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Visiting the UW Cherry Blossom Festival? Take transit, bike, walk, or roll your way to campus!

by on March 24, 2025
The cherry blossom trees are soon entering full bloom at the UW Seattle campus! We hope you can attend this cherished annual celebration. Photo of 2022 festival courtesy of Ethan Bancroft

Blog stats: 450 words | 2-minute read

Have you heard? The cherry blossoms are ready to bloom on the University of Washington (UW) Seattle campus, and people are flocking to see them! If you’re planning to go in the coming weeks, consider riding transit, biking, walking, or rolling.

Save travel time by avoiding traffic and parking, so you can enjoy more time celebrating the awe-inspiring cherry blossom trees, a treasured Seattle tradition each spring!

Here are a few great transit and travel options – particularly the Sound Transit light rail and King County Metro buses that serve the UW Seattle campus.

How to get there:

  • Light rail: Two light rail stations near the UW Seattle campus make it a breeze to get there. This includes the U District Station on NE 43rd St and the University of Washington Station near Husky Stadium.
  • Bus: If you don’t live near a light rail station, multiple bus routes can get you to the U District and UW campus – you can plan your trip using King County Metro’s online trip planner tool by entering your starting and ending locations.
  • Biking, walking, or rolling: As the weather improves with lighter days, we also encourage you to consider biking, walking, or rolling to campus if it works for your travel needs.
  • Driving: If you do need to drive, consider your travel plans in advance, as NE 45th St can be busy at certain times of the day. You can also consider carpooling if you’re going with family or friends.
A man and a woman cross the street at a crosswalk in front of a large bus that says "43 U District" on the sign board. The woman walks a silver bicycle and the man carries a purple notebook. Large trees and sunshine are in the background.
Two people cross the street at the UW Seattle campus on a sunny day, in front of a King County Metro Route 40 bus. Photo: SDOT

The U District is a vibrant neighborhood with thousands of students, Husky home sports games, a bustling commercial district, the Burke Museum, and many other cultural attractions.

While in the U District, you can grab a beverage or enjoy some food at one of the many local restaurants around The Ave (University Way NE) including exciting seasonal specials available through April 6. You can find all the details on the U District Partnership’s Cherry Blossom Festival web page.

People walk and bike near a large light rail station building on a partly sunny day. The station has large lettering that says "U District". A sign on the building also says "welcome" with pictures of people's faces and a light rail train.
The U District light rail station located at NE 43rd St and Brooklyn Ave NE. Photo: SDOT

Thanks again for your interest – and enjoy those cherry blossoms!

Filed Under: Biking, Busses, Community Involvement, Light Rail, Parking, Pedestrians, SDOT, Transit, Travel Advisory, Trees and Vegetation Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,