Tacoma

Tacoma in the state of Washington, is the state's second-largest city, with just under 200,000 residents.

The skyline of Tacoma, with the Tacoma Bridge in the foreground.

Understand

Tacoma often gets a negative description reminiscent of the one given to Oakland, California. These negative vibes are equally unrealistic and often come from those who have never lived in or even visited the city. While it has neither the tourist amenities of its neighbor Seattle to the north nor the suburban safety of Olympia to the south, you can certainly spend a few pleasant days in Tacoma and see the city's dynamic art scene and its great ballet.

Get in

By plane

The 🌍 Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) (SEA ^IATA) is the nearest airport for commercial flights. It is 25 mi/40km north of Tacoma. Sea-Tac airport serves much of the greater Seattle Metropolitan area and the Pacific NW. Options besides taxi/limo or rental car are:

• Sound Transit Rt #574. Daily express bus between Lakewood, Tacoma, Federal Way, Kent, SeaTac light rail station and the airport. 
• ShuttleExpress, ☎ [phone]. Operates shared and private shuttle services between the airport and hotels & residents within the Tacoma-Seattle-Bellevue-Everett corridor and its vicinity. Catch them at the 3rd level of the parking garage. During the morning commute hours (7-10AM), it may not be best to take this transportation if you go to downtown Seattle unless you have a lot of baggage to take care of; the more spacious Link Light Rail trains will get you there for about the same duration or even quicker. Walk-ins are allowed for trips from the airport (shared vans only), reservations necessary for trips to the airport. Downtown from $18. 
• Capital Aeroporter, toll-free: [phone]. For areas mainly south of the airport (Tacoma, Olympia, Auburn, Kent, Chehalis, Centralia, Shelton). 
• Bremerton-Kitsap Aeroporter, (scheduled stop) Dennys Restaurant @ 5924 6th Ave (6th & Pearl), ☎ [phone]. Connects the airport to Tacooma, Gig Harbor and the Kitsap Peninsula. They go south on I-5 to Tacoma and over the Narrows Bridge along WA Hwy 16 to get to the Kitsap Peninsula rather than going across on the ferry from Seattle. They also have a separate run between the airport and the Lewis-McChord Joint Military Base. Be sure to have a valid DoD ID card to enter Lewis-McChord. 

By car

Tacoma is along Interstate 5 (I-5), approximately 35 mi south of Seattle (35 min), 293 mi (5 hr) southwest of Spokane, and 143 mi (2.5 hr) north of Portland.

• From Interstate 5 (I-5) Tacoma is accessed from exits #136 ("Port of Tacoma") through #127 ("S Tacoma Way/WA-512 to Puyallup") along I-5. To get to downtown, exit off at the Interstate 705 off ramp at Exit 133, just beyond the Tacoma dome if going south from I-5, or continue along I-705 past downtown to Schuster Pkwy to get to old town, north Tacoma and the Ruston Way waterfront. Continue to the next exit along I-5 to 132B to get to WA-16 going west towards Gig Harbor, Bremerton and for additional access to other parts of town. To get to Joint Base Lewis McChord continue south past WA-512 to exits #125 ("Bridgeport Way/McChord Field"), #123 ("Thorne Ln"), 122 ("Berkely Ave nearest access to Madigan Hospital and Camp Murray"), 120 ("Joint Base Lewis-McChord") which is the location of the main gate & visitors center into the base, or 119 (Dupont-Steilacoom Rd). Access to the military base is controlled and a valid Dept. of Defense (DoD) ID and vehicle decal are required to be allowed through. Otherwise see the visitors center off of exit 120. Exits 119-125 will come first before getting into Tacoma if going north on I-5 from Olympia.
• From Interstate 90 (I-90) coming from eastern Washington exit off at WA-Hwy 18 at Exit # 25. Go south on WA Hwy 18 through Tiger Mountain, Convington, Maple Valley and Auburn to Federal Way where WA-18 merges into I-5. Follow signs to I-5 south to Tacoma.
• From Kitsap Peninsula Go south on Hwy 3 and follow signs for "WA-16 EAST to Port Orchard - Tacoma". Continue south along WA-16 through Gig Harbor and across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge into Tacoma. There's a toll to cross the Narrows Bridge into Tacoma but no toll coming the other way into Gig Harbor. There are 5 exits into town from along WA-16 between the bridge and where the highway ends at I-5. Follows signs for I-5 "To Seattle" and exit at the next exit to I-705 to get downtown otherwise follow signs for I-5 south "To Portland" to get to the south or east part of town.

