Auburn

Auburn is a city in south King County in the Puget Sound region of Washington.

Get in

By car

• State Route (SR) 18 serves as a major east-west freeway between I-5 (exit 142A) in Federal Way and I-90 (exit 25) near Snoqualmie. It goes through Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley and Issaquah in the east/southeastern regions of King County.
• Auburn Way S (SR-164) becomes Auburn-Enumclaw Hwy, outside the city, to connect Auburn to Enumclaw.
• Valley Freeway (SR-167) serves as the main north-south highway from I-405 (exit 2) in Renton to Puyallup through Kent, Auburn, and Sumner in the Kent Valley.

By train

• 1 Sound Transit Sounder operates the Sounder Train between King Street Station in downtown Seattle and Lakewood Station (south of Tacoma) via Tukwila, Kent Station, Auburn, Sumner, Puyallup, Tacoma-Dome, S Tacoma (S Washington Ave between S 57th & 58th). Nearest transfer stations to Amtrak trains are in Tacoma-Dome Station and Seattle King Street Station. Connections to King County Metro and Pierce Transit buses are at each station. Check schedules as trains only go north in the mornings, south in the afternoons and the on Seattle Seahawks and Mariners game days. Check schedules.

By bus

Nearest connections to Greyhound, Flixbus, and other intercity bus companies are in Seattle and the Tacoma Dome Station.

By plane

The 2 Auburn Municipal Airport (FAA LID: S50) (for general aviation only) is two miles north of the city.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA ^IATA), the nearest commercial airport to Auburn, is 9 mi (14 km) away. Depending on traffic, you can go north on SR-167 to I-405 in Renton, and go west on I-405 which becomes SR-518 towards the airport. Or one can go west SR-18 to Federal Way and then north on I-5 to the I-450/SR-518 junction in Tukwila.

Get around

By public transit

• King County Metro, ☏ +1 206-553-3000. Operates bus, streetcar, and monorail routes in King County. Communities within the county served by this operator's routes include Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Mercer Island, North Bend, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Tukwila, Vashon Island, White Center, and Woodinville. (updated Jun 2023)
  • The transportation hub (bus station) in Auburn is the 3 Auburn Station on A st & 2nd St SW in downtown Auburn. The Auburn Station offers routes with King County Metro and Sound Transit service to Kent (160, 566); Enumclaw (915); Federal Way (181, 578); Kent (160, 566) Redmond (566); Bellevue (566); Renton (160, 566); Downtown Seattle (578); Puyallup (578); Algona/Pacific (917), and local service around town (181, 184, 915, 917).
• Sound Transit, toll-free: +1-888-889-6368. Has regional public transit routes including Sounder trains, Link light rail, and express bus in King County (e.g. Bellevue, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, Seattle), Snohomish County (e.g. Everett, Lynnwood), and Pierce County (e.g. Puyallup, Tacoma). (updated Jun 2023)
  • 566 Redmond, Bellevue, Renton, Kent and Auburn on SR-167, I-405 & SR-520.
  • 578 Downtown Seattle, Federal Way, Auburn and Puyallup
• Pierce Transit 497 to Lakeland Hills

See

• 1 White River Valley Museum, 918 H Street SE (Behind the Auburn Library, in Les Gove Park), ☏ +1 253 288-7433. W-Su noon-4PM. Admission is free every First Thursday and Last Sunday. On First Thursdays they are also open from 6PM-8PM. The White River Valley Museum focuses on Native American history to the 1920s. They focus on the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and of pioneer life. $5/adult, $2/concession. (updated Jul 2019)
• 2 Neely Mansion, 12303 SE Auburn-Black Diamond Rd (east of Auburn on Hwy 18, Auburn-Black Diamond Road exit, turn right), ☏ +1 253 833-9404. Summer Saturdays tours 1-4PM. 125-year-old mansion, National Historic Site from the Victorian Era suggested donation of $3. (updated Jul 2019)

