Ridership Patterns for Link 1 Line

The Link 1 Line runs between Angle Lake in SeaTac and Lynnwood via Tukwila, Seattle, Shoreline, and Mountlake Terrace. In May 2025, the 1 Line had 105,586 average weekday boardings.

The 1 Line initially opened in July 2009 and ran between downtown Seattle (Westlake) and Tukwila. Since then, it has expanded north to the University of Washington in 2016, Northgate in 2021, Lynnwood in 2024, and south to SeaTac in December 2009 and Angle Lake in 2016. The Federal Way Link Extension is expected to open later this year.

The ridership data discussed in this article is just a snapshot of the current system. Link is still a growing system and many of the non-Link transit projects being built in Puget Sound will have a direct or indirect impact on ridership over the next few decades. The methodology behind the data shown below is discussed in the first comment below the post.

Average Weekday Boardings Per Station

The plot below shows the average weekday boarding count by station in each direction in May 2025. Southbound boarding counts are shown on the left and northbound boarding counts are shown to the right. The alighting count for a given station is similar to the boarding count in the opposite direction.

Average 1 Line Weekday Boarding Counts in May 2025

The 1 Line ridership patterns show that the highest ridership occurs between downtown Seattle and Northgate. U District has the higher number of southbound boardings and SeaTac/Airport has the highest number of northbound boardings. All stations north of the Montlake Cut (UW and above) have more southbound than northbound boardings. All stations south of UW have more northbound passengers.

Some observations for each station:

Snohomish County and Shoreline

Lynnwood City Center is the 1 Line's current northern terminus. In the area surrounding the station, almost 3,000 housing units have been built or are planned. Even though the majority of those 3,000 units still in the planning or construction phases, Lynnwood City Center still has about 4,500 passengers each weekday. 40% of these riders use the the station's 1,798 spot parking garage. The majority of the remaining riders transfer to/from one of the many busses that stop at the Lynnwood Transit Center. These busses include Sound Transit routes 512, 513, 515, 535 and Community Transit routes 102, 103, 112, 114, 117, 120, 130, 166, 201, 202, 901, 903, 904, 905, and the Swift Orange Line. The Orange Line alone drops off about 700 passengers per day, but not all of those riders transfer to Link. Following the opening of the Lynnwood Link Extension in September 2024, Community Transit restructured its network to provide improved frequencies in Snohomish County and reduce the number of busses traveling to downtown Seattle.

Mountlake Terrace station also opened as part of the Lynnwood Link Extension in Fall 2024. Despite the station's location next to I-5, about 1,800 housing units have been built or are planned in adjacent area. Passengers driving to the station can use Sound Transit's 206 space parking lot or WSDOT's 877 space Mountlake Terrace Transit Center garage. WSDOT's garage predates Link as it served a center highway stop for buses on I-5. The I-5 stop now only serves Sound Transit routes 510 and 515. Passengers using the P&R likely account for the majority of the station's 1,500 daily boardings. Mountlake Terrace station has regular bus service from Community Transit routes 111, 112, 119 and Metro routes 331 and 333.

Shoreline North/185th station is the northernmost Link station in King County. With only 1,200 boardings per day, it has the lowest ridership on the 1 Line. Ridership should increase over the next few years as more of the 1,700 recently built or planned housing units are opened nearby. Shoreline North/185th has a 494 space P&R garage and is served by Metro routes 348, 365 and Community Transit's Swift Blue Line. The Swift Blue Line carrys 400 passengers per day to the station, accounting for about a third of all boardings.

Northbound train arriving at Shoreline North/185th (Sherwin Lee)

Shoreline South/148th station is located just north of the Shoreline/Seattle border. Shoreline has promoted development in the area and has over 3,000 housing units that have been recently built or are planned around the station. In Seattle (south of 145th St), I-5 is sandwiched between Jackson Park Golf Course and Lakeside School, which collectively consume the entire walkshed in Seattle. The station has a 500 stall P&R ride garage, accounting for about 37% of the 1,350 weekday boardings. Most of the remaining passengers transfer from Metro routes 65, 333, 345, 346, and 365. Route 65 was extended to Shoreline South/148th when the station opened and drops off about 250 passengers each weekday.

North Seattle and Capitol Hill

Northgate station is located next to I-5 between North Seattle College and the Northgate Station mall. The area around the mall is undergoing significant changes as the mall has been re-designed and several new apartment buildings and hotels are built. Since 2015, 1,536 housing units have been built and another 629 units are in the pipeline. These new developments are primarily replacing surface parking lots that surround the mall. Northgate station has several P&R lots with a total of 1,380 parking spaces. Many of the current 3,400 southbound and 600 northbound riders are transferring from one of the busses that serve Northgate Transit Center. These routes include Metro routes 40, 61, 303, 322, 345, and 348.

Roosevelt station has over 3,200 southbound boardings and over 500 northbound boardings each weekday. The Roosevelt neighborhood has quickly developed over the past decade with the addition of 2,351 housing units to the neighborhood. Many of these buildings have first floor commercial space that host shops and restaurants. Most Link riders at this stop likely walk to the station. Some riders transfer from bus routes that stop near Roosevelt station, such as Metro routes 45, 62, 67, 79 and Sound Transit Route 522.

