Whittier Heights

Seattle's Ballard district, about 5.46 miles from downtown, in King County.

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

Whittier Heights is where I found the sidewalk figure I liked most: estimated coverage of 92.5%, higher than 95% of Seattle neighborhoods. I also pulled the street data, which shows 174 intersections per square mile and an average block length of 399 ft. Baker Park on Crown Hill and Kirke Park are among the parks inside the neighborhood. Average lots run 3,775 sq ft, smaller than 90% of Seattle neighborhoods.

Illustration of a mix of detached houses, duplexes and small apartment buildings, built mostly in the 1940s.
Illustration
Downtown Whittier Heights 2 mi N ↑
I marked Whittier Heights on a map of Seattle drawn from the neighborhood boundaries the city publishes. Downtown is marked for reference.

At a glance

Area
324 acres
Homes
2,812
Median year built
1942 Older than 75% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average home size
1,775 sq ft Larger than 60% of Seattle neighborhoods
Average lot size
3,775 sq ft Smaller than 90% of Seattle neighborhoods
Streets steeper than 8%
0.1% of street length Flatter than 95% of Seattle neighborhoods Elevation 150–339 ft
In FEMA's 100-year flood zone
None
Within 500 ft of a freeway
None The nearest is 1.7 miles away
New homes permitted
134 Since January 2023

Share of residential lots: 72.9% single-family, 22.5% townhouse, 1.0% condominium, 2.2% duplex to fourplex, 1.2% 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
399 ft
Sidewalk coverage
92.5% (my estimate) Higher than 95% of Seattle neighborhoods
Transit stops within ¼ mile
38 Fewer than 85% 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

Baker Park on Crown Hill, Ballard Swimming Pool, Kirke Park

Schools in and near this neighborhood

  • Ballard High School 9–12 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Whittier Elementary School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Salmon Bay K-8 School K–8 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Greenwood Elementary School PK–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • ST ALPHONSUS SCHOOL
  • MATHEIA SCHOOL
  • ST JOHN SCHOOL
  • West Woodland Elementary School K–5 Seattle School District No. 1
  • Whitman Middle School 6–8 Seattle School District No. 1

Food, drink and daily errands

Restaurants
8
Cafes
1
Bars and pubs
2
Grocery
1
Pharmacies
1

Restaurants and coffee I found nearby

  • Un Bien Caribbean · Inside the neighborhood Patio
  • A Lamb’s Quandary Restaurant · Inside the neighborhood Patio
  • Phở Viet Nam Vietnamese · Inside the neighborhood
  • Tarasco Mexican · Inside the neighborhood
  • Delancey Pizza · Inside the neighborhood Patio
  • Tangerine Thai Thai · Inside the neighborhood
  • Starbucks Coffee · Inside the neighborhood
  • Pagliacci Pizza Pizza · Inside the neighborhood
  • Taki's Mad Greek Greek · Inside the neighborhood
  • Jumpin' Jimmy's Java Coffee · 0.1 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
$984,900
Median gross rent
$2,313
Owner-occupied
67.4%
Renter-occupied
32.6%

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