How Early Does Seattle Light Rail Start Running?
Early flight? Late night out? Either way, you need to know whether Link is actually running when you need it. The answer isn't always straightforward because it shifts depending on the day and which station you're at. For the official times, check Sound Transit's schedule page. For station locations, here's their system map. Below is the quick version.
First trains
Weekdays and Saturdays, first departures happen around 5:00 AM. Sundays are a different story. Service doesn't kick in until roughly 6:00 AM. If you're catching an early Sunday flight to SeaTac, that later start time might burn you. Have a rideshare or a friend with a car as backup, just in case.
Last trains
Final trains leave around midnight. But here's the thing people get tripped up on: the last train from the end-of-the-line stations departs earlier than midnight so that it can reach the other end before service wraps up. If you're at a station somewhere in the middle, your actual cutoff could be meaningfully earlier than you'd guess. Don't just assume "midnight means midnight everywhere." It doesn't.
How often do trains come?
Rush hour (around 6 to 9am and 3 to 6pm) you're looking at a train roughly every 8 minutes. Off-peak drops to about 10 to 15 minutes between trains. Late at night, headways stretch out to around 15 minutes. Weekends are generally less frequent than weekdays, and Sunday mornings layer that later start time on top of the reduced frequency. Not great if you're in a rush.
When schedules get weird
Holidays, special events, planned maintenance. All of these can shift or cut service in ways that aren't obvious until you're standing on a platform wondering where your train went. Sound Transit posts schedules and service alerts online. Always glance at those before counting on a specific trip, especially around holidays. A maintenance window or holiday schedule can completely upend what you're expecting.
If you're an early bird
Show up a few minutes before the first train. Stations don't have fare gates, so you can walk in whenever. The only question is whether you catch the train or watch it pull away. Missing the first one means a 10 to 15 minute wait when you're probably already on a tight schedule. If you ride early regularly, having a display at home that shows real-time arrivals takes the guesswork out entirely. NextStop Mini was basically built for this: glance at it, see the countdown, leave when it makes sense.
If you're a night owl
The last train sneaks up on people. If you're out late, figure out your actual cutoff time from whatever station you're nearest to. Miss the last one and you're looking at a rideshare bill or a very long wait until 5 or 6am. A little advance planning goes a long way here. I've learned this one the hard way more than once.
â Nikita