By bus

The bus station for Greyhound, Northwestern Trailways, Sound Transit, Intercity Transit, Pierce Transit & Link Light Rail is at the Tacoma Dome Station Parking Garage Buildings at 510 - 610 E Puyallup Ave (facing E Puyallup Ave), between East E St and East G St, one block north of Freighthouse Square (2501 East D St). Greyhound, NW Trailways and a taxi stand are at the west building while Sound Transit, Intercity & Pierce Transit buses are next door in front of the east building. The Link Light Rail to downtown Tacoma is at the opposite side of the parking buildings along E 25th, between the E Parking Garage Building and the Freighthouse Square building:

• 🌍 Greyhound, Tacoma Dome Station, W Parking Bldg @ 510 E Puyallup Ave, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. Travels primarily on Interstate 5 (Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia, Kelso/Longview and Portland.) Passengers transfer in Seattle, Olympia or Portland to get to additional destinations. 
• Northwestern Trailways, Tacoma Dome Station, W Parking Bldg 510 E Puyallup Ave, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Goes north to Seattle and Everett along I-5 and then east to Lake Stevens, Leavenworth, Wenatchee, Ephrata, Moses Lake Ritzville & Spokane along US Hwy 2 and I-90. In Tacoma they stop at both the Greyhound station and the Amtrak station down the road. 
• 🌍 Sound Transit, Tacoma Dome Station, E Parking Bldg @ 610 E Puyallup Ave, ☎ [phone]. Operates express routes between Lakewood, Tacoma & Seattle. 
  • Rt #574 Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Kent-Des Moines Hwy (SR-516), S 272nd St, Federal Way, Tacoma Dome & Lakewood
  • Rt#586 Downtown Tacoma//UW Tacoma, Tacoma Dome, University of Washington/U-District. Northbound only during morning rush hours and southbound only during afternoon rush hours. No stops in downtown Seattle
  • Rt#590,594 Downtown Seattle, Tacoma Dome Station, Downtown Tacoma/UW Tacoma & Lakewood. Rt 590 travels only between Downtown Tacoma, Tacoma Dome & Downtown Seattle during weekday rush hours only.
  • Rt#592 Downtown Seattle, Lakewood Park & Ride, Lakewood Sounder, Dupont. Northbound only during morning rush hours and southbound only during afternoon rush hours. No stops in downtown Tacoma or Tacoma Dome.
  • Rt#595 Downtown Seattle, Tacoma Community College (TCC), Gig Harbor, Purdy. Northbound only during morning rush hours and southbound only during afternoon rush hours. No stops in downtown Tacoma or Tacoma Dome.
  • Link Light Rail runs frequent trains from Freighthouse Square to downtown Tacoma (just north of 9th & Commerce). The train goes by UW Tacoma, several museums, several downtown hotels and the downtown convention center. The stop is along E 25th between the parking garage buildings and the Freighthouse Square building.
• King County Metro, ☎ [phone]. Operates buses in and around Seattle and the surrounding cities and suburbs in King County. Nearest transfer points to King County Metro from Tacoma are in Auburn, Federal Way/NE Tacoma and the Tahlequah ferry terminal (Rt #118, 119) in the south end of Vashon Island. 
• Intercity Transit, Tacoma Dome Station, E Parking Bldg @ 610 E Puyallup Ave, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. Operates express buses from downtown Tacoma and the Tacoma Dome Station down to Lacey (Rt #612) and Olympia (Rt #612) via Lakewood Station and Lakewood P&R during the work week only. The #620 bus operates from the Tacoma Mall down to Olympia via Lakewood and Lacey on weekends only with no service to downtown Tacoma or Tacoma Dome Station. They operate local buses in Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater. 
• 🌍 Pierce Transit, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. Operates local routes on buses that run on natural gas and connect with other regional transit systems. Pierce transit can also be tracked with a free smartphone app from One Bus Away that provides easy access to real-time transit information for the Puget Sound region and beyond. From the Tacoma Dome Station they go out to the surrounding cities and towns of Federal Way (#500,501,574); Fife (#500); Lakewood (#574, 594 or #3 from downtown); Point Defiance Pk & the Ferry Terminal (#11, The #41 bus going from Tacoma Dome Station to downtown becomes the #11); Puyallup (#400); Gig Harbor (#102 during weekday rush hour or the #1 or #2 from downtown to TCC Transit Center & transfer to Rt #101); downtown Tacoma & UW Tacoma (13, 14, 41, 500, 501, 586, 594 & Link Light Rail) Adult $2, youth $0.75 and is part of the regional Orca payment system. 

By train

There are two train stations. The Amtrak station is 0.5 mi or 0.8 km east and at the opposite side of Puyallup Ave from the Tacoma Dome station next to the railroad yard at 1001 E Puyallup Ave. The Sounder Train Station is in the middle to the west end of the Freighthouse Square Building, entrance at 425 E 25th. Both are well marked. Construction is underway in the west end of the Freighthouse Square Building, next to Sounder, for a new Amtrak station and was scheduled to open fall of 2017.

• 🌍 Sound Transit Sounder, Freighthouse Square @ 425 E 25th St (entrance in the middle to the west end of the Freighthouse Square building.). Sound Transit operates commuter trains up to Seattle in the morning and down to Lakewood via Tacoma Dome and South Tacoma in the afternoons. They also operate additional trains for the Mariners and Seahawks home events. 
• 🌍 Amtrak, 1001 E Puyallup Ave (0.5 mi/0.8km east of the Tacoma Dome Station at the opposite side of road, next to railroad yard). The following are the Amtrak routes serving Tacoma: 
  • Amtrak Cascades runs between between Seattle and Portland 4x daily serving Tukwila, Tacoma, Lacey (Olympia), Centralia and Kelso in Washington state. They run from Seattle to Vancouver via Everett, Mt Vernon & Bellingham 2x daily and from Portland to Eugene via Oregon City, Salem & Albany 2x daily. Additional service from Seattle to Vancouver and from Portland to Eugene are provided on the Amtrak Thruway Bus.
  • Amtrak Coast Starlight makes an once daily trip in each direction between Seattle and Los Angeles along the same route with the same stops as the Amtrak Cascades (except Tukwila & Oregon City) between Seattle and Eugene, OR.