Southbound train arriving at Roosevelt

With nearly 5,500 southbound weekday boardings, U-District station has the highest southbound boarding count on the 1 Line. Additionally, it supports almost 2,500 daily northbound boardings. This station is located two blocks west of the north end of the University of Washington main campus and is surrounded by thousands of apartments, dozens of shops and restaurants, and several hotels. Since 2015, 4,713 housing units have been built in University District. Several Metro bus routes stop near the station, including 31, 32, 43, 44, 45 49, 70, 75, 372 and Sound Transit Route 586.

The University of Washington station is a hub for passengers traveling to and from the UW main campus, UW Medical Center, UW athletic events, and across SR-520. UW facilities occupy most of the land around the station. A few dozen homes are just south of the Montlake Cut and a few thousand UW dorms are located about a 15-20 minute walk away on the NE corner of the UW campus. Despite the lack of nearby housing, the UW station still has over 5,000 weekday boardings. As with every station discussed so far, most riders board southbound trains towards downtown Seattle. Passengers can transfer to Metro routes 43, 44, 48, 255, 271 and Sound Transit routes 542, 556, and 586.

Capitol Hill is the third-busiest station on the 1 Line with 5,700 northbound and 5,000 southbound boardings each weekday. The area around the station primarily mixed use apartment buildings and Cal Anderson Park. The strong northbound ridership from this station is likely due to the lack of quick alternative bus routes north of Capitol Hill. High southbound ridership is generally expected given the neighborhood is located north of downtown. Soundbound ridership may be dampened by the many bus routes that travel through the station's walk shed on their way downtown. Metro routes 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 49, and G Line all travel between Capitol Hill and downtown.

Downtown Seattle

Westlake station is the center of Seattle busiest transit hub. Located in the center of the City, Westlake is the primary downtown station for most riders. Passengers can transfer here to the many busses on 3rd Ave, busses in the Pike/Pine corridor, Seattle Center Monorail, and SLU Streetcar. The area around the station is primarily office and apartment buildings with first floor retail, hotels, and the Seattle Convention Center. More passengers boarding at Westlake are traveling north (7,400) than south (5,100).

Symphony station (formerly University Street Station) is located just around the corner from Westlake. Located directly under 3rd Ave, the station provides easy transfer to the busses on 3rd Ave and the G Line. A tunnel from the station's north mezzanine to 2nd Ave provides direct access to the bus stops and destinations on 2nd Ave. The area around Symphony has office buildings, Benaroya Hall, the Seattle Art Museum, and the downtown library. Similar to Westlake, most passengers boarding a train at Symphony are traveling north (2,900) than south (2,300).

Pioneer Square station has the lowest ridership of the downtown stations with 2,000 northbound and 1,400 southbound boardings each weekday. It is located just north of the Pioneer Square neighborhood. The area around the station primarily consists off office buildings and government uses, including Seattle City Hall. This is the closest station to the Seattle Ferry Terminal.

Northbound train at Pioneer Square in 2018 (Joe A. Kunzler)

International District/Chinatown (CID) station is at the southern end of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. The station is located on the western edge of the International District. Passengers can transfer to Sounder and Amtrak trains at King Street Station located one block to the west. Lumen Field is within walking distance. From CID, over 4,000 passengers travel north while only 1,800 travel south. The significant northbound ridership may be from commuters transferring from Sounder to reach their destinations downtown.

South Seattle

Stadium station is located on the north end of the SODO Busway near T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field. The land around the station is used primarily by Metro for its Atlantic, Central, and Ryerson bases. The Greyhound and Flix bus station is next to Stadium station. Unsurprisingly, ridership at this station is driven by events at the stadiums. Average weekday ridership has 1,200 northbound and 1,000 southbound boardings, but that likely varies significantly based on the events on a given day. Passengers can transfer here to Metro routes 101, 102, 150, 177 and Sound Transit routes 590, 594, 595.

SODO station is located in the center of the SODO industrial area along the SODO Busway. The area around the station is dominated by industrial uses and includes Starbucks' corporate headquarters. SODO station is not very busy with just 1,300 northbound and 700 southbound passengers each weekday. Passengers can transfer here to Metro routes 50, 101, 102, 150, 177 and Sound Transit routes 590, 594, and 595. Route 50 drops off about 230 passengers at SODO station each weekday.

Southbound train arriving at SODO

Beacon Hill station is located 160 feet below street level in North Beacon Hill. The area around the station has grown over the past decade as 717 new housing units have been built. A few dozen shops and restaurants line Beacon Ave outside of the station. Passengers can transfer here to Metro routes 36, 60, and 107. Beacon Hill is the busiest station in South Seattle with about 2,100 northbound and 1,100 southbound boardings each weekday.

