Trying to figure out your travel plans in Seattle this New Year’s Eve? It might help to have a quick breakdown of the operating hours of public transit in Seattle during New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Seattle’s transit agencies switch to Sunday/holiday schedules on New Year’s Day, with reduced service frequencies and different first/last run times. The good news is that you can enjoy fare-free rides on New Year’s Eve in Seattle.
First, let’s go over the typical weekday hours of Seattle’s public transit. While exact departure times vary by route, here’s a general idea based on weekday operations. King County Metro and Express buses usually start service around 5:0o to 6:00 a.m. on weekdays and continue into the late evening (10:00 p.m. to midnight on many routes). The Link light rail commonly runs from 5:00 a.m. until around midnight on weekdays, with more frequent service during peak travel times.
Now here are the operating times of Seattle public transit for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day:
King County Metro Bus
New Year’s Eve: The King County Metro system operates on a regular weekday schedule on New Year’s Eve. Most buses will run their normal hours (typically early morning through late evening, often around 5:00 am to around midnight depending on route). For specific route times, check the route’s weekday timetable.
Free NYE rides: King County Metro will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve. This includes buses, Access Paratransit, DART, and Metro Flex. They will all run fare-free from 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 31 through 3:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 1.
New Year’s Day: Sunday (holiday) schedule applies on Thursday, January 1 instead of the regular weekday schedule. This means most buses operate at reduced Sunday frequency and span (usually starting around 7:00-9:00 am and ending around 6:00-8:00 pm). This varies by route so you’ll need to check the schedule for the specific route you plan to use for exact first/last trips.
King County Water Taxi
New Year’s Eve: The water taxi will operate fare-free on Wednesday, December 31.
New Year’s Day: The King County Water Taxi (Vashon and West Seattle routes) will have no service on January 1.
Seattle Streetcars
New Year’s Eve: Both the First Hill and SLU streetcars will operate fare-free on New Year’s Eve with weekday service hours. However, note that there will be no extended service on the South Lake Union Streetcar to accommodate fireworks viewing downtown.
New Year’s Day: Both streetcars will run on a reduced Sunday schedule.
Sound Transit (Link light rail, ST Express buses, Sounder)
New Year’s Eve: The Link light rail and Sound Transit Express buses are fare-free from 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 31 to 3:00 a.m. Thursday, January 1. Sound Transit will operate extended 1 Line Link light rail service on New Year’s Eve, with 15-minute late-night service. The last southbound trip will leave Lynnwood Station at 2:01 a.m. The last northbound train will leave Angle Lake Station at 1:55 a.m. Note that service will not be extended on the 2 Line for New Year’s Eve.
New Year’s Day: Link light rail runs its Sunday schedule on New Year’s Day, meaning reduced frequency (e.g., trains typically start later in the morning and end earlier in the evening than weekday service). Exact first/last trips vary by line and station; check the specific Link schedule for December 25. ST Express Buses and the Tacoma Link also run on a Sunday schedule. Sounder Commuter Rail will have no service on New Year’s Day.
Seattle Center Monorail
New Year’s Eve: Planning to ride the Monorail to Seattle Center to see the fireworks? Note that the Seattle Center Monorail will collect its regular fare on New Year’s Eve. It will run from Westlake to the Seattle Center until 11:00 p.m., and from Seattle Center to Westlake from 12:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Need more info? If you want exact first/last departure times for a specific bus route or rail line (e.g., Link light rail from your station to Sea-Tac Airport or a particular Metro bus), you can visit the King County Metro website or the Sound Transit website for the light rail schedule.