Central Business District

Seattle's Downtown district, about 0 miles from downtown, in King County.

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

My count of transit stops within a quarter mile came to 152, the figure that stood out most in the Central Business District's records. I also found 70 restaurants and 67 cafes inside its 216 acres, along with McGraw Square and Westlake Park. Sidewalk coverage is an estimated 84.5%, and the average block length is 305 ft. The one trade-off I noted is that I found only 1 grocery store inside the neighborhood.

Illustration of mid-rise apartment and condominium buildings above ground-floor storefronts, built mostly in the 1980s.
Illustration
Central Business District 2 mi N ↑
I marked Central Business District on a map of Seattle, WA drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area
216 acres
Homes
4,660
Median year built
1982
Average home size
2,314 sq ft
Average lot size
23,536 sq ft

26.5% condominium, 55.9% apartment

Getting around on foot

Intersections per sq mile
264
Average block length
305 ft
Sidewalk coverage
84.5% (my estimate)
Transit stops within ¼ mile
152
Everyday categories within ½ mile
8

Parks and recreation

McGraw Square, Westlake Park

Schools in and near this neighborhood

  • IDEAL SCHOOL
  • SPRUCE ST SCHOOL
  • THE NORTHWEST SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
  • O'DEA HIGH SCHOOL

Food, drink and daily errands

Restaurants
70
Cafes
67
Bars and pubs
19
Grocery
1
Pharmacies
1

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

  • Purple Cafe and Wine Bar - Seattle American · Inside the neighborhood
  • The Capital Grille Steak House · Inside the neighborhood
  • Fogo de Chão Brazilian · Inside the neighborhood
  • Caffe Migliore Coffee · Inside the neighborhood
  • 4th Avenue Espresso Bar Coffee · Inside the neighborhood
  • The Original Deli Cafe · Inside the neighborhood
  • Shuckers Oyster Bar Seafood · Inside the neighborhood
  • Kudedon Sushi Sushi · Inside the neighborhood
  • The George Northwestern · Inside the neighborhood
  • Union Deli Coffee · Inside the neighborhood

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
$894,200
Median gross rent
$2,767
Owner-occupied
13.7%
Renter-occupied
86.3%

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