Lake Washington
Lake Washington (Lushootseed: x̌ačuʔ) is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. Locally, it belongs to Medina. The first to add nearby is Space Needle, at 4.2 mi.
A lake inside Medina
Seattle is the nearest base
Seattle is 4 miles west, with 201 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
May, June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 67–77°. When to go ↓
An airport 7 miles away
King County International Airport - Boeing Field (BFI) has airline service, about 7 miles from Lake Washington.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
A month-by-month look
Pick a month for Lake Washington from the weather below.
Lake Washington
Lake Washington (Lushootseed: x̌ačuʔ) is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest natural lake in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It borders the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south, and Kenmore on the north, and encloses Mercer Island. The lake is fed by the Sammamish River at its north end and the Cedar River at its south.
The lake provides boating and sport fishing opportunities. Some fish species found in its waters include sockeye salmon, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and black crappie.
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 34 square miles
- Elevation
- 16 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 54K a year
Nights near Lake Washington
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Seattle (201) and Bellevue (39).
- 1Space Needle
- 2Climate Pledge Arena
- 3Lumen Field
- 4T-Mobile Park
- 5Seattle Underground
- 6Husky Stadium
- 7Museum of Pop Culture
- 8The Museum of Flight
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Lake Washington | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medina | in town | — | — | 2,974 | $2,000K | B+ |
| Seattle | 4 mi west | 5 min | 201 148 hotels · 8 motels · 32 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 5 hostels · 1 campground | 784,777 | $939K | D− |
| Bellevue | 5 mi southeast | 10 min | 39 37 hotels · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 154,193 | $1,340K | C− |
| SeaTac | 13 mi south | 20 min | 49 39 hotels · 7 motels · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 RV park | 34,578 | $520K | D |
| Tukwila | 11 mi south | 15 min | 24 23 hotels · 1 motel | 22,003 | $489K | D− |
| Kirkland | 5 mi northeast | 10 min | 11 10 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 97,410 | $1,115K | B− |
| Redmond | 8 mi northeast | 10 min | 12 12 hotels | 82,506 | $1,168K | C |
| Renton | 11 mi south | 15 min | 15 13 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B | 104,975 | $673K | D |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Pair Lake Washington with these
Within 8 miles you can add these well-known places.
Big draw14 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
44 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
54 mi Ancient siteSeattle Underground
62 mi Stadium & arenaHusky Stadium
74 mi MuseumMuseum of Pop Culture
88 mi MuseumThe Museum of Flight400K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Space Needle: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lumen Field: "Smart Destinations", GoSeattleCard.com, and Go Seattle Card Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0 · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Seattle Underground: Mark Hursh, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Husky Stadium: Atomic Taco, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Museum of Pop Culture: EMP|SFM, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Museum of Flight: Fawcett5 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Asked about Lake Washington
Is Lake Washington in Medina?
Yes. It’s inside Medina, WA.
When is the best time to visit Lake Washington?
May, June, July, August and September, with highs of 67–77°.
What is the closest airport to Lake Washington?
King County International Airport - Boeing Field (BFI), about 7 miles away. The nearest big hub is Seattle–Tacoma (SEA), about 13 miles.
Where should I stay near Lake Washington?
Seattle (4 mi, 201 places to stay), Bellevue (5 mi, 39 places to stay) and SeaTac (13 mi, 49 places to stay).
Tips for visiting, from Medina
What people nearby have posted about Lake Washington.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.