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Know Before You Go:
Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026tm
Seattle Stadium: One of the Most Accessible World Cup Venues in North America
Seattle is one of the few FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities with a stadium in the heart of downtown, allowing fans to walk, bike, or take buses, trains, and ferries to matches.
Link Light Rail and Metro Bus drops fans steps from the stadium gates, and the stadium is easily reachable on foot from Downtown, stadium-adjacent neighborhoods like Pioneer Square and the Chinatown International District, or the revitalized Waterfront.
Whether you're a local, or a visitor arriving from across the globe, getting to the match is one of the easiest and best parts of the experience — no car required.
🚇 Take Link Light Rail — The Fastest Way to the Fun!
Sound Transit is the most reliable way to move throughout the region, with direct connections toSeattle Tacoma International Airport, hotel districts in Seattle, East, South and North King County, and Snohomish County. On matchdays, trains will run every eight minutes until 1 a.m. to help people get to festivities on time.
Ticketed gameday travelers should use preferred link stations for ease of access and to reduce overcrowding, based on origination points:
- Eastside: International District/Chinatown (ID/C) Station
- North of Downtown: Pioneer Square Station
- South of Downtown: Stadium Station
The walking distance is relatively comparable from each station. Passengers with mobility limitations should use International District/Chinatown Station.
Seattle Fan Celebration sites are easily accessible by light rail as well:
- Westlake Station: Seattle Soccer House & Pacific Place, and hop the Seattle Monorail to Let’s Play at Seattle Center
- Symphony Station: Walk down to Pier 62 for Waterfront Park
- Stadium Station: Victory Hall
For more information, please visit the Sound Transit World Cup page!
🚌 Metro Buses Are a Great Option!
King County Metro offers local and regional service, and plans to add 60 buses on match days and 30 to 40 additional buses on non-match days during the tournament. Buses will serve Seattle Stadium and all four Fan Celebration locations (Seattle Center, Pacific Place, Waterfront Park and Victory Hall in SODO).
To help people and answer questions, customer support teams will be stationed at key transit hubs, and additional security will be deployed along Third Avenue, at shuttle stops, and near fan zones.
Use Metro’s World Cup planning tools and learn more here!
🎉Already Downtown? Use Free Waterfront and Match Day Shuttles!
This summer, getting around the heart of Seattle costs nothing. King County Metro is launching a free Waterfront Shuttle starting May 21, running seven days a week through Labor Day on September 7, operating every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Passengers can hop on and reach stops at Seattle Center and the Space Needle, the Olympic Sculpture Park, Pike Place and the new Overlook Walk, Waterfront Park and the Great Wheel, the Seattle Ferry Terminal, Pioneer Square, the stadiums, and the Chinatown-International District.
On World Cup match days, it gets even better: frequency increases to every 10 minutes, and a separate free Match Day shuttles will also operate to transport fans between the stadium, downtown destination, and fan centers in Seattle Center, Pacific Place, and Victory Hall in SODO along Third Avenue.
These special Metro shuttles are the easiest way to connect all the action across the city without spending a dime on transportation.
⛴️ Arriving from Across the Sound? Take the Ferry
Fans arriving by ferry can use Washington State Ferries at Colman Dock (Pier 52), less than a mile from the stadium, with service from Bainbridge Island and Bremerton. Water taxis arrive at Pier 50 from West Seattle, Vashon Island, Kingston, Bremerton, and Port Orchard.
Washington State Ferries will have more boats on standby, additional staffing, and faster response to service issues during the World Cup, prioritizing its busiest routes in central Puget Sound. Kitsap Transit is expanding its fast ferry service until midnight, and King County Water Taxi will also see additional sailings including late night Friday and Saturday service.
Learn more here about how to best use WSF! (Also a great, low cost way to see Seattle and the region from the water!)
🚶 Walking Is the Perfect Way to Explore– and Get to the Game!
You can walk to Seattle Stadium in under 20 minutes from Downtown, stadium-adjacent neighborhoods (Pioneer Square, Chinatown-International District, and SODO) or from hotels and ferries on the Waterfront. In preparation for the games, the city has improved sidewalks, wheelchair ramps, and crosswalks near Seattle Stadium, Union Station, and throughout Pioneer Square.
