Choose the Right Pinehurst Train for Downtown, SeaTac or Bellevue

For downtown Seattle, take either southbound line from Pinehurst. For SeaTac, take the southbound 1 Line; for Bellevue or Redmond, take the southbound 2 Line. All four trips are direct, but the next arriving train is only interchangeable when you are traveling on the shared route through downtown.

Choose your destination and travel direction to see which train to board.

Pinehurst Station opened on September 30, 2026, at NE 130th Street and 5th Avenue NE, five years ahead of its former 2031 target. Sound Transit’s opening announcement confirms that the new North Seattle stop is in service. It sits between Northgate and Shoreline South/148th on Link’s route.

Reach the Correct Platform Before Boarding

Use 13110 5th Ave NE, Seattle as your map destination. Pinehurst is an elevated station with separate side platforms, so check the direction signs before heading up. Each platform has an elevator at both its north and south ends. The station details list the address, access and facilities.

For all four destinations covered here—Westlake, SeaTac/Airport, Bellevue Downtown and Downtown Redmond—you need the southbound platform. On the return journey to Pinehurst, you need a northbound train. Separate the platform decision from the line decision: getting onto the southbound side is necessary, but an airport or Eastside trip still requires the correct numbered line.

The southbound destination displays to look for are Federal Way Downtown on the 1 Line and Downtown Redmond on the 2 Line. Those are the trains’ end destinations, not instructions to ride all the way to the end. For example, an airport passenger boards the train displaying Federal Way Downtown and leaves at SeaTac/Airport.

Walking, Cycling and Route 77 Connections

The station has bike racks and on-demand BikeLink lockers. If you are walking from accommodation, map the route to the station itself rather than treating the neighborhood name as a measure of proximity. A property described as being in Pinehurst or North Seattle does not, by that description alone, establish an easy station walk.

Metro Route 77 connects the station with Bitter Lake, Greenwood, Aurora Avenue and Lake City, then continues toward Roosevelt and the U District. Transfer stops are across the street around NE 130th Street/Roosevelt Way and 5th Avenue NE. Metro’s connection guide explains the bus-and-rail connection.

A Route 77 connection can make Pinehurst useful even when the station is not within a convenient walk. It also adds a separate part to the journey: the bus ride, the transfer walk and the wait for the train. The rail times below do not include any of those. The draft’s sources do not provide a single accommodation-to-station travel time or Route 77 waiting time that applies across these neighborhoods.

Drop-Off Works; Station Parking Does Not

The passenger pickup/drop-off area is north of the station on 5th Avenue NE. Use that location when arranging a ride rather than assuming the station has a parking lot where a driver can wait.

There is no Sound Transit parking and no public restroom at Pinehurst. This is a drop-off, walking, cycling or bus-access station—not a Sound Transit park-and-ride. If your plan depends on leaving a car while you take Link, the station facilities do not support that plan. Do not interpret the presence of a pickup area as permission to park for the day.

Pay Before You Board Link

The standard adult Link fare is $3 one way, regardless of distance. Riders 18 and under ride free. That means the standard adult fare from Pinehurst is the same for Westlake, SeaTac/Airport, Bellevue Downtown and Downtown Redmond; the longer rides do not have a higher standard adult rail fare. Sound Transit’s Pinehurst fare information gives those amounts.

Ticket machines are available at both ends of the station. You can buy a rail ticket or an ORCA card. You can also tap a contactless credit or debit card, or an enabled phone or watch, at a reader before boarding.

With ORCA, tap the yellow reader before your ride and do not tap off when leaving Link. Sound Transit’s payment instructions explain the process. Make payment part of your station arrival, before you board, rather than something to sort out once the train is moving.

The $3 figure here is the standard adult Link fare, not a quoted total for every bus-and-rail itinerary or every reduced-fare category. If you are reaching Pinehurst on Route 77, do not treat this article’s rail fare as a complete calculation of your bus connection and any applicable transfer rules.

Match the Line to Your Destination

The 1 and 2 Lines share the route through North Seattle and downtown, then split after International District/Chinatown. The 1 Line continues toward SeaTac and Federal Way; the 2 Line crosses Lake Washington toward Bellevue and Redmond. Sound Transit’s Link riding guide covers the routes and contactless payment options.

Destination	Southbound Train	Approximate Rail Time
Westlake, downtown Seattle	1 or 2 Line	19 minutes
SeaTac/Airport	1 Line	57 minutes
Bellevue Downtown	2 Line	46 minutes
Downtown Redmond	2 Line	65 minutes

These are scheduled station-to-station times from the 1 Line timetable and 2 Line timetable. They are not door-to-door estimates, live predictions or a promise that every departure takes exactly that long.

Downtown Seattle: Take Either Southbound Line

For Westlake, board either a southbound 1 Line train toward Federal Way Downtown or a southbound 2 Line train toward Downtown Redmond. Both serve the shared downtown route, so there is no need to wait specifically for one numbered line for this trip.

