Arbor Heights

Seattle's West Seattle district, about 7.15 miles from downtown, in King County.

Researched and written by Ryan Rose · Updated October 29, 2026

The street grid in Arbor Heights runs to long blocks, averaging 435 ft, which is longer than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods, and I estimated sidewalk coverage at 25.8%, lower than 90% of them. That is the main trade-off in my notes. The lots are the other thing that set it apart: the average is 8,493 sq ft, larger than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods, and 98.5% of the 2,374 homes are single-family. I also noted Seola Park and the Seola Beach Greenbelt within its 597 acres.

Illustration of a residential street of detached single-family houses, built mostly in the 1950s.
Illustration
Downtown Arbor Heights 2 mi N ↑
I marked Arbor Heights on a map of Seattle drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area
597 acres
Homes
2,374
Median year built
1952
Average home size
1,895 sq ft Larger than 75% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average lot size
8,493 sq ft Larger than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods
Streets steeper than 8%
10.9% of street length Flatter than 60% of Seattle neighborhoods Elevation 13–422 ft
In FEMA's 100-year flood zone
None
Within 500 ft of a freeway
None The nearest is 1.8 miles away
New homes permitted
19 Fewer than 95% of Seattle neighborhoods Since January 2023

Share of residential lots: 98.5% single-family, 0.4% townhouse, 0.7% condominium, 0.3% duplex to fourplex

I compared each figure with the 82 other Seattle neighborhoods I have researched that have at least 100 residential parcels.

Getting around on foot

Intersections per sq mile
130 Fewer than 70% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average block length
435 ft Longer than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods
Sidewalk coverage
25.8% (my estimate) Lower than 90% of Seattle neighborhoods
Transit stops within ¼ mile
53 Fewer than 70% of Seattle neighborhoods
Everyday categories within ½ mile
8

I compared each figure with the 82 other Seattle neighborhoods I have researched that have at least 100 residential parcels.

Parks and recreation

Seola Beach Greenbelt, Seola Park

Schools in and near this neighborhood

  • Arbor Heights Elementary School PK–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Summit Public School: Atlas 6–12 Summit Public School: Atlas
  • WESTSIDE SCHOOL
  • Bridges Transition PK–12 Seattle School District No. 1
  • EXPLORER WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL
  • THE BRIDGE SCHOOL
  • Shorewood Elementary PK–5 Highline School District
  • TAPROOT SCHOOL

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

  • Mocha Mojo Coffee · 0.1 mi away
  • Endolyne Joe's Restaurant · 0.2 mi away Patio
  • Banh Mi XO Vietnamese · 0.4 mi away
  • The Birdhouse Coffee · 0.4 mi away Patio
  • Happy Lemon Bubble Tea · 0.5 mi away
  • Starbucks Coffee · 0.5 mi away
  • Boss Drive-In Burger · 0.6 mi away
  • Salvadorean Bakery Salvadoran · 0.7 mi away
  • Yum Yum Teriyaki Japanese · 0.7 mi away
  • Cemitas La Po Coffee · 0.7 mi away

I pulled these from OpenStreetMap: the nearest named restaurants and cafes, starting inside the neighborhood and measured from its edge. Places marked Patio have outdoor seating, from my research for Outdoor Seating Near Me, my other site; the photos come from that research too.

Housing context

Median home value
$693,800
Median gross rent
$2,473
Owner-occupied
85.2%
Renter-occupied
14.8%

I pulled these from the census tract that covers this neighborhood, so they describe the tract, not the neighborhood itself. I report housing and housing cost only.

Bordering neighborhoods