Living in Tukwila | Experience Tukwila

A Growing, Vibrant and Accessible City

Tukwila is divided into several neighborhoods, with residents of many diverse origins living in the city. A large commercial center draws workers and customers to the city daily, and there’s an exciting buzz of activity with the confluence of freeways, trains, railroads, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Other than Seattle, Tukwila is the only city in King County to be served by the Sounder commuter trains, Amtrak, Link Light Rail, and Metro Rapid Ride buses.

A place to call home

The City of Tukwila is actively engaged with the community to create thriving neighborhoods that have multicultural residential and business communities with vibrant places where people can live, work, shop, and play. There’s an emphasis on creating self-sustaining, living wage employment opportunities, as well as preserving and enhancing the unique multicultural character of communities.

Recent housing developments include the bustling amenity-boasting 55+ communities Marvelle at Southcenter and Tukwila Village Senior Living. New affordable housing options like The Confluence near the Tukwila Light Rail Station make city living more accessible while preserving Tukwila’s multicultural community.

Two growing neighborhoods

You may think of International Boulevard as the road that leads to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but the City of Tukwila adopted a Comprehensive Plan in 2015 to develop the area. In 2017, the Congress for New Urbanism partnered with the city to reimagine this vibrant neighborhood. The vision is a complete neighborhood with thriving, multicultural residential and business communities and vibrant places where people can live, work, shop, and play.

Another neighborhood to watch is Southcenter District. World famous for the largest mall in Washington and the entire Pacific Northwest — and once the second-largest indoor mall in the country — Southcenter is now connected via a new $10 million, 350-foot long Southcenter Pedestrian Bridge over the Green River, connecting the Tukwila train station to the Westfield Southcenter Mall. In the making for nearing 20 years, the bridge is a huge step in making this area of Tukwila more pedestrian and bike friendly. Since 2019, two residential projects have opened in the Southcenter District and a third project will open in 2021.

Great schools

Tukwila has five schools in the public school district. One of them, Foster High School, is among the most racially diverse schools in the United States, with students from 50 countries. The city is also home to Raisbeck Aviation High School, an aviation- and aerospace-themed STEM school that draws on local industry experts to mentor and advise students on courses and career paths, as well as helping to select local internships.

Nature at your doorstep

Tukwila is home to over 150 acres of open space, including 20 parks, 12 miles of multiuse trails, the Foster Golf Links, a public pool, and a community center. If you enjoy biking, it’s a great place to ride, whether you’re into trails, hills, or just beautiful scenery.

And if you’re looking for a way to bike to work, you can join the hundreds of commuters who use the Interurban Trail that links Tukwila, Kent, Auburn, Algona, and Pacific along a nearly straight 14-mile nonmotorized trail.

Tukwila is a perfect place to spend a day with my family. There is an extremely wide variety of things to do, places to eat, and shopping. Ben Oliver, President and CEO, Starfire Sports