Portage Bay facts for kids
Portage Bay is a part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal in Seattle, Washington. Many people think of it as the eastern arm of Lake Union.
To the east, Portage Bay connects to Union Bay, which is part of Lake Washington. They are linked by the Montlake Cut, a waterway with the Montlake Bridge crossing over it. This bridge carries State Route 513. To the north of the bay is the large campus of the University of Washington.
Looking west, the University Bridge crosses Portage Bay. This bridge connects the Eastlake area with the University District. Further west, the Ship Canal Bridge carries Interstate 5 over the water. After this bridge, the water is considered Lake Union. In the southern part of Portage Bay, the Portage Bay Viaduct carries State Route 520 from the Eastlake and Capitol Hill areas to Montlake.
Portage Bay got its name in 1913. Before the Ship Canal was built, people had to carry (or "portage") logs and goods across the land between Union Bay and Lake Union. This area was called the Montlake Isthmus. Today, the bay is home to two yacht clubs, the Seattle Yacht Club and the Queen City Yacht Club. Many houseboats float on its waters. You can also find the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and the University of Washington's College of Ocean and Fishery Science here.
How Portage Bay Got Its Start
For a long time, people wanted to connect Lake Washington and Lake Union. In 1860, a landowner named Harvey Pike tried to dig the first ditch between Union Bay and Portage Bay. He eventually gave up. His land then went to the Lake Washington Ship Canal Company. This company built a special rail line to carry goods between the lakes. This rail line was used until 1878.
Later, in 1883, two men named David Denny and Thomas Burke had a canal built. This canal was mainly used for floating logs.
People and Events Around the Bay
A Native American man named Cheshiahud lived by Portage Bay for many years, starting in 1885. He was known for carving canoes there.
In 1909, a big event called the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition took place nearby. It was like a world's fair. A fun part of it, called the Pay Streak, had a gondola ramp and a walkway that ended on the north shores of Portage Bay.
Until the 2010s, a university police station was located on the north shore of Portage Bay. It was taken down to make space for a public park. This new park, called Fritz Hedges Waterway Park, opened in October 2020. Funding for the park came from the Washington State Department of Transportation. It was part of a project to improve the area because of the State Route 520 expansion.
The Portage Bay Neighborhood
There is a small neighborhood named Portage Bay. It is a residential area located on the southwestern shore of the bay. The neighborhood is bordered by State Route 520 to the south and Interstate 5 to the west. It is famous for having one of the largest groups of houseboats still left in Seattle.
