Renton

Renton is a city in King County, Washington south of Bellevue and north of Kent. It is a quiet suburb of Seattle at the base of Lake Washington. Its relatively inexpensive property prices make it a solid choice of stay while visiting Seattle, and the downtown area has many quiet charms of its own that make a visit worthwhile.

Understand
Renton was named for Captain William Renton, the financial backer of the Renton Coal Company which was founded by one of Renton's first white settlers, Erasmus Smithers. Built on Duwamish land, Renton gained settlers looking for jobs in the coal mines until Boeing began to open plants for aircraft construction in World War II, resulting in a population boom. Today, Renton is primarily known as the site of the Boeing 737 plant, where the popular commercial jetliner is built. Renton is also notable for being the resting place of rock legend Jimi Hendrix.

As of the 2010 census, Renton had a population of 90,927.

This article covers more than the City of Renton as it includes three potential annexation zones that are typically considered part of Renton (though some have addresses in Seattle and Issaquah). (The Renton School District has different borders than the city and unincorporated parts of King County are given Renton addresses.)

By car
Access to Renton from Bellevue and Seattle is via Interstate 405. From south King County, via State Route 167, and from the southeast part of the county, via State Route 169.

By plane
The city is also served by King County International Airport, also known as Boeing Field. The main hub scheduled commercial flights is, of course, SeaTac International Airport, accessible by public transit.



By car
As with many American suburbs, Renton is difficult to navigate without a car. If you're trying to use public transit to go anywhere that's not the Landing or downtown core, you should expect that you will probably have to walk at least a mile out of your way to get to your destination.

There are several car rental agencies with locations in Renton, including Avis, Enterprise, and Hertz.

By bike
Renton does not have bike lanes like Seattle does, but many trails exist throughout the city that are exclusively available to cyclists and pedestrians that can make biking a great option for getting around.

By public transit
Renton is served by a lot of bus routes. The main hub is the. The easiest way to plan trips is by using the route planners for King County Metro and Sound Transit. For Link light rail services, the nearest station is Tukwila International Boulevard Station.


 * Routes that go through Renton:
 * Rapid Ride 'F' Line Burien to Renton via Tukwila International Blvd Station, Southcenter Mall, Tukwila Sounder Station
 * Route 101 runs from Downtown Seattle to Downtown Renton via I-5 and MLK Blvd.
 * Route 105 runs from the Renton Highlands to Downtown.
 * Route 148 goes south from the RTC into Fairwood.
 * Route 153 Renton to Kent on SW Lind Ave (Renton), E Valley Hwy (in Tukwila) and Central Ave (in Kent).
 * Route 342 connects Renton to Shoreline through Bellevue, Bothell, Lake Forest Park, Ballinger Way
 * DART Route 908 runs from the RTC through the Highlands and into Maplewood.

There are many other routes that go through Renton on their way to and from other cities. Using a trip planning app is advised if you want to get somewhere specific.

See
Renton doesn't have very many sights, but it does have some of note.



Do
Hiking is perhaps the most rewarding experience the Pacific Northwest can offer you. Renton has an assortment of beautiful trails, including:

Renton also has other things to do for those less outdoorsy:



Drink
Surprisingly for a seemingly quiet suburb, Renton has a fairly lively nightlife scene that dates back to its years as a coal mining town. The majority of the good bars are concentrated in the downtown area.



Connect
For free internet access, Renton has two libraries that are lovely to visit.



Go next

 * For bourgeois shopping and a glitzier downtown, Bellevue is just to the north.
 * For aviation nerds hoping to get a glimpse of a Boeing plant, the Boeing Future of Flight includes a tour of their Everett facility.
 * Also consider visiting SoDo to check out the Museum of Flight next to Boeing Airfield.
 * To get the most of what the Puget Sound (and Washington) has to offer, a trip to Seattle is absolutely necessary.