Do

• 1 Flaming Geyser State Park, 23700 SE Flaming Geyser Rd, ☏ +1 253 735-8839. 8AM-dusk. (updated Sep 2020)
• 2 White River Amphitheatre, 40601 Auburn Enumclaw Rd, ☏ +1 360-825-6200, WRAReceptionist@livenation.com. (updated Sep 2020)

Gambling

If you win... Chances are if you win it big in Auburn and you are a foreigner you will get dinged by the 30% withholding tax. That $10,000 slot winning can dwindle quite quickly if that is taken off the top. Not to worry though, you can reclaim your gambling winnings tax through a 1042-S form. You should get this from the casino so don't lose it... it is your starting ticket to getting your gambling winnings back.

• 3 Muckleshoot Casino, 2402 Auburn Way S., toll-free: +1-800-804-4944. (updated Oct 2016)
• 4 Muckleshoot Bingo, 2117 Auburn Way S (Across street from Casino), ☏ +1 253-735-2404. (updated Oct 2016)
• 5 Emerald Downs, 2300 Ron Crockett Dr, ☏ +1 253-288-7000, toll-free: +1-888-931-8400. Live racing (April – September): $9, or $5 with Emerald Rewards card. Simulcast (Sep-Apr): $3, or $2 with card. (updated Jun 2019)
• 6 Iron Horse Casino, 333 15th Street NE, ☏ +1-253-833-7100. Su-Th 8AM-3AM; F Sa 24 hr/day. Table games only, no slots or bingo. (updated Oct 2016)

Buy

• 1 The Outlet Collection Seattle (formerly Super Mall), 1101 Outlet Collection Way, ☏ +1 253-833-9500. M-Sa 11AM-8PM; Su 11AM-7PM. Largest indoor outlet mall in the Pacific Northwest. (updated Oct 2016)
• 2 Auburn North Mall, 1207-1347 Auburn Way N. Aaron's, Big 5, Dollar Tree, LA Fitness, MOD Pizza, Office Depot, Soho Teriyaki, Super Cuts, UPS Store, etc. There are other similar malls and free-standing retail stores and restaurants surrounding the intersection of 15th St NE & Auburn Way N. (updated Apr 2023)
• 3 Lakeland Town Center, 1400-1420 Lake Tapps Pkwy (Lake Tapps Pkwy & Lakeland Hills Way SE). Hours vary at each business.. Haggen's Supermarket, Hops n Drops, Legendary Doughnuts, Ichi Teriyaki, McDonald's, Puerto Vallarta Restaurant, Pet Pro, Orange Theory Fitness, Rock Wood Fired Pizza, Sushi Konami, Starbucks, UPS Store, etc. There are additional stores and restaurants on the other side of Lakeland Hills Way SE from the mall. (updated Apr 2023)

Eat

• 1 Legendary Doughnuts, 1410 Lake Tapps Pkwy E (Lakeland Town Center in Lakeland Hills), ☏ +1 253-736-0036. Su-Th 5AM-6PM, F Sa 5AM-7PM. The first location of this small local chain. Will close early once sold out. Delivery available. (updated Jul 2019)

Drink

• 1 Rail Hop'n Brewing Co, 122 W Main St, Suite 101B (North of the transit station, on Main St Between B & A St in downtown), ☏ +1 253-217-6800. M-F 6AM-9PM, Sa noon-11PM. Auburns original microbrewer. In the heart of downtown Auburn. Their new facility has espresso and appetizers too. (updated Jul 2019)

Sleep

• 1 Best Western Plus Mountain View Auburn Inn, 401 8th Street SW, ☏ +1 253 887-7600, toll-free: +1-888-624-4854, fax: +1 253 887-7676. 
• 2 Comfort Inn Auburn - Seattle, 1 16th St. NE, ☏ +1 253-333-8888. (updated Oct 2016)

Go next

Routes through Auburn

Renton ← Kent ←	N  S	→ Puyallup → Tacoma
Federal Way ←	W  E	→ Snoqualmie