See how Seattle-area commutes have changed over the years — including the impact of COVID-19

Cars and trucks are roaring back onto Puget Sound-area highways, after coronavirus kept people home earlier in 2020. This could mean a return to the hellacious traffic delays of the 2010s, unless people shake up their lifestyles by telecommuting or reducing driving. Here’s a look at pre-pandemic commute habits and travel times, and how travel has changed this year. The 2018 data referenced here is the most recent available.

By Seattle Times staff

Published Sept. 25, 2020

Traffic Lab is a Seattle Times project that digs into the region’s thorny transportation issues, spotlights promising approaches to easing gridlock, and helps readers find the best ways to get around. It is funded with the help of community sponsors Alaska Airlines, Kemper Development Co., Madrona Venture Group, NHL Seattle, PEMCO Mutual Insurance Company and Seattle Children’s hospital. Seattle Times editors and reporters operate independently of our funders and maintain editorial control over Traffic Lab content.

Select a topic below to see data and charts

It's not just you — commuting stinks

Overall commute times

Most drivers in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties commute 15-29 minutes.

Growing commutes

Commuters are traveling 9.2 minutes longer on average than in 1960

Commute modes

Driving alone still outpaces other forms of transportation

Overall commute times

One in six commuters who live in Snohomish and Pierce counties drove or rode transit more than 60 minutes each way in 2018. Average one-way commutes in those counties exceeded 33 minutes, far worse than national averages. In King County, one in 10 workers endured hour-long trips each way.

1 to 14 minutes

15 to 29 minutes

30 to 44 minutes

45 to 59 minutes

60 or more minutes

35.7%

34.5%

32.0%

28.6%

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

KING COUNTY

PIERCE COUNTY

KITSAP COUNTY

Minutes of commute

30 to 44

60 or more

1 to 14

15 to 29

45 to 59

SNOHOMISH

COUNTY

28.6%

17.1%

KING

COUNTY

34.5%

10.6%

PIERCE

COUNTY

32%

16.5%

KITSAP

COUNTY

35.7%

14.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2018 American Community Survey estimates

Commute times growing

People in Puget Sound counties closest to Seattle spent 9.2 minutes more on average commuting each way in 2018 than in 1960. At peak times, the average commute took 31.5 minutes for King, Snohomish, Kitsap and Pierce counties, compared to the U.S. average 27.1 minutes. Commute times have steadily risen from a low of 20.6 minutes in 1970, when Interstate 5 was almost new and Boeing jobs took a downturn.

50 minutes per commute (four-county average)

31.5

22.3

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2018

31.5

22.3

1960

’70

’80

’90

2000

’10

’18

Source: Puget Sound Regional Council analysis of U.S. Census surveys

How we commute

Although roughly 53% of transportation taxes in King County go to build and operate public transit, driving remains the most popular way to commute. Regionally, 76% of commuters in King, Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap counties drove alone or carpooled in 2018. The region’s solo-driving commute share, 66.1%, was similar to Boston’s. We took as many transit rides per resident as Chicago, and more transit rides overall than Philadelphia.

44.5%

66.1%

Drive alone

23.1%

Public transit

10.7%

Walked

12.2%

4.1%

7.7%

Worked at home

6.7%

Bicycle: 1.1%

6.9%

Carpooled

10.0%

Other: 1.2%

Bicycle: 3.8%

Seattle

Snohomish-

King-Pierce-Kitsap

Other: 1.9%

Snohomish-King-

Pierce-Kitsap counties

Seattle

Other 1.9%

Other 1.2%

100%

1.1%

3.8%

Bicycle

6.9%

Carpooled

10%

7.7%

Worked at home

6.7%

Walked

4.1%

12.2%

10.7%

23.1%

Public transit

44.5%

Drive alone

66.1%

Source: U.S. Census 2018 American Community Survey estimates; Puget Sound Regional Council

Puget Sound still drives, especially in the suburbs

Driving preferred

In Seattle, half of commuters go by car.

Crowded freeways

Toll roads reduced congestion but interstates still jammed.