The approximately 19-minute ride is to Westlake station, not to every destination described as “downtown Seattle.” Add the time needed to get from Westlake to your actual destination. If you are meeting someone at a hotel, restaurant or attraction, use its address to decide whether Westlake is the appropriate stop rather than treating the table as a complete downtown itinerary.

SeaTac: Wait for the Southbound 1 Line

For SeaTac/Airport, board the 1 Line toward Federal Way Downtown. The ride is direct and takes approximately 57 minutes on the train. A southbound 2 Line train is not an interchangeable airport departure, even though it initially follows the same tracks through Seattle.

For a flight, keep three separate intervals in your plan: reaching Pinehurst, waiting for the correct 1 Line train, and traveling onward from the airport station. The table covers only the rail ride. It does not include airport access or the time you need inside the terminal.

A direct train removes the need for a rail transfer; it does not remove the need to check whether service starts early enough for your flight. Our SeaTac light rail guide covers the airport-side details.

Bellevue and Redmond: Wait for the Southbound 2 Line

For Bellevue Downtown or Downtown Redmond, board the 2 Line toward Downtown Redmond. Pinehurst provides a direct ride to both, with approximately 46 minutes on the train to Bellevue Downtown and 65 minutes to Downtown Redmond.

The 1 Line is not an Eastside train. Its shared Seattle route can make it look suitable at first, but it continues toward SeaTac and Federal Way after the lines split. Check both the line number and the displayed destination before boarding.

The Bellevue figure ends at Bellevue Downtown station; the Redmond figure ends at Downtown Redmond station. Neither includes the final walk or another local connection. Our Bellevue riding guide covers destination-side planning for that trip.

Return on a Northbound Train Toward Lynnwood

For the return to Pinehurst, look for Lynnwood City Center on the northbound destination display. Pinehurst is an intermediate stop, so the train does not need to display “Pinehurst” as its destination.

From downtown Seattle, either northbound line serves Pinehurst. From SeaTac/Airport, take the northbound 1 Line. From Bellevue or Redmond, take the northbound 2 Line. Each of those return journeys is direct.

The distinction is the same as on the outbound trip: either line works on the shared downtown section, while the airport and Eastside stations determine which line you use. The outbound times in the table should not substitute for checking the departure you intend to take home, especially near the end of service.

Combined Frequency Is Not Each Line’s Frequency

Sound Transit advertises combined 1 and 2 Line arrivals at Pinehurst every 4–5 minutes during frequent service. Each individual line runs every 8, 10 or 15 minutes, depending on the time of day.

For a Westlake trip, combined frequency is useful because either southbound line works. For SeaTac, only the 1 Line counts as your departure. For Bellevue or Redmond, only the 2 Line counts. Seeing a train arrive does not mean your destination has that same short wait.

These intervals describe service patterns, not a guarantee that a suitable train will arrive a fixed number of minutes after you reach the platform. The article does not have a live waiting-time figure. Check the station’s live arrivals and alerts before leaving, then confirm the line and destination at the station.

General Link operating hours are about 5 a.m.–midnight Monday–Saturday and 6 a.m.–midnight Sundays and holidays. Those broad hours are not the exact first and last departure times from Pinehurst in each direction. Use the date-specific timetable for an early flight, a late return or a trip that depends on the final train.

Late Eastside Trips Need a Construction Check

As of October 3, Sound Transit’s Mercer Island construction alert warns of possible 5–10-minute delays toward Downtown Redmond during overnight single tracking. The alert says work will extend beyond October 2.

That warning is specific to the stated direction and overnight work; it is not evidence of a systemwide delay on every Pinehurst trip. Check the updated work dates before a late Eastside journey rather than assuming the dates in the alert’s address mark the end of the disruption.

Pinehurst Works as a Base When Station Access Is Easy

Pinehurst can work well as a visitor base if your accommodation has an easy walk or useful Route 77 connection to the station. Downtown is a straightforward ride, and a Bellevue or Redmond day requires no rail transfer. SeaTac is also direct, although nearly an hour on the train makes early flights dependent on the timetable.

Compare the full accommodation-to-destination journey, not just the rail segment. An easy station walk preserves the benefit of frequent service. A longer walk or a bus connection adds access time and, in rain, another part of the trip to manage. No accommodation-specific access time is supplied here, so that comparison needs the actual address.

For a visit centered on downtown sights, the useful comparison is whether Pinehurst’s access and approximately 19-minute Westlake ride suit your daily plans better than a closer base. For Eastside outings, the direct 2 Line is a practical advantage. For a car-based stay, the absence of Sound Transit parking changes the access plan. Use our where-to-stay guide to compare Pinehurst with neighborhoods closer to your main activities.