An Amtrak Cascades day trip from Portland to Seattle is a great way to travel. There are currently three daily departures from Portland that provide access to Seattle, plus Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. For the purpose of this getaway, we recommend northbound Cascades No. 500, which is scheduled to depart Portland Union Station at 8:05 a.m. local time.
The experience begins at Portland Union Station. Built in 1896 by the Northwest Pacific Terminal Company with joint ownership between Northern Pacific, Union Pacific, and Southern Pacific, it served notable passenger trains like the City of Portland to Chicago. It features a 150-foot clock tower that makes it an easily recognizable Portland landmark. Located at 800 NW Sixth Avenue, Portland Union Station is in the city’s Old Town neighborhood and serves Amtrak’s Cascades, Coast Starlight, and the Portland section of the Empire Builder, as well as connectivity to Portland’s MAX Light Rail and Portland Streetcar rail services.
After departing Portland, Cascades trains cross the Columbia River into Washington State at Vancouver, before following the Cowlitz River near Woodland and north to Castle Rock. After leaving Vancouver, Cascades trains primarily operate through small Washingtonian communities, passing through the center of Washington timber country and the western base of Mount St. Helens. Most of the early route is within either state or national forest land, underpinning the scenic beauty of the Cascades route.
Centralia, the half-way point between Portland and Seattle, is the next notable stop and shortly after departing here, Cascades trains begin traveling over the relatively new Port Defiance Bypass alignment between DuPont and Tacoma, which officially opened in November 2021. The 14.5-mile bypass, using former Northern Pacific tracks, has benefited from infrastructure improvements in recent years to become the preferred route instead of the original alignment along Puget Sound, which was flatter, but involved several single-track sections and tunnels.
The more efficient routing today re-joins the original Cascades route near Tacoma Dome Station. Dome Station is one of the newest train stations across Amtrak’s touch points today. It opened in November 2021, with the new route alignment, replacing Amtrak’s 1980s-era station a half-mile away. The city’s original Northern Pacific-built Union Station that opened in 1911 is now a federal courthouse and local landmark.
After Tacoma, it’s a short 45-minute jaunt to Seattle, passing through Sumner, Auburn, and Kent before a brief stop at Tukwila. When on time, Cascades No. 500 is due into Seattle King Street Station at 11:45 a.m., less than four hours after leaving Portland.
King Street Station, located at 303 South Jackson Street, was built in 1906 by the Great Northern Railway. The granite and red brick structure is a notable Seattle landmark known for its tall clock tower. The station has benefited from several modernizations and other renovations in recent years and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. Today, King Street serves Amtrak’s state-supported Cascades trains as well as the passenger railroad’s long-distance trains, the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder. Sound Transit, Seattle’s commuter rail agency, also serves King Street with its Sounder commuter trains. One block from the station is the International District/Chinatown station, which provides access to the city’s Link like rail and Seattle Streetcar services.
King Street Station is located within Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, just south of downtown, and near the city’s sports stadiums. Both T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners, and Lumen Field, home to the Seattle Seahawks is easily within walking distance of the station. Cascades trains are a great way to attend a sports game. Other attractions, which are at least a few blocks north of the station, include the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, and the Sky View Observatory at the Columbia Center. The Columbia Center is the city’s tallest skyscraper and the tallest building in Washington State, reaching 76 stories. The Seattle Art Museum is another popular venue, but it’s located several blocks away and would require a taxi or rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft. If you so choose to explore deeper into downtown Seattle, the Seattle Aquarium is a great venue and the city’s waterfront area off Alaskan Way. The Seattle Space Needle is another iconic city landmark worthy of a visit.
There are two southbound Cascades trains to consider for the return trip to Portland as of the time of this writing. This includes southbound Cascades No. 505, which departs at 2:12 p.m., and southbound Cascades No. 507, which departs at 6:10 p.m., local time. These trains return to Portland at 5:37 p.m. and 9:35 p.m., respectively, providing ample time to enjoy Seattle’s unique offerings in the Pacific Northwest.
Tips & Recommendations:
• Schedules tend to change periodically, and it is recommended to study the latest Cascades schedule to map out your Seattle layover and ensure a timely return to Portland.
• Some of the attractions mentioned in this review may require advanced tickets and it is encouraged to study up on the activities of your choosing to maximize your visit to Seattle.
• Take advantage of Seattle’s beautiful summer weather between June and August and enjoy the city’s outdoors culture.