Traveling during the pandemic

Statewide highway traffic still below 2019 volume.

Where driving is king

How people commute depends on where they live. In 2018, just 51% of employed Seattle residents drove alone or carpooled, compared to 84% in Kent, where workers disperse in all directions, and 92% in booming Marysville, far from Boeing or Eastside job centers, U.S. Census data shows.

COUNTY

CITY

DRIVING

NON-DRIVING

King

Snohomish

Pierce

Seattle

Federal Way

Bellevue

Kent

Renton

Kirkland

Everett

Marysville

Lynnwood area

Tacoma

Lakewood

Snohomish-King-Pierce-Kitsap

51%

49%

14%

33%

16%

18%

22%

17%

19%

18%

12%

24%

86%

67%

84%

82%

78%

83%

92%

81%

82%

88%

76%

DRIVING

NON-DRIVING

KING COUNTY

49%

14%

33%

16%

18%

22%

17%

Seattle

Federal Way

Bellevue

Kent

Renton

Kirkland

Everett

Marysville

Lynnwood area

Tacoma

Lakewood

Snohomish-

King-Pierce-

Kitsap

51%

86%

67%

84%

82%

78%

83%

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

19%

92%

81%

PIERCE COUNTY

18%

12%

82%

88%

24%

76%

Source: U.S. Census 2018 American Community Survey estimates; Puget Sound Regional Council

Crowded freeways

Average travel times have worsened on I-5 since 2006, before the Great Recession and mid-2010s employment boom. In 2019, Everett-to-Seattle commuters would have to enter southbound I-5 about 83 minutes before work at morning peak to arrive on time 95% of trips. Tolls reduced congestion on Highway 520. Trips from either Lynnwood or Tukwila to downtown Bellevue via I-405 averaged about 44 minutes, similar to 2006, though Lynnwood drivers can save several minutes by entering toll lanes.

Travel times in minutes at the busiest morning peak

Route	Length (miles)	Average time, 2006 and 2019	Change from 2006	On-time 95%, 2006 and 2019
I-5 Everett to Seattle	24	50 54	8%	81 83
I-5 Federal Way to Seattle	22	46 56	21.7%	68 80
I-90/I-5 Issaquah to Seattle	15	26 32	23.1%	38 50
I-5 SeaTac to Seattle	13	27 36	33.3%	40 49
I-405/I-90/I-5 Bellevue to Seattle	11	17 21	23.5%	30 33
I-405/Hwy 520/I-5 Bellevue to Seattle	11	18 19	5.6%	26 28
I-5/I-405 Everett to Bellevue	24	51 56	9.8%	84 80
I-405 Lynnwood to Bellevue	16	41 44	7.3%	67 63
I-405 Tukwila to Bellevue	13	42 44	4.8%	63 62
I-5/I-90/I-405 Seattle to Bellevue	11	18 17	-5.6%	26 24
I-5/Hwy 520/I-405 Seattle to Bellevue	10	23 16	-30.4%	33 22
I-90/I-405 Issaquah to Bellevue	9	18 18	0%	27 27
I-405 Bellevue to Tukwila	13	22 19	-13.6%	32 25
Hwy 167 Auburn to Renton	10	17 22	29.4%	29 33
I-5/I-90 Seattle to Issaquah	16	21 19	-9.5%	30 23
I-5/Hwy 520 Seattle to Redmond	13	28 19	-32.1%	38 26

