Seattle, Washington

About Seattle

Seattle sits between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about 14 miles north of Sea-Tac airport. The 2020 census counted 737,015 people in the city proper. The Link light rail connects the airport to downtown and to the University of Washington in under an hour for a few dollars.

The STP starts in the University District, the neighborhood around the University of Washington campus on the north side of the ship canal. It is a student neighborhood: cheap food on University Way NE ('the Ave'), a handful of mid-priced hotels within a mile of the start lot, and the Montlake and Green Lake bike shops close by.

Cascade Bicycle Club, which established the STP in 1979, is based here and runs a full season of rides and a training series each spring for riders building up to 206 miles.

Riding in Seattle

Seattle is hilly and wet most of the year, but July is the driest month, with an average high near 77°F and less than an inch of rain. The STP itself leaves the University of Washington at 5 a.m. and heads south on country roads, so most of the riding out of town is rolling rather than steep.

If you are here early, Cascade Bicycle Club's spring training series and season schedule are the easiest way to find supported rides on local roads. Gregg's in Green Lake and Montlake Bicycle Shop both rent bikes if you arrive without one.

Getting to Seattle

Fly into Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA), about 14 miles south of downtown; the Link light rail runs from the airport to downtown in about 38 minutes for around $3 and continues to the University of Washington. Portland is about three hours south by car or train, which is how most two-day STP riders get home. You do not need a car for the STP start if you stay in the University District.