By ferry

• 🌍 Washington State Ferries, 5810 N Pearl St (North end of Pearl St in Point Defiance Park.), ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. There is a ferry connecting from Point Defiance Park in North Tacoma and Talehquah in the south end of Vashon Island. Don't plan on walking anywhere when you get to Vashon Island; you'll need a car to get anywhere worth seeing. Some people bike around the island, but be prepared for major hills. You can continue to Seattle or Port Orchard by crossing the island to the other ferry on the north end of the island. 
• 🌍 Pierce County Ferries, 56 Union Ave; Steilacoom (.). The county also operates a small car ferry across from Steilacoom (at south end of town) to Anderson and Ketron Islands. 
• 🌍 Tote Martime (Totem), (port terminal) 500 E Alexander, ☎ [phone]. Operates more as a private shipping company than a "ferry" for shipping of personal vehicles and/or personal household goods up to Anchorage AK for those moving between the lower 48 and Alaska. They offer twice weekly sailings up to Alaska. 

Get around

By car

The area's roads are designed more or less around a grid system, where most roads are numbered based on their distance from the city center. Addresses also conform to the numbering of the roads around them. Nearly all streets run with the compass directions. "A" Street, one block east of Pacific Ave (SR-7), divides east from south while Orchard Street divides south from west. 6th Avenue and Division Avenue divide north from south. The numbered roads run east-west, parallel to 6th Avenue, while the named roads run north-south (except for one corner in the North End where everything is rotated by 60°). The addresses on the opposite side of Commencement Bay towards Federal Way between the bay and the King/Pierce County line are in the northeast (NE) part of town. The addresses in Gig Harbor & Key Peninsula all have northwest (NW) designations and Lakewood and Steilacoom are in the Southwest part of town with SW addresses. This also applies to much of the extended areas of unincorporated Pierce County, though the addresses in places like Fife, Milton, Puyallup & Sumner have their own numbering system and are not based on Tacoma's numbering system. Some of the same streets will change names when it crosses from one city/municipality to the next.

By bus

• Tacoma LINK A light rail/streetcar line that runs between Freighthouse Square (near the Tacoma Dome and the train station) and downtown, with a stop that serves the Washington State History Museum / University of Washington, Tacoma area. Trains runs every 10-20 minutes, and the fares are free.
• Pierce Transit operates local buses in and around Tacoma, Lakewood (200s, Rt #2, 3 & 594 from downtown), Puyallup (400s, Rt #402 from Tacoma Dome), Steilacoom (Rt #214 from Lakewood); Federal Way (Rt #500, 501, 574, 578), University Place (Rt #2 & 53) and to Lewis-McChord from Lakewood Towncenter (Rt #206). They operate limited services to Gig Harbor, Sumner and Bonney Lake and no service to Mt Rainier or anywhere in rural Pierce County.

See

Point Defiance Park

Point Defiance is a 700-acre city park featuring old growth forests, gardens, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Owen Beach, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, as well as a playground, picnic areas and countless hiking trails. It is the north end of Tacoma and is accessible from I-5 by following I-705 past downtown to Schuster Pkwy which goes along the Ruston Way waterfront to N 51st & Pearl. Go north on Pearl (right turn from N 51st coming from Ruston Way) into the main entrance of the park. From Hwy 16 go north on N Pearl (WA-163) into the park. By bus the #11 goes from downtown (10th & Commerce) to the park. From the Tacoma Dome station take the #41 bus going into downtown which becomes the #11 bus so no transferring of buses needed.

Museums

Tacoma is home to a variety of interesting museums:

