Aug 26, 2026 - News

Seattle draws record summer crowds

Christine Clarridge

Crowds fill Seattle's waterfront and Overlook Walk on a sunny day, with the Seattle Great Wheel, Elliott Bay and Mount Rainier in the distance. — Crowds keep coming. Photo: Ercin Erturk/Anadolu via Getty Images

Downtown Seattle is having a blockbuster summer, with visitor numbers hitting an all-time high and locals packing the waterfront.

Driving the news: More than 3.7 million unique visitors came downtown in July — 112% of July 2019 levels and 5 percentage points higher than last year, according to Downtown Seattle Association data released last week.

By the numbers: Nearly 432,000 downtown hotel rooms were sold in July, 108% of July 2019 demand.

Locals made 351,284 visits to the waterfront — 25,000 more than the previous high, set in August 2019.
Downtown consumer spending topped $821 million through June, up nearly 7% year over year.

The fine print: DSA's foot traffic data excludes international visitors, meaning its July visitor count understates total downtown visitation.

Yes, but: Weekday worker traffic remains at just 64% of July 2019 levels, averaging about 150,000 workers a day.

The big picture: The World Cup gave downtown a major boost, but record waterfront crowds suggest Seattleites are helping fuel the summer surge, too.

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Seattle draws record summer crowds

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