Airports & Getting Around Washington
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is Washington's genuinely dominant air-travel hub, setting a record for total passengers in 2025 and ranking among the nation's busiest airports -- with Eastern Washington served by smaller, regional airports this record does not claim carry comparable connectivity.
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Learn moreSEA set a real passenger record in 2025
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport handled approximately 52.7 million total passengers in 2025 -- a record year, up 0.1% over 2024's 52.67 million and 1.7% above the pre-pandemic 2019 high of 51.83 million -- ranking as the 11th-busiest airport in the United States. Domestic passengers comprised 86.5% of total 2025 traffic (45.61 million), while international passengers grew a real 7.9% year-over-year to 7.11 million (13.5% of total traffic), reflecting Seattle's status as a significant and growing international gateway alongside its dominant domestic role.
SEA sits inside a genuinely congested regional traffic environment
Getting to and from SEA runs through the same severely congested Puget Sound road network detailed in the traffic-transportation topic -- Seattle's real, current 10th-most-congested-metro ranking is a genuine, practical airport-access consideration, not a separate issue. Confirm current light rail (Link) access to SEA directly, given the region's real, ongoing transit investment alongside its car-dependent character.
Eastern Washington is served by smaller regional airports
Spokane International Airport and other, smaller Eastern Washington airports serve that region's air-travel needs, but this record did not confirm comparably detailed current passenger-volume or route-network figures for them this pass -- confirm current route availability directly if evaluating an Eastern Washington relocation with frequent air-travel needs.
Washington's ferry system is a real, distinct regional travel mode Puget Sound residents should understand
Washington State Ferries operates a real, extensive ferry network across Puget Sound, connecting Seattle to the Kitsap Peninsula, Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island, and the San Juan Islands, among other routes -- a genuinely distinct and, for many Puget Sound communities, essential mode of regular commuting and travel this record notes as a real transportation factor specific to Western Washington's geography, not found in Eastern Washington.
Key takeaways
- SEA set a passenger record in 2025 (approximately 52.7 million total passengers, 11th-busiest US airport), with domestic traffic at 86.5% and international traffic growing 7.9% year-over-year.
- SEA access runs through Seattle's severely congested regional road network -- confirm current Link light rail airport access directly.
- Eastern Washington is served by smaller regional airports (Spokane International among them) with less-detailed current route data confirmed this pass -- verify directly for frequent-flyer needs.
- Washington State Ferries provide a real, essential Puget Sound travel mode (Seattle to Bainbridge Island, the San Juan Islands, and more) genuinely unique to Western Washington's geography.
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