• 🌍 Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, ☎ [phone]. Fort Nisqually, the first European settlement on Puget Sound, was a bustling center of trade that expanded into a large-scale agricultural enterprise. (updated May 2015)
• 🌍 Foss Waterway Seaport (Working Waterfront Maritime Museum), 705 Dock St (On I-705 go past downtown which becomes Schuster Pkwy. Right turn at 4th which is the light past Tacoma), ☎ [phone]. W-Sa 10AM-4PM & Su noon-4PM. The Foss Waterway Seaport celebrates & exhibits Tacoma's rich maritime heritage—past, present and future. Located on the waterfront in a century-old wooden wheat warehouse, built for cargo arriving by rail and departing by sail ("where rails met sails") during the early years of Tacoma. (updated May 2015)
• 🌍 LeMay – America's Car Museum (ACM), 2702 East D St (Across East D St from the Tacoma Dome. Entrance at south end of building), ☎ [phone]. Daily 10AM-5PM. Guided tour daily 11AM, lasts 75-90 minutes. More than 400 cars are on display in this densely-packed four-story museum. Vehicles of note include a 1948 Tucker, of which less than 21 are on public display, and the Flintmobile used in the 1994 Flintstones film. Expect to spend 2 hours or more to see the whole museum. The permanent collection can be a bit repetitive, while rotating exhibits like supercars or alternative propulsion are more engaging. Fairly educational, but younger children may be bored by the "do not touch" displays, with only a slot car track ($3) and a racing simulator ($8) to break the monotony. Adults $18, students $14, youth 6-12 $10, children free, seniors and military $16. Guided tour $33, youth $25. (updated Jan 2018)
• Stratford House, 2715 North Junett Street. It is the exact reminiscence the home of the Stratford family of the high school romantic comedy movie 10 Things I Hate About You (Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 1999). Though the house is occupied, it offers a wonderful view of the house and of downtown Tacoma. Filming is also set at Stadium High School, 10 minutes away by car. (updated Oct 2015)
• 🌍 Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave (Pacific & Hood St), ☎ [phone]. Tu-Su 10AM-5PM. (updated May 2015)
• 🌍 Tacoma Children's Museum, 1501 Pacific Ave (E 15th & Pacific Ave), ☎ [phone]. W-Su 10AM-5PM, M 10AM-5PM for members only. (updated May 2015)
• 🌍 Tacoma Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock St (E 18th & Docks St, opposite of I-705 from downtown. From Pacific Ave the Chihuly Pedestrian Bridge can be accessed from between the two Union Station Buildings, across from the UW Bookstore.), ☎ [phone]. W-Sa 10AM-5PM; Su noon-5PM. You can cross to or from this museum on the Chihuly Bridge of Glass - and no, the bridge is not made of glass - it's 500 feet long, over Interstate 705, with glasswork exhibits. (updated May 2015)
• 🌍 Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave (South part of Union Station across from UW Tacoma), ☎ [phone]. Founded in 1891 and now into its second century of service, the Washington State Historical Society is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and vividly presenting Washington's rich and varied history. The Historical Society is comprised of a family of museums and research centers, offering a variety of services to researchers, historians, scholars, and the lifelong learners. (updated May 2015)

Other

• The Seymour Botanical Conservatory, within Wright Park.
• Union Station and its Dale Chihuly glass exhibits. Next to the Washington State History Museum.
• University of Washington Tacoma - located in an historic business district near downtown. (UW Tacoma is across the street from the Washington State History Museum.)
• Brown & Haley Factory Store near the factory (most famous for Almond Roca candy).
• A new convention center opened in late 2004.
• The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the gateway to Gig Harbor, Poulsbo, Hood Canal, Port Townsend, and the Olympic Peninsula, was recently remodeled to include a second span (which now requires a $6 toll for those returning to Tacoma). (The original bridge, built in 1940, and known as "Galloping Gertie", is well known because of its collapse.)

Do

• 🌍 The Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitor Bureau, 1515 Commerce St (In the lobby of the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel). Has its Visitor Information Center at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in downtown Tacoma (1515 Commerce St). Visitor guides, maps and brochures on area attractions are available. 
• 🌍 Tacoma Musical Playhouse, 7166 6th Ave (6th Ave & S MacArthur St), ☎ [phone]. Tu-F 10AM-6PM. Runs musical plays throughout the year, using local talent. This group has grown to become one of the South Sound's biggest draws, so buy your tickets early for the popular shows. 
• Tacoma Rainiers, 2502 S Tyler St, ☎ [phone]. The local Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team plays at 🌍 Cheney Stadium. From $7 to $20.  
• Reign FC. Tacoma's newest sports attraction is this team in the National Women's Soccer League, the top tier of American women's soccer (and arguably the world's top women's soccer league). The Reign are debuting in Tacoma in 2019 after having played as Seattle Reign FC since the NWSL began in 2013. Will share Cheney Stadium with the Rainiers and Tacoma Defiance (below) until 2021, when a new soccer-only stadium is set to open.  
• Tacoma Defiance. USL Championship soccer team, and the official reserve team for Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders FC. This team, which also plays in Cheney Stadium (until the new soccer stadium opens in 2021), was known as Seattle Sounders FC 2 before 2019.  

