Kent (Washington)

Kent is the fourth largest city in King County in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Located directly between the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, Kent has several distinct neighborhoods and commercial districts within its boundaries.

Russell Woods park on the Green River Trail in Kent

Get in

By car

• Interstate 5 (I-5) passes through Kent near the western city limit. There are several exits from the highway.
• Pacific Hwy passes through alongside the western portion of Kent between S 272nd St and Kent-Des Moine Hwy (SR-516), between Federal Way and Sea-Tac along the westside of I-5. State Route (SR) 99 divides Kent (on eastside) from Des Moines (west of SR 99).
• from State Route (SR) 167 is the main freeway connecting exit #2 of I-405 through Renton, (downtown) Kent, Auburn, Sumner and Puyallup. It runs parallel to I-5 in the Kent Valley. Going north of I-405, this freeway ends but SR-167 continues north on Renton Ave as a 4 lane road through Renton towards Rainier Ave in South Settle.
• from West Valley Hwy (SR-181) serves as the major thoroughfare through Tukwila, from Exit 1 of I-405 into Kent and ends at SR-516 (Kent-Des Moines Hwy). W Valley Hwy continues south, into Auburn, as a two lane road.
• 108th Ave SE (SR-515) serves as the main north-south boulevard through the eastside of Kent and Renton.
• from & Kent-Des Moines Hwy (SR-516) goes east and west from Hwy 99, across I-5 and down the hill to downtown Kent. Continues east along Smith Ave, up the hill, into S 256th.

By bus

Intercity bus services beyond the region stop at Seattle, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, or Tacoma.

Get around

Visitors are often surprised to find out just how large Kent actually is. Most tourists would want to concern themselves with the historic downtown area and nearby shopping centers.

By public transit

The transportation hub (bus and train station) is in downtown Kent 1 Kent Station on Railroad Ave between E James & Smith St. The station offers routes with service to Sea-Tac Intl. Airport, Seattle, Tukwila/Southcenter, Bellevue, Auburn, Burien (via SeaTac); Puyallup, Renton, Federal Way, and other surrounding cities.

• 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)

• 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)
  • Operates regional bus services to Federal Way.
  • 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. Additional connections to King County Metro and Pierce Transit buses are at each station. Check schedules as trains run only one way north in the mornings and one way south in the afternoons.

Do

• 1 Accesso ShoWare Center, 625 W James St, ☏ +1 253-856-6777 (main), +1 253-856-6999 (tickets-by-phone), guestservice@accessoshowarecenter.com. Home of the Seattle Thunderbirds Hockey Team. Also hosts concerts, trade shows, community events, graduations, etc. Check calendar for event schedules. (updated Jul 2019)
• 2 Kent Commons Community Center (City of Kent Parks & Recreation), 525 4th Ave N, ☏ +1 253 856-5000. M W F 6AM-9PM; Tu-Th 7:30AM-9PM; Sa 8AM-9PM. Programs and classes for youth and adults, a fully-equipped gym and fitness center, and numerous rooms and spaces to reserve for events of all sizes. (updated May 2023)
• Kent Cornucopia Days. July. South King County's largest Family Festival is a community service project of the Kent Lions and is completely run by volunteers who ensure that our premier event benefits over 250 charitable organizations. 

Buy

• 1 Kent Station, 417 Ramsay Way (In an area bounded by W James St (north); Smith St (south); 1st Ave N (east); and 4th Ave N). Traditional shopping center offering a variety of shops, services, restaurants, cafes & a cinema. (updated May 2023)
• 2 Kent Farmers' Market, 2nd Ave, between Smith and Gowe (Kent Square Park by the public library.), ☏ +1 253 457-6235. Jun-Sept Sa 9AM-2PM. Farmers market with food booths and vendors selling crafts up in downtown Kent. (updated May 2023)

Sleep

• Best Western Plaza by the Green, 24415 Russell Rd, ☏ +1 253 854-8767, toll-free: +1-800-648-3311, fax: +1 253 850-7667. 
• TownePlace Suites Seattle Southcenter, 18123 72nd Avenue South, ☏ +1 253 796-6000, fax: +1 253 796-6050. 
• Red Lion Inn & Suites -, 25100 74th Avenue South, ☏ +1 253 520-6670, fax: +1 253 520-2588. 
• Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Seattle South/Kent, 6329 South 212th Street, ☏ +1 253 395-3800, fax: +1 253-395-4318. 
• Comfort Inn, 22311 84th Ave. S, ☏ +1 253 872-2211, fax: +1 253 981-0063. 
• Extended Stay America - Seattle - Kent, 22520 83rd Ave. S, ☏ +1 253 872-6514, fax: +1 253 872-6906, knt@extendedstay.com. 

Go next

Routes through Kent

Seattle ← SeaTac ←	N  S	→ Federal Way → Portland
Seattle ← SeaTac ←	N  S	→ Federal Way → Tacoma
END ← Renton ←	N  S	→ Auburn → Tacoma
Seattle ← SeaTac ←	N  S	→ Federal Way → Tacoma