King Street Station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids King Street Station Seattle, WA
View from southeast with the city skyline in background prior to renovation
Location	303 South Jackson Street Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates	47°35′54″N 122°19′47″W / 47.59833°N 122.32972°W / 47.59833; -122.32972
Owned by	City of Seattle
Operated by	BNSF Northwest Division
Platforms	4 (3 island, 1 side)
Tracks	7
Train operators	Amtrak, Sound Transit
Bus operators	Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach, Northwestern Trailways, Travel Washington
Connections	Light rail:      Line 1 (transfer at International District/Chinatown station) Streetcar: First Hill Streetcar (transfer at 5th & Jackson) Transit bus services: King County Metro, Sound Transit Express, Community Transit
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	Paid parking nearby
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak code: SEA
History
Opened	May 10, 1906 (1906-05-10)
Rebuilt	2008–2013
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	686,426  2.84%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Tukwila toward Eugene–Springfield Amtrak Cascades Edmonds toward Vancouver, British Columbia Tacoma toward Los Angeles Coast Starlight Terminus Tacoma Dome Suspended toward Los Angeles Terminus Empire Builder Edmonds toward Chicago Preceding station Sound Transit Following station Terminus North Line Edmonds toward Everett Tukwila toward Lakewood South Line Terminus
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Terminus North Coast Hiawatha Edmonds toward Chicago Pioneer Tacoma toward Chicago Preceding station Rocky Mountaineer Following station Terminus Coastal Passage Pacific Central (Vancouver) towards Banff or Jasper Preceding station Great Northern Railway Following station Terminus Main Line Interbay toward St. Paul Vancouver, BC – Seattle Interbay toward Vancouver, BC Kent toward Portland Portland–Seattle Line Terminus Preceding station Northern Pacific Railway Following station Terminus Main Line Kent toward St. Paul Kent toward Portland Portland–Seattle Line Terminus
King Street Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	3rd Ave. S. and S. King St. Seattle, Washington
Built	1906
Architect	Reed and Stem
NRHP reference No.	73001877
Added to NRHP	April 13, 1973
Location
King Street Station Seattle, WA Location in Washington (state) Show map of Washington (state) King Street Station Seattle, WA Location in the United States Show map of the United States

King Street Station is a busy train station in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. It serves as a major travel hub for the Pacific Northwest region. Many trains use this station, including Amtrak's Cascades, Coast Starlight, and Empire Builder. It also hosts Sounder trains, which are run by Sound Transit.

The station is located in the Pioneer Square neighborhood, at the south end of Downtown Seattle. It is close to other public transport options like Link light rail at International District/Chinatown station and Seattle Streetcar services. King Street Station first opened on May 10, 1906. It was designed by the company Reed and Stem. The station has a famous clock tower, which was inspired by a tower in Venice, Italy. Over the years, the station changed a lot, but it was fully restored in 2013 to look like its original design.

History of King Street Station

King Street Station was built between 1904 and 1906. It was created by two large railway companies, the Great Northern Railway and Northern Pacific Railway. The station replaced an older one near the waterfront.

The architects, Reed and Stem, also helped design Grand Central Terminal in New York City. King Street Station's tall tower is 242-foot (74 m) high. It was designed to look like the Campanile di San Marco in Venice, Italy. At the time, it was the tallest building in Seattle. The tower has four big mechanical clocks that show the time in every direction.

For a while, King Street Station was Seattle's main train terminal. Another station, Union Station, opened nearby in 1911.

Changes Over Time

After World War II, fewer people traveled by train. King Street Station was updated several times to make it seem more modern. For example, the original wooden benches were replaced with chrome and plastic seats.

In the late 1960s, a new ceiling was put in the waiting room. This new ceiling hid the beautiful, hand-carved original ceiling. Many of the station's original decorations, like marble panels and mosaics, were covered up or removed. Only the floor and a clock on one wall remained visible from the original design.

In 1971, Amtrak took over passenger train services in the U.S. Amtrak decided to use only King Street Station in Seattle. This led to Union Station closing down. To save money, the station's restaurant and gift shop were closed. The escalators also stopped working and were eventually walled off.

Today, King Street Station has been fully restored. It is a key part of Seattle's transportation system. You can find it near the International District/Chinatown station for Link light rail. Many King County Metro and Sound Transit Express buses also serve the area. The First Hill Streetcar also stops nearby.

Restoring the Station

Plans to bring King Street Station back to its original beauty started in 2003. These plans included fixing up the inside and outside of the building. The Compass Room and restrooms were repaired. New wooden doors and windows were installed. Old-style light fixtures and plaster decorations were added to make it look like it did before.

In 2008, the City of Seattle bought the station from BNSF Railway for just $10. This purchase helped get $19 million in state and federal money for more restoration work. The city also added $10 million from local taxes.

The clocks in the tower were fixed in 2008. Repair work on the outside of the building continued. In 2010, work began on the second and third floors. These floors used to be offices for the railway company. Crews also removed the false ceilings that had been put in during the 1960s. This revealed the original, beautiful ceiling once again.

The final part of the project focused on rebuilding the Jackson Plaza. They even drilled 36 geothermal wells, 300 ft (91 m) deep, to help heat and cool the station. The restoration project was finished, and the station was officially reopened on April 24, 2013.

Station Architecture

King Street Station is built with red bricks and a steel frame. It has decorations made of terra cotta and cast stone. The first floor is covered in brick and granite. The building has an L-shape, with the clock tower marking the main entrance. The clock tower is a key landmark in the Pioneer Square area. The station's style is sometimes called "Railroad Italianate." It has Italian influences, especially in the clock tower and inside the building.

Inside the main entrance, at the bottom of the clock tower, is the Compass Room. This room gets its name from the star compass rose design on the floor. This design is made from hand-cut marble tiles. The Compass Room has marble on the lower parts of its walls. It is lit by a large chandelier hanging from a fancy plaster decoration. Lights on the walls illuminate a band of shiny green glass tiles. The design of the waiting room was originally similar. The floor has Greek-inspired patterns.

Train Services

King Street Station is a very active place for trains. It has 25 train departures every weekday.

• Sounder Commuter Trains:

* Thirteen trains go south to Tacoma. Eight of these continue to Lakewood (weekdays only). * Four trains go north to Everett (weekdays only).

• Amtrak Cascades:

* Two trains go north to Vancouver, BC. * Four trains go south to Portland, OR. One of these continues to Eugene, OR.

• Amtrak Empire Builder:

* One long-distance train goes east to Chicago, IL.

• Amtrak Coast Starlight:

* One long-distance train goes south to Los Angeles, CA.

Amtrak Passenger Numbers

This table shows how many people got on or off Amtrak trains at King Street Station each year.

Gallery

• 

  View of suspended ceiling, now removed

• 

  King Street Station and Union Station, 1913

• 

  A Sounder train at the station

• 

  An Amtrak Cascades train in King Street Station

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  King Street Station rehab

• 

  Remodeled interior of King Street Station

• 

  View of the platforms from the southwest

Nearby Places to Explore

• Pioneer Square National Historic District
• Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park
• International District
• Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel
• CenturyLink Field (home of the Seattle Seahawks)
• T-Mobile Park (where the Seattle Mariners play baseball)
• Union Station (a historic building nearby)
• International District/Chinatown station (for light rail)

• Amtrak – Stations – Seattle, WA

See also

In Spanish: Estación de la Calle King para niños