Buy

• 🌍 Freighthouse Square, 2501 South D St (In an old warehouse building building three city blocks long couple blocks along E 25th between East D St & East G St north of the Tacoma Dome). M-Sa 10AM-7PM, Su noon-5PM. It was built as a warehouse and train station for the Milwaukee Railroad in 1909. It features ballrooms for rent, antique shops, small art galleries, a coin shop and eating places inside. It is also the location for the Sounder Train Station. See "#By Train" above. 
• 🌍 Tacoma Mall, 4502 S Steele St (west of I-5 between S 38th & S 47th. The mall can be accessed from I-5 at S 38th (Exit #132) or at S 56th (Exit #130)). M-Sa 10AM-9PM, Su 11AM-7PM. Tacoma Mall hosts Nordstroms, Macy's, JCPenney, Forever 21 and numerous other shops & restaurants in the mall and in the immediate surrounding area not part of the mall (Best Buy, Chick fil-A, Costco, Pier One Imports, Dollar Store, Ashley Furniture, REI, Albert Lee Appliances, amongst others). There are other smaller strip malls & free standing establishments radiating east-west along S 38th from I-5 to S Union; and south along Tacoma Mall Blvd, that parallels I-5, from the 4700 block down to the 7200 block. MC, Visa, Discover and/or travelers checks accepted in many of these establishments. 
• 🌍 Tacoma Place, 1901 S 72nd St (NE of I-5 & S 72nd St junction @ 72nd & Hosmer. The mall can be accessed from I-5 at S 72nd (Exit #129) or at S 56th (Exit #130)). (varies). Tacoma Place is a very popular place amongst locals living in nearby neighborhoods and travelers passing along the freeway or staying in nearby hotels south of S 72nd. There are numerous shops & restaurants such as Winco Foods, LA Fitness, Mattress Depot, Olive Garden, Popeyes, Applebee's, Pho Ever, Dairy Queen, Shari's, Starbucks, Subway, etc. There are other smaller strip malls, hotels and free standing establishments nearby (such as Home Depot, Bass Pro Shop, Burger King, Hooters, IHop, etc) south of 72nd along S Hosmer between the 7200 and 8400 blocks and along Tacoma Mall Blvd, that parallels I-5 (at the other side), from the 7400 block up towards the Tacoma Mall at the 4700 block. 
• 🌍 B&I Public Marketplace, 8012 S Tacoma Way, ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 10AM-8PM, Su 10AM-6PM. Almost anyone who grew up in the Tacoma area has fond memories of the B&I Circus Store, a landmark on South Tacoma Way for more than 60 years, where once you could wrap your face in cotton candy while exchanging stares with a live gorilla named Ivan. Ivan is gone now (having moved to the Atlanta Zoo in 1995 and died in 2012), and B&I has morphed into a new kind of wonder — a primarily Latino marketplace where fancy boots, wigs and costumes, retro video games, streetwear, and a large arcade are interspersed with dollar stores, used computer parts, and other niche bargain vendors. Photos and newspapers commemorate B&I's history, a stark contrast to the dilapidated structure that remains today. (updated Jan 2018)
• 🌍 Star Lite Swap Meet, 8327 S Tacoma Way (S Tacoma Way & S 84th St), ☎ [phone]. Indoors: Tu-F 10AM-6PM, Sa Su 9AM-6PM; outdoors: Tu-F 8AM-4:30PM, Sa Su 7:30AM-4:30PM. Popular indoor and outdoor flea market featuring fruits & vegetables, music CDs, tools, fishing gear, cell phones & accessories and a variety of other items under the big screen of a former drive in theater. Admission is $1 per person on weekends and typically busier during the spring & summer weekends than in winter. 
• 🌍 Sanford & Son Auctions, 743 Broadway (along S Commerce St between S 7th & S 9th), ☎ [phone]. Multi-level, maze-like antique store with a variety of different local shops scattered inside. They offer a range of products such as furniture, home decor, vintage toys, posters, etc. 
• Tacoma Farmers Market, Organization Office @ 902 Market St, ☎ [phone]. At the markets, farmers, ranchers and nursery growers offer various conventionally and organically grown fruits, vegetables and pre-cut, pre-packaged meats (usually fish, pork or eggs) and live ornamental and food plants for gardening. There are other artisan food producers offering prepared products, ranging from fruit jams to farmstead cheeses, breads and pastries, pickles, pasta, chocolate, and more. The markets occur once weekly in different neighborhoods from the first week of May or June to the last week of August or October in the following locations: 

• Sundays 10AM-2PM @ 5005 N Ruston Way (Grand Plaza at Point Ruston Condos near Farrelli’s) from June through Sept.
• Tuesdays 3PM-7PM @ 3500 McKinley Ave E (Tacoma Christian Center parking lot at E 35th & McKinley) from June-Aug.
• Thursdays 10AM-3PM along Broadway between 9th & 11th Ave in downtown from May to Oct. The market closes at 2PM from Sept to Oct.

• 🌍 Proctor Farmers Market, Organization Office @ 2702 N Proctor St (Market itself is along N 27th between N Proctor & N Madison), ☎ [phone]. Saturdays 9AM-2PM, weekly from the last weekend in March to the weekend before Christmas in December. Market day is 10AM-1PM every second Saturday (once monthly) from January through March. See linked website for specifics. This is the only year round farmers market in town. Some of the vendors at the other farmers markets during the week are also regulars at the North Proctor market too. The organizers of the Saturday Proctors Market is a different entity than the Tacoma Farmers Markets (in the above). 

Eat

6th Avenue has some affordable restaurants. Most of the suggested venues below are along 6th Ave between Sprague and Union. Sixth Ave divides north from south so some of the listed establishments in the below may be in the north or the south side of 6th Ave.

