Kirkland

Kirkland is a city of 50,000 in King County, Washington near Seattle.

Understand

Established in 1888 by Peter Kirk with a vision of being the "Pittsburgh of the West", Kirkland today is a charming town on the east side of Lake Washington across from Seattle. It is the home of Northwest University, one of two summer training camps for the Seattle Seahawks, the other being Eastern Washington University in Cheney.

Get in

By car

Like many American suburbs, by far the most convenient approach is by car. From the east or west, take Interstate 90 to Interstate 405, and turn north. From the north or south, take I-5 to I-405.

There are four interchanges on I-405 in the Kirkland city limits, but to get downtown take the 85th St. exit and turn west.

By bus

From Downtown Seattle, route 255 runs to downtown Kirkland 7 days a week. The fare is $2.75.

Get around

The downtown area is small and very walkable. It is also host to a transit center for King County Metro bus service, which can provide reliable access to Seattle and most other neighboring cities. Trips can be planned via the transit website at . Still, a car is necessary for convenient travel, especially after normal working hours, as bus service outside of downtown Seattle is not always frequent.

See

• The Seattle skyline and Olympic Mountains from one of the many waterfront parks.

Do

• Explore Marina Park. Located in the pedestrian friendly downtown area, it hosts many small art galleries, coffee shops and restaurants.
• Check out the many art galleries in down town Kirkland near the waterfront.
• Yarrow Bay Marina, 5207 Lake Washington Blvd. N.E., ☎ [phone]. Hourly powerboat rentals. Hours vary. 
• Juanita Bay Park, 2201 Market St. Wetland park on the shore of Lake Washington; features some short and relaxing wetlands boardwalk trails and picnic areas. 
• Flatstick Pub, 15 Lake St. Suite 100, ☎ [phone]. Su-Th Noon-Midnight, F-Sa Noon-2AM. Minigolf bar with local beers on tap. Happy hour M-F 3PM-6PM. Yappy hour M-F 6PM-7PM, all day Sun. (updated Mar 2019)

Buy

Eat

• Lynn's Bistro. Excellent Sunday brunch 
• Cactus. 
• 21 Steak House. 
• Zeek's Pizza. Decent pizza. 
• Santorini Greek Grill. Excellent gyros and other greek food. Bring cash. no credit cards accepted. 
• Bin On The Lake, 220 Kirkland Ave, ☎ [phone]. 4-10PM. Serving local and seasonal new American fare, menus feature small and large plates so you can nibble and nosh as you choose. $20. 
• Beach Cafe, 1170 Carillon Point, ☎ [phone]. 7AM - 10PM. Seasonal patio and water views from every table. $12. 
• Sarducci's, 955 6th St South. Hometown favorite sub shop; autographs on wall attest to it's frequent patronage by Seahawks players when training camp was nearby 
• Spud's Fish and Chips, 9702 N.E. Juanita Dr, ☎ [phone]. Local tradition in the Jaunita neighborhood, right across the street from a pleasant lake beach park. Very greasy but delicious. 

Drink

• Kahilia Coffee. Brand new, great independent coffee shop in downtown Kirkland. Serves Kona coffee! Best coffee on the Eastside. 
• Kitanda Brazilian Espresso, 12700 124th St NE (Between Les Schwab and Toyota of Kirkland). Skip Starbucks, and enjoy some of the best priced lattes in the area. They don't charge extra for soy and extra shots. Kitanda also sells groceries, Brazilian chocolates, hair products, etc. Their specialty is the Brazilian Mocha. Credit cards accepted. 
• Caffe Rococo, 136 Park Ln. 6:30AM - 9PM (Last call at 8:30). The flagship coffee shop for Rococo Coffee Roasters, who provide coffee beans to numerous local businesses and coffee bars in the area. Friendly, relaxed, atmosphere, internet is always free, and you can stay for as long as you like. 
• The Grape Choice, 9 Lakeshore Plaza. This favorite local wine shop has monthly selections at their tasting bar, and any wine can be bought by the bottle for drinking in the store or on the patio. Every Wednesday, they host a different, usually local, winery for a $5 flight of their top wines. 
• Chainline Brewing Co, 503 6th St S, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-Th 4PM-10PM, F 2PM-10PM, Sa Noon-10PM, Su Noon-8PM. The first brewery to open along the newly minted Cross Kirkland Corridor Trail. (updated Mar 2019)

Sleep

• Courtyard Seattle Kirkland, 11215 NE 124th St, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. 
• Heathman Kirkland, 220 Kirkland Ave, ☎ [phone]. 
• Motel 6 Seattle North - Kirkland, 12010 120th Pl, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. 
• Woodmark Hotel Yacht Club and Spa, 1200 Carillon Point, ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 12PM. $200. 

Go next

Routes through Kirkland

Lynnwood ← Bothell ←

N  S

→ Bellevue → Tukwila