Travel times in minutes at the busiest evening peak

Route	Length (miles)	Average time, 2006 and 2019	Change from 2006	On-time 95%, 2006 and 2019
I-5 Seattle to Everett	23	43 49	14%	61 70
I-5 Seattle to Federal Way	22	38 43	13.2%	58 49
I-5 Seattle to SeaTac	13	19 28	47.4%	29 36
I-5/I-90/I-405 Seattle to Bellevue	11	18 16	-11.1%	32 24
I-5/Hwy 520/I-405 Seattle to Bellevue	10	21 18	-14.3%	32 25
I-5/Hwy 520 Seattle to Redmond	15	30 19	-36.7%	45 26
I-5/I-90 Seattle to Issaquah	16	23 22	-4.3%	37 31
I-405/I-5 Bellevue to Everett	23	44 46	4.5%	60 61
I-405 Bellevue to Lynnwood	16	31 35	12.9%	43 51
I-405 Bellevue to Tukwila	14	33 38	15.2%	45 49
I-405/I-90/I-5 Bellevue to Seattle	11	28 25	-10.7%	46 35
I-405/Hwy 520/I-5 Bellevue to Seattle	11	27 26	-3.7%	39 37
I-405/I-90 Bellevue to Issaquah	9	19 18	-5.3%	24 24
I-405/Hwy 520 Bellevue to Redmond	7	16 9	-43.8%	24 16
I-5 Everett to Seattle	24	41 44	7.3%	61 62
I-90/I-5 Issaquah to Seattle	16	28 27	-3.6%	48 36
Hwy 520/I-5 Redmond to Seattle	15	37 33	-10.8%	61 52
I-5 SeaTac to Seattle	13	21 22	4.8%	37 33
Hwy 167 Renton to Auburn	10	20 23	15%	35 35
I-405 Tukwila to Bellevue	14	20 23	15%	27 37

Source: Washington State Department of Transportation, Corridor Capacity Report 2019

Back on the road despite COVID-19

After plummeting by half, vehicle trips in Washington rebounded to 90% of normal by early September, as coronavirus restrictions loosened. Highway 167 in Kent, serving many blue-collar and service workers, is nearly as busy as last year. But many white-collar workers are still telecommuting; Highway 520 volumes are still half of normal, and traffic on the Bainbridge Island-Seattle ferries is down by about 60%. Transit may suffer prolonged declines, due to distancing and fear of contagion inside public vehicles.

Statewide highway traffic

Compared to 2019 baseline. Data from 32 locations statewide

* Increase due to Thursday July 2, 2020 aligning with Thursday, July 4, 2019 and the lighter traffic from the holiday.

** Increase due to Monday August 31, 2020 aligning with Labor Day 2019 and the lighter traffic from the holiday.

King County

Highway	Traffic count location	Percentage change from one year ago
I-405	I-405 at Bellevue (N.E. 8th Street)	-12%
I-405	I-405 at Kirkland (N.E. 132nd Street)	-18%
I-405	I-405 at Renton (Kennydale)	-11%
I-405	I-405 at Tukwila (Longacres)	-12%
I-5	I-5 at Federal Way (Enchanted Pkwy)	-7%
I-5	I-5 at King/Snohomish County line	-12%
I-5	I-5 at Northgate	-14%
I-5	I-5 at Seattle/SLU (Boylston Ave.)	-6%
I-5	I-5 at Sodo (S. Holden Street)	-10%
I-90	I-90 at floating bridge	-29%
I-90	I-90 at West of Snoqualmie Pass	-2%
Hwy 167	Hwy 167 at Kent (S. 196th Street)	-4%
Hwy 520	Hwy 520 at floating bridge	-47%

Pierce County

Highway	Traffic count location	Percentage change from one year ago
I-5	I-5 at Lakewood	-5%
I-5	I-5 at Pierce/King county line	-4%
Hwy 16	Hwy 16 at Tacoma Narrows	-6%
Hwy 410	Hwy 410 at Sumner	-14%
Hwy 512	Hwy 512 at Pacific Ave. (Hwy 7)	-11%

Snohomish County

Highway	Traffic count location	Percentage change from one year ago
I-405	I-405 at Bothell (Filbert Road)	-10%
I-5	I-5 at Everett (Marine View Drive)	-7%
I-5	I-5 at Lynnwood (156th Street S.W.)	-9%

Source: Washington State Department of Transportation COVID-19 multi-modal transportation system performance dashboard, data as of Sept. 3, 2020.

Credits

Reporting: Mike Lindblom

Graphics: Mark Nowlin and Lauren Flannery

Design and development: Lauren Flannery

Editing: Richard Wagoner, Emily M. Eng and Frank Mina

See how Seattle-area commutes have changed over the years — including the impact of COVID-19

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