• 🌍 Primo Grill, 2701 6th Ave (on 6th & N Oakes (moved into where the Tattoo Parlor used to be)), ☎ [phone]. Su-Th 4PM-11PM; F Sa 4PM-midnight. Moderately priced, Italian/Mediterranean, lunch & dinner. 
• 🌍 Asado, 2810 6th Ave (on 6th & S Pine), ☎ [phone]. M-W 11AM-10PM; Th 11AM-midnight; F 11:30AM-1:30AM; Sa 4PM-1:30AM; Su 4PM-10PM. Pricey Argentinian dinner. 
• 🌍 Gateway to India, 2603 6th Ave (on 6th & N Fife), ☎ [phone]. M-F 11AM-9PM; Sa-Su noon-9PM. Inexpensive Indian lunch & dinner. They serve lunch buffet 
• 🌍 Shakabra, 2618 6th Ave (SE corner of 6th & S Oakes), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 7AM-4PM, Su 8AM-4PM. Casual breakfast spot with hearty English-style breakfast dishes such as egg dishes, sausages & pancakes all day, plus burgers & sandwiches at lunch. (updated Aug 2016)
• 🌍 Southern Kitchen, 1716 6th Ave (on 6th & S Sprague next to Bucky's Auto Repair.), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 8AM-8PM; F Sa 8AM-9PM; Su 8AM-7PM. Inexpensive Southern/Soul lunch & dinner. 
• 🌍 Wild Orchid, 3023 6th Ave (on 6th & N Cedar), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 11AM-9PM; Sa Su noon-9PM. Inexpensive pan-Asian lunch & dinner. 
• 🌍 Silk Thai, 3401 6th Ave (6th Ave and N Warner, across from Mt Zion Church), ☎ [phone]. Mid-priced, lunch & dinner, delicious Thai dishes. 
• 🌍 Farreli's, 3518 6th Ave (6th Ave & S Union in the Poole Corner Building.), ☎ [phone]. A pizzeria that is a popular hangout place for college students from the nearby UPS and UW Tacoma. 

Downtown Tacoma has a wide range of restaurants, from fine dining to casual. Most of the downtown restaurants suggested in the below are in the immediate areas surrounding the University of Washington Tacoma campus, Tacoma Convention Center and Union Station which are along the Link Light Rail route. They could also be located elsewhere such as towards the Stadium District north of downtown such as Maxwell's (one of the suggested venues).

• 🌍 El Gaucho, 2119 Pacific Ave (in Downtown Tacoma southeast of S 21st Street and Pacific Avenue intersection. Next to the Melting Pot), ☎ [phone]. Su-Th 4PM-10PM; F Sa 4PM-midnight. Pricey, steaks & chops, dinner. 
• 🌍 Melting Pot, 2121 Pacific Ave (in Downtown Tacoma southeast of S 21st Street and Pacific Avenue intersection. Next to El Guacho.), ☎ [phone]. M-F 5PM-10PM; Sa 4PM-10:30PM, Su 4PM-10PM. Pricey, fondue, dinner. 
• 🌍 Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific Ave (S 15th & Pacific in the NE part of the Courtyard Hotel Building), ☎ [phone]. New American. Steaks & seafood, lunch & dinner. Known for Tacoma's Best Happy Hour. Celebrity Chef Gordon Naccarato 
• 🌍 Indochine Asian Dining Lounge, 1924 Pacific Ave (near the University of Washington, Tacoma is on 19th and Pacific), ☎ [phone]. Tu-Th 11AM-9PM; F 11AM-10PM; Sa noon-10PM; Su noon-9PM. Not pricey (and rather enjoyable), pan-Asian, lunch & dinner. 
• 🌍 Maxwell's, 454 St Helens (S 6th Ave & St. Helens), ☎ [phone]. Moderately priced, dinner & cocktails, Northwest small plates. 
• 🌍 Johnny's Dock, 1900 East D St (right across Thea Foss Waterway from Pacific Avenue on D St), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11:30AM-10PM; F 11:30AM-11PM; Sa 9:30AM-11PM; Su 9:30PM-8PM. Steak and seafood, great views of downtown and the Museum of Glass. 
• 🌍 The Rock, Wood Fire Kitchen, 1920 Jefferson Ave (in downtown Tacoma along Jefferson Ave south of S 19th, west of the UW Tacoma campus), ☎ [phone]. Daily 11:30AM to midnight. offers a great lunch or dinner, inexpensive pizza and pasta 

Hilltop just up the hill from Downtown Tacoma has many choices for dining. Most of the mentioned venues in Hilltop are clustered around S Martin Luther King & S 11th St. They can be located further north or south along S MLK and east or west along the cross streets too.

• 🌍 LeLe, 1012 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (Along S MLK between S 11th & S 12th), ☎ [phone]. Daily 11AM to 9PM. Vietnamese cuisine with a mix of Thai. The spacious dining room allows for large groups. LeLe is popular spot for lunch with downtown workers. 
• 🌍 Pho Boc Cafe, 1143 South 11th St (NW corner of S 11th St & MLK; closer to alley along S 11th St), ☎ [phone]. A popular spot for pho in Tacoma. Cash only. 
• 🌍 Pho King, 1020 Martin Luther King Jr Way (near 11th & MLK), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 11AM to 8PM. Popular pho & Vietnamese food. Very affordable. Has vegetarian pho. Inexpensive. 
• 🌍 Thai Garden, 1202 South 11th St (one block west of S MLK (location of Key Bank) at South L St & 11th), ☎ [phone]. Daily 11:30AM to 9:30PM. A bit of a hole in the wall but a great place for affordable Thai food in Tacoma. Service is fast and pleasant. 
• 🌍 Quickie Too: A Vegan Cafe, 1324 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (Corner of 14th & MLK), ☎ [phone]. Su 11AM-3PM; M W F 11AM-8PM; Th 11AM-6PM. Tacoma's only all vegan restaurant adds a Jamaican flair to all of their food. Service can be slow but is worth the wait. Meat eaters will love the flavors and won't know the meat is missing. 
• 🌍 The Fish House, 1814 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (middle of block along MLK between S 18th & 19th St, a couple blocks west of St Joseph's Hospital), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 11AM-8PM. offers Southern cooking at affordable prices. Small place so you can always get orders to go. 
• 🌍 Bob's Bar-B-Que Pit, 911 S 11th St (Along 11th between J St & I St, next to alley), ☎ [phone]. Tu-Sa 11AM-8PM. A popular BBQ joint in Tacoma. 

