hold up to 500 passengers under cover and out of the weather.
Elevated walkways provide safe access to restrooms located in the Washington State Ferry terminal from the intersection of 1st Avenue and Marion Street Passengers can walk from downtown Seattle to the passenger-only ferry terminal without having to cross on busy city streets.
ORCA card vending machine—purchase and reload money on your card before you board.
Parking
There is no parking available at Pier 50. There are paid lots available in the area and metered parking on nearby streets. The Pier 50 terminal connects with several bus routes and Link Light rail. Please use Metro's Trip Planner to see options.
MV Motor Vessel Doc Maynard
The King County Water Taxi’s newest boat, the MV Doc Maynard, is one of two new water taxis built with grant money from the FTA (Federal Transit Administration). The grant covered 80 percent of the cost for two boats.
The new water taxis can carry 278 passengers and they feature increased bicycle storage capacity, wider doors for faster boarding and low-emission engines.
After a public vote, the vessel was named for one of Seattle’s early pioneers, David Swinson “Doc” Maynard. Doc helped shape the Seattle we know today and advocated for naming the city after Chief Seattle.
Spirit of Kingston
The Spirit of Kingston is a foil-assisted catamaran that holds 149 passengers, 16 bicycles and a crew of three. With a cruising speed of 28 knots, she crosses between West Seattle and downtown Seattle in about 10 minutes.
Inside, the Spirit of Kingston has a combination of theater-style seats, bench seats with tables, and facing seats on two interior decks. She also has one interior accessible restroom, two exterior restrooms on the rear of the first deck and outdoor seating on the rear of the upper deck.
Metro acquired this boat at no capital cost through an agreement with the FTA for the West Seattle/Downtown Seattle route.