Phinney Ridge

Seattle's North Central district, about 4.63 miles from downtown, in King County.

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

Phinney Ridge's median home was built in 1930, older than in 85% of Seattle neighborhoods, and that was the figure I noticed first in the records. My lookup of the street data showed sidewalk coverage estimated at 84.3% and an average block length of 327 ft, shorter than in 85% of the neighborhoods. Lots average 4,248 sq ft, smaller than in 80% of them, which is the trade-off I'd weigh. Linden Orchard Park is one of the parks I found inside.

Illustration of a residential street of detached single-family houses, built mostly in the 1930s.
Illustration
Downtown Phinney Ridge 2 mi N ↑
I marked Phinney Ridge on a map of Seattle drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area
732 acres
Homes
5,074
Median year built
1930 Older than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average home size
1,807 sq ft Larger than 60% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average lot size
4,248 sq ft Smaller than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods
Streets steeper than 8%
23.0% of street length Hillier than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods Elevation 156–365 ft
In FEMA's 100-year flood zone
None
Within 500 ft of a freeway
None The nearest is 0.8 miles away
New homes permitted
145 Since January 2023

Share of residential lots: 87.2% single-family, 5.2% townhouse, 1.2% condominium, 4.2% duplex to fourplex, 2.0% apartment

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
207 More than 75% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average block length
327 ft Shorter than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods
Sidewalk coverage
84.3% (my estimate) Higher than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods
Transit stops within ¼ mile
62
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

Cascade Place, Linden Orchard Park, Rainier Place, Sunset Place, Woodland Park, Woodland Park Zoo

Schools in and near this neighborhood

  • NORTHWEST MONTESSORI SCHOOL
  • KAPKA COOPERATIVE SCHOOL
  • West Woodland Elementary School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • ST BENEDICT SCHOOL
  • ST JOHN SCHOOL
  • Daniel Bagley Elementary School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Greenwood Elementary School PK–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Lincoln High School 9–12 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Whittier Elementary School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Ballard High School 9–12 Seattle School District No. 1
  • THE MERIDIAN SCHOOL

Food, drink and daily errands

Restaurants
25
Cafes
9
Bars and pubs
11
Grocery
1
Pharmacies
0

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

  • Roy Thai · Inside the neighborhood
  • Modern Japanese Sushi · Inside the neighborhood
  • Chef Liao Chinese · Inside the neighborhood
  • Taste & Tell Lounge Cafe · Inside the neighborhood
  • Stevie's Famous Pizza · Inside the neighborhood
  • Windy City Pie Pizza · Inside the neighborhood
  • Arigato Sushi · Inside the neighborhood
  • Kipos Greek · Inside the neighborhood
  • Ada’s Restaurant & Bar Turkish · Inside the neighborhood
  • Home Espresso Repair and Cafe 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
$1,198,800
Median gross rent
$1,831
Owner-occupied
59.4%
Renter-occupied
40.6%

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