South Tacoma has wonderful Asian restaurants.

• Wendy's II (near the Tacoma Mall, on Tacoma Mall Blvd). Inexpensive Vietnamese cuisine, lunch and dinner. 
• 🌍 The Palace Restaurant, 8718 S Tacoma Way (corner of South Tacoma Way and Steilacoom Blvd), ☎ [phone]. Informal Korean restaurant. Cook at the table or order ready to eat. Lunch, dinner, drinks. Open late. 
• 🌍 Tacoma Szechuan, 9601 S Tacoma Way (in the Paldo World stripmall, corner of 96th and S Tacoma Way), ☎ [phone]. Authentic Chinese food. Moderate prices. Lunch, dinner, bubble tea. 

Lincoln District has international flavor.

• 🌍 Vien Dong, 3801 Yakima Ave (corner of 38th & Yakima west of Pacific), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 9AM-9PM, Su 10AM-8PM. Excellent & authentic Vietnamese restaurant. Low to moderate prices. Well known locally & busy at lunch. Excellent pho soup. 

Drink

• 🌍 1022 South, 1022 South J St (NW of S 11th & J St in the Hilltop neighborhood.), ☎ [phone]. Su W Th 4PM-midnight; F Sa 4PM-2AM. Around the corner from where the Tempest used to be is 1022 South. Featuring a huge list of traditional, and some very non-traditional, cocktails, they turn out some astonishing flavors. 
• 🌍 Engine House 9 or 'E9', 611 N Pine St (in an old firehouse building up on N Pine from 6th Ave), ☎ [phone]. M-W 11AM-midnight; Th 11AM-1AM; F 11AM-2AM; Sa 8:30AM-2AM; Su 8:30PM-10PM. In the trendy 6th Avenue area. A great beer list and karaoke on Thursdays make this bar very popular with college students from the local University of Puget Sound. 
• 🌍 Johnny's Dock, 1900 East D St (right across Thea Foss Waterway from Pacific Avenue on D St), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11:30AM-10PM; F 11:30AM-11PM; Sa 9:30AM-11PM; Su 9:30PM-8PM. Old-school, straight-out-of-the-1970s flava from the Naugahyde swivel chairs to the odd touches of brass. They serve workmanlike drinks, but they've got a great deck and happy hour prices apply during any televised sporting event. 
• 🌍 The Mix, 635 St Helens Ave (NE corner of S 7th & St Helens Ave). Daily 2PM-2AM. In Downtown's St. Helens Neighborhood caters to a mostly gay crowd. On weekend nights The Mix is packed with 20- and 30-somethings having a good time. 
• 🌍 Club Silverstone, 739 St Helens Ave (SE of St Helens Ave & Court C), ☎ [phone]. Daily 11AM-2AM. Tacoma's largest gay nightclub, in the Theater District in Downtown Tacoma. During the week the club is low-key but on the weekends the club gets busy with dancing all night long. 
• 🌍 The Hub, 203 Tacoma Ave S (2nd & Tacoma Ave S), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11AM-11PM; F 11AM-1AM; Sa 9AM-1AM; Su 9AM-11PM. Excellent Mediterranean-themed fare. One of the hot spots in the popular Stadium district. 
• 🌍 Tacoma Wine Merchants, 21 N Tacoma Ave, ☎ [phone]. Located in the Stadium District, this cozy, European-style wine bar offers over thirty wines by the glass. Cheese plates, panini, soups and salads available. 

Sleep

Downtown

• 🌍 Best Western Plus Tacoma Dome, 2611 East 'E' St (E 26th & E St, between Tacoma Dome and Freighthouse Square), ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. In between the Tacoma Dome and Freighthouse Square and in close proximity to Amtrak, the bus stations and downtown. (updated Aug 2018)
• 🌍 Hotel Murano, 1320 Broadway Plaza, ☎ [phone]. 
• 🌍 Courtyard Marriott - Tacoma Downtown, 1515 Commerce St (Across from the Great Tacoma Convention Center), ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. The hotel is connected to the historic Waddell building. The Waddell building's ground floor features the award winning restaurant, Pacific Grill, ran by famed Chef, Gordon Naccarato. Above Pacific Grill are 2 luxury suites that are one of a kind for a Courtyard property. On the lower level of the hotel is the new Pacific Grill Events Center that host many events year round. 
• 🌍 Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tacoma Downtown, 2102 South C St (C St & S 21st. Couple blocks up the Hill on S 21st from Pacific), ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. (updated May 2015)

North End

The North End neighborhood is an upscale neighborhood especially those closer in and north of downtown and along the waterfront (Stadium District and Old Town). Except the Silver Cloud by the waterfront most of the accommodations in the North End are in large (historic) homes that have been permitted and converted to board guests as a Bed & Breakfast.