Rainier Valley

Mount Baker station is located at the intersection of Rainier Ave S and Martin Luther King Jr Way S (MLK). The Mount Baker Transit Center is located across Rainier Ave and is served by routes 7, 8, 9, 14, 48, and 106. The area around the station is still developing. Since 2015, 2,719 new housing units have been built in Mount Baker. Many of these units are located north of Mount Baker station, closer to the upcoming Judkins Park station. The prevalence of large surface parking lots and underutilized land around the station indicate there is more room for the neighborhood to grow. Most of the trips from Mount Baker are heading north (1,700), though this station does have more southbound passengers (1,000) than any other Rainier Valley station. The higher southbound boarding count may be from Franklin High School students and airport-bound passengers transferring from one of the routes at Mount Baker Transit Center.

Columbia City station is located in the median of MLK, about 3 blocks west of the Columbia City Historic District. The area around the station is primarily residential, with a mix of single-family houses, townhouses, and apartment buildings. Over the past decade, 1,811 housing units have been built in Columbia City. Routes 50 and 106 stop next to the station. About 75% of the 2,300 passengers that board Link in Columbia City each day are headed north.

Southbound train arriving at Columbia City

Othello station has caused significant development in area around the station. Most of land to the west of Othello station is occupied by the NewHolly housing development. A building boom is still occurring to the north, east, and south as 1,349 housing units have been built since 2015 and another 937 units are planned or under construction. Thanks the thousands of new residents nearby, Othello station has slightly more boardings than Columbia City or Rainier Beach (1,900 NB, 700 SB). The station is next to the terminus for routes 36 and 50, and Route 106 stops on MLK. Route 36 drops off about 450 people each day next to Othello station.

Rainier Beach is the southernmost station in Seattle. The station is located on MLK, about 4 blocks west of Rainier Beach's main commercial center. The area around the station has not changed significantly since 2009, but this is partly due to geographic and utility limitations. There are steep hills on both sides of the station and high voltage power lines that run across MLK just north of Rainier Beach Station. While 699 housing units have been built in Rainier Beach since 2015, the vast majority are along Rainier Ave, a 10-15 minute walk from the station. These factors result in lower ridership with just 1,300 northbound and 500 southbound boardings per day. Some of these riders are transferring to/from Metro routes 9, 106, and 107.

Tukwila and SeaTac

Tukwila International Boulevard station is a key transfer hub in south King County. The station is a park and ride with 600 spaces, but that only accounts for 15% of the total ridership (2,900 NB, 1,100 SB). The overall environment around the station is quite hostile to pedestrians, though there are a few townhouse communities, new apartment buildings, shops, and restaurants within walking distance. The majority of riders are likely transferring from routes 124, 128, A Line and F Line. The A Line and F Line drop off 1,200 and 1,000 passengers each day, respectively. Of course, not all passengers from these routes will transfer to the 1 Line. Despite being two stops from the end of the line, Tukwila International Blvd station has 1,100 average weekday southbound riders, more than any other stop south of CID. May of these riders are likely traveling to the airport, either as an employee or as a traveler. Rather than deal with traffic at the airport, some travelers prefer to do airport drop-offs and pick-ups at this station.

SeaTac/Airport station was the second-busiest Link station in May 2025. Given the station's location near the end of the 1 Line, about 10,300 riders board northbound trains compared to just 900 riders traveling south to Angle Lake. The southbound riders could be airport employees or travelers that use Angle Lake as a pick-up-and-drop-off point for the airport. The area around the station has a number of hotels and a few small residential neighborhoods, so not all passengers are people traveling from the airport. Metro routes 156, 161, A Line and Sound Transit Route 574 stop near the station.

Train on the southbound platform at SeaTac/Airport station in 2010 (Steve Morgan)

Angle Lake is the 1 Line's current southern terminus. The area directly west of the station is a 1,160 spot park and ride and a Federal Detention Center. To the east, there are a few restaurants and housing developments along International Blvd. Alaska Airline's headquarters is located north of the station, near Angle Lake Park. The station's 5,200 average weekday boardings are mostly from the park and ride, passenger drop offs, and transfers from the A Line. The A Line drops off about 550 passengers each day at it's nearby stops on International Blvd.

Looking Ahead

The ridership data shared in this article is just a snapshot at the current Link system. Two significant extensions will be opened within the next year that will reshape ridership patterns for years to come. In Fall 2025, the Federal Way Link Extension is scheduled to open. This will open three new stations south of Angle Lake: Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way Downtown. Ridership at Angle Lake will likely be the most affected, as passengers from south King County may switch to use one of the new stations.

In 2026, the full East Link Extension will open and extend the 2 Line to run between Downtown Redmond and Lynnwood City Center via the I-90 bridge. This will result in both lines overlapping between CID and Lynnwood. Initially, ridership on the 1 Line will drop as passengers traveling between two stops north of CID will be able to ride either line. There may also be a significant increase in southbound ridership at CID caused by transferring passengers traveling between the Eastside and south Seattle or the airport. Mount Baker's northbound ridership may also be impacted as passengers who currently transfer from Route 7 to the 1 Line may opt to transfer to the 2 Line at Judkins Park instead. The new northbound bus lane on Rainier Ave has reduced Route 7's travel time between the two stations.