On match days, starting four hours prior to kickoff, the entire stadium area will be part of the Pioneer Square Pedestrian-Only Zone, allowing only bikes, scooters, transit, and emergency vehicle access. Make walking part of your Matchday Plan!
🚲 Biking Is a Great Option
Bike lanes lead to Seattle Stadium from SODO and the International District, and bike parking is available near the stadium and fan celebration events at Seattle Center, Pacific Place, Victory Hall, and the Waterfront. The city has also added a protected bike lane on Alaskan Way and a Yesler Way protected bike lane from Occidental Ave S to the waterfront. See the complete map for more information on bike lanes and routes through the city!
Bike and scooter rentals are available throughout Seattle and will have dedicated parking and access areas near the stadium, fan celebrations, tourism hotspots, and other event facilities. On match days, you can also drop off your personal bicycle at secure valet parking one block from the stadium!
♿ Accessibility
AccessMap provides customized directions for Seattle pedestrians and wheelchair users looking to avoid hills, construction sites, and other accessibility barriers. A specialized, door-to-door paratransit service is also available for people with disabilities who are unable to use regular fixed-route transit.
🚫 Forget Driving to the Stadium
Whether you are attending a match, or trying to get to work, please know that there is no publicly available parking at the stadium, or on nearby streets on match days. The entire transportation plan is built explicitly around moving fans to the stadium without private cars.
If you do drive from around the region, please use Park & Ride facilities at Sound Transit stations along the 1 Line, 2 Line, N Line, and S Line, then take light rail or Sounder to the stadium. Key satellite Park & Ride hubs include Northgate Station to the north, and Angle Lake Station and Tukwila International Boulevard Station to the south near Sea-Tac.
The map below shows the pedestrian-only zone that will be enforced on gamedays. Click here for an interactive map of SDOT FIFA street closures and operational changes. If you work downtown or in this area, see the “Flip Your Trip” resources at SDOT for advice on how to get downtown car-free!
🚧 A Pause in Construction for Smoother Travel
For local residents and downtown commuters, construction throughout the city and region will pause in key areas from June 8 through July 6, 2026, meaning fewer work zones on streets and sidewalks and more space for transit and people walking, rolling, and biking.
The Revive I-5 project will also pause and all lanes will be open on the Ship Canal Bridge during the tournament.
🍽️ Before & After the Match: Three Neighborhoods Worth Exploring
Pioneer Square — The Stadium's Front Yard
The Pioneer Square neighborhood near the stadium will become a walkable fan zone during the six match days. Seattle's oldest neighborhood is already well set up to handle big event crowds, with dozens of bars, restaurants, and art galleries lining its brick-paved streets.
It's the natural gathering spot for pre-match energy and post-match celebrations, just steps from the stadium gates. Public consumption of alcohol is prohibited, so Pioneer Square's bars and restaurants are a great choice for the pre-match atmosphere.
Chinatown-International District (CID) — Culture, Food, and Art
Just a short walk east of the stadium, the CID is one of Seattle's most vibrant and historic neighborhoods — and one of the most practical for match day. The International District/Chinatown Link Light Rail Station sits right in the heart of the neighborhood, making it an ideal arrival and departure point for fans riding in from the Eastside and across the region.
The CID's dense concentration of pan-Asian restaurants — Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino, and more — makes it one of the best places in the city to eat before or after a match. Explore Uwajimaya, the beloved Asian grocery and food hall, or grab a bowl of pho on a side street away from the stadium crush.
SODO — Industrial Grit, Easy Access, and Room to Move
SODO (South of Downtown) is the stadium's immediate neighbor to the south, and is easily accessible from the Stadium light rail station for passengers arriving from the south (Tukwila, Federal Way, Tacoma, etc.). Bike lanes connect SODO directly to Seattle Stadium, and a new sidewalk on 4th Ave S improves pedestrian access between SODO and downtown.
The neighborhood is home to a growing collection of breweries, distilleries, and casual eateries that tend to be less crowded than spots closer to the stadium.