• 🌍 Silver Cloud, 2317 Ruston Way, ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Waterfront hotel on a two-mile long scenic waterfront road (Ruston Way) and park. (updated May 2015)
• 🌍 The Villa B&B, 705 N 5th St (Along N 5th St between Yakima & G St in a residential area.), ☎ [phone]. A highly rated, luxury six-room bed and breakfast hotel in the Stadium district. (updated May 2015)

South Tacoma

The South Tacoma accommodations are near some of the large shopping complexes as well as quicker access to the Lewis McChord military reservation. The accommodations are typically lined up along S Hosmer at the 7400 block (accessed off of S 72nd at Exit #129) and more between the 8000 block and the 9200 block where S Hosmer become S Steele (accessed from Exit #128 if going north bound I-5). They're the typical national chain hotels and motels, located off of the freeway for someone needing a break from a long day of driving. They're also surrounded by several restaurants such Ihop, Burger King, Jack in the Box, Subway, etc. for a place to get a quick bite to eat as well:

• 🌍 Comfort Inn Tacoma Hotel, 8620 S Hosmer St, ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Offers guests free wireless high-speed Internet access and a fitness center with an indoor heated pool. $80. 
• 🌍 Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tacoma, 8601 S Hosmer (along S Hosmer just south of S 84th; accessed at S 84th St from the northbound lanes of I-5 and S 72nd St from the southbound lanes), ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. (updated May 2015)
• 🌍 Motel 6 Tacoma South, 1811 S 76th St (S 76th St & Hosmer; accessed at S 72nd St from I-5 (Exit #129)), ☎ [phone]. (updated Oct 2017)
• 🌍 Holiday Inn Tacoma Mall, 8402 S Hosmer St (NW of the intersection of S Hosmer & S 84th; accessed at S 84th St from the northbound lanes of I-5 and S 72nd St from the southbound lanes), ☎ [phone]. (updated Oct 2017)
• 🌍 Shilo Inn, 7414 S Hosmer (S 74th St & Hosmer; accessed at S 72nd St from I-5 (Exit #129)), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. (updated Oct 2017)

Stay safe

While Tacoma's crime problem has improved over the past decade, the city still has a high crime rate relative to other Northwest cities. Much of the crime is concentrated on the Hilltop and Eastside neighborhoods. The Stadium District area has the lowest crime rate in the city and Downtown has a low crime rate compared to downtown areas of other cities (including Seattle), however visitors should be cautious as in any urban area. Visitors should also be careful when entering the surrounding suburbs of Lakewood, Spanaway and Parkland. Crime problems in Lakewood sometimes run over into near by Parkland. As always when traveling alone or at night, avoid poorly-lit areas with little foot traffic.

Connect

The area code for the Tacoma area and South King County is 253.

• 🌍 Tacoma public Library, 1102 Tacoma Ave S, ☎ [phone]. Tu W 11AM-8PM, Th-Sa 9AM-6PM. Issues one-hour guest passes for Internet terminal use. Numerous branch libraries scattered around Tacoma. Free wi-fi available to public while the libraries are open. Wi-fi shuts off 30 minutes before the libraries close and stays off until the library opens again. 
• 🌍 US Postal Service (Post Office), (downtown post office) 1102 A St (Along A St between S 11th & S 12th St.), ☎ [phone]. Retail counter: M-F 8AM-5PM; passport acceptance: M-F 10AM-3PM by appointment. Zip codes for Tacoma, University Place, Parkland, Spanaway, & Lakewood typically range from 98402 through 98498. The zip codes for for other surrounding cities can be 980xx and 983xx as well. There are numerous post office branches in different neighborhoods and at least one (or more) in each adjacent city/municipality serving the other zip codes. 

Go next

Near Tacoma are some other things worth visiting, listed roughly north to south:

• To the northwest, the waterfront town of Gig Harbor. I-5 to exit 132 (WA Hwy 16) A great place to see the bridge is by visiting the park below and slightly adjacent to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Going north from the bridge, take the first exit (24th St NW) and follow the signs (several left turns). On a very clear day, Mount Rainier will be in the background to the east, beyond the waterway.
• Seattle, north of Tacoma, has a lot to do for visitors.
• To the northeast, Rhododendron Species Foundation and Garden, and the adjacent Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way, just off Interstate 5.
• Wild Waves, a water-themed amusement park, also in Federal Way, just off Interstate 5.
• To the south, Lakewold Gardens Estate, in Lakewood.
• Also to the south, Northwest Trek, a 615-acre park that is home to more than 200 North American animals.
• To the southeast, Mount Rainier National Park, and the nearby Mt. Rainier Railroad.
• To the southwest is Washington's easygoing capital city, Olympia.

Routes through Tacoma

Seattle ← Fife ←	N  S	→ Lacey → Portland
Bremerton ← Gig Harbor ←	N  S	→ END
END ←	W  E	→ Puyallup → Renton
Seattle ← Federal Way ← Dash Point ←	N  S	→ END
END ←	N  S	→ Jct Mount Rainier → Ends at Jct in Morton
Seattle ← Tukwila ←	N  S	→ Lacey → Portland