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By Car

I-5, Seattle's major highway, runs right through the middle of the city and acts as the main north-south arterial. Highway 99 (often referred to as Aurora Avenue) runs parallel to I-5 and is another main north-south throughway. Denny Way is an important east-west route within Seattle, especially for those trying to get from the waterfront or Lower Queen Anne to Capitol Hill. I-405 is the major highway that runs east of Lake Washington, beginning in South Center, to connect Renton, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Woodinville.

I-90 is the major east-west state highway linking Seattle with south Bellevue, Issaquah, and cities east of the Cascades; Highway 520 branches off from I-5 near Montlake and connects Seattle to north Bellevue and Redmond. The Lake Washington Floating Bridge (part of I-90) and the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge (part of Highway 520) are the only routes across Lake Washington.

Parking

Parking Downtown is scarce and expensive. Meters are $1 per hour and take quarters or dimes, but it's free after 6 PM and on Sunday. Note that the maximum street-parking time on work days is two hours. Garages and open lots charge anywhere from $3 to $5 per hour, or $8 to $30 per day; however, local merchants will often stamp parking-garage tickets for free two-hour stays. Be vigilant: Seattle parking enforcement officers are notoriously efficient.

Traffic

The I-5 corridor tends to be clogged with traffic heading into Downtown from both north and south from 7 to 9:30 each morning, and out again each evening from 4 to 6:30. It's not unusual for the heavy traffic pattern to continue throughout the day. There are two bridges heading east-west over Lake Washington, Highway 520 to the north of Downtown, and I-90 to the south. Traffic is usually better on one bridge than the other, so listen to local radio reports to make your choice about which one to use. On I-405, the north-south interstate highway on the east side of Lake Washington, the traffic is heavy during the traditional morning and evening rush hours.