Seattle Game Days by Light Rail
Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park sit side by side just south of downtown, so one plan covers Seahawks, Sounders, and Mariners games alike: stay near a Link light rail station, ride to Stadium Station, and walk in. We host a vacation rental two stations south of the stadiums, and game-day guests are some of our happiest, mostly because of the parking they didn't pay for.
Two Stadiums, One Train Stop
Stadium Station is a few minutes' walk from both gates. One stop north, the Chinatown-International District station works just as well and puts dim sum, noodle shops, and Uwajimaya between you and first pitch, which beats a parking lot hot dog.
Trains run about every 10 minutes, more often around big games, and the fare is a flat $3 for adults with an ORCA card or the Transit GO Ticket app. From the South Seattle stations (Mount Baker, Columbia City, Beacon Hill) you're at the stadium in roughly 10 minutes.
The Parking Math
Stadium-area lots and garages price for the occasion: expect a steep day rate for baseball and considerably worse for Seahawks Sundays, with lots filling well before kickoff. Then you sit in the postgame crawl out of SODO while the train riders are already home.
The train has its own catch: the platform is packed for the first half hour after the final whistle. Walk up to Chinatown-International District for dinner and board there once the crowd thins.
Where to Stay for a Game Weekend
Pioneer Square and downtown are the walk-to-the-stadium option. Hotels are plentiful, but rates jump on game weekends and rooms fit two, not a group.
SODO, the industrial district around the stadiums, sounds convenient but has few places to stay and goes quiet the moment the crowds leave.
The Link corridor south of the stadiums (Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Mount Baker) is the value play for groups: a whole home instead of two hotel rooms, restaurants for the night before, and a 10-minute ride to the gates. Our place, Hirico Prime, is here: a two-bedroom townhome that sleeps four, with a garage if part of your group drives up.
Other Teams, Same Trick
- Kraken and Storm: Climate Pledge Arena is at Seattle Center. Take the Link to Westlake Station, then the Monorail from Westlake Center, about two minutes door to door.
- Huskies: the University of Washington station opens right beside Husky Stadium, probably the best transit-to-tailgate setup in college football.
- Reign and Sounders: both play at Lumen Field, so it's the standard Stadium Station walk.
Game-Day Questions We Get
Is there parking at Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park?
Yes, but it's the expensive way in: official garages and nearby lots charge a premium on game days, they fill early for big games, and getting out afterward is slow. Most locals take the Link light rail to Stadium Station instead. The fare is a flat $3 and it's a short walk to either stadium.
How do you get to a Kraken game by light rail?
Climate Pledge Arena is at Seattle Center, which isn't on the Link line. Ride the Link to Westlake Station, then take the Monorail from Westlake Center; it drops you at Seattle Center in about two minutes. Storm games and concerts there work the same way.
Where should visiting fans stay for a game weekend?
If budget is no issue, Pioneer Square and downtown hotels put you in walking distance of both stadiums. For a whole home at a better rate, stay along the Link line south of the stadiums (Beacon Hill, Columbia City, or Mount Baker) and ride in; Stadium Station is about 10 minutes away.
Ten Minutes from Kickoff
Hirico Prime sleeps four in Mount Baker, one short train ride from Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park.
More guides: Seattle Without a Car · Columbia City & Mount Baker · Remote Work Stays