University District

Seattle's University District, about 3.84 miles from downtown, in King County.

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

University District earned my attention for its transit: I counted 99 transit stops within a quarter mile, more than 80% of Seattle neighborhoods. Inside its borders I found 68 restaurants and 33 cafes, and sidewalk coverage is an estimated 80.1%, higher than 60% of Seattle neighborhoods. The trade-off in my records is size, with an average home of 957 sq ft, smaller than all 82 other compared neighborhoods.

Illustration of a mix of detached houses, duplexes and small apartment buildings, built mostly in the 1920s.
Illustration
Downtown University District 2 mi N ↑
I marked University District on a map of Seattle drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area
312 acres
Homes
11,771
Median year built
1928 Older than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average home size
957 sq ft Smaller than every other Seattle neighborhood
Average lot size
6,301 sq ft
Streets steeper than 8%
4.2% of street length Flatter than 90% of Seattle neighborhoods Elevation 22–262 ft
In FEMA's 100-year flood zone
None
Within 500 ft of a freeway
22.8% of residential lots
New homes permitted
481 More than 85% of Seattle neighborhoods Since January 2023

Share of residential lots: 17.9% single-family, 19.3% townhouse, 2.7% condominium, 15.3% duplex to fourplex, 34.9% 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
174
Average block length
366 ft Shorter than 60% of Seattle neighborhoods
Sidewalk coverage
80.1% (my estimate) Higher than 60% of Seattle neighborhoods
Transit stops within ¼ mile
99 More than 80% 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

Christie Park, North Passage Point Park, Northlake Park, Ravenna Woods, University Playground

Schools in and near this neighborhood

  • ACADEMY FOR PRECISION LEARNING, UPPER SCHOOL
  • HAMPTON TUTORS LLC
  • ACADEMY FOR PRECISION LEARNING
  • ACADEMY FOR PRECISION LEARNING
  • John Stanford International School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • McDonald International School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • THE MERIDIAN SCHOOL
  • Bryant Elementary School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1

Food, drink and daily errands

Restaurants
68
Cafes
33
Bars and pubs
6
Grocery
3
Pharmacies
1

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

  • Just Burgers Burger · Inside the neighborhood
  • Panda Noodle Bar Chinese · Inside the neighborhood
  • Don't Yell At Me Cafe · Inside the neighborhood
  • Chuan House Chinese · Inside the neighborhood
  • U:Don Japanese · Inside the neighborhood
  • Egg Street Cafe · Inside the neighborhood
  • Korean Tofu House Express Korean · Inside the neighborhood
  • Seattle Best Tea Co. Cafe · Inside the neighborhood
  • Taste of Xi'an Chinese · Inside the neighborhood
  • Carmelo's Tacos Mexican · 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 gross rent
$2,007
Owner-occupied
7%
Renter-occupied
93%

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