Visiting Seattle and wondering what is the best time to visit Seattle? What is the best time for those outdoor hikes you have wanted to take? When is the best season to visit Seattle for lower crowds, what about if you’re on a budget? Well, lucky for you is we are locals and have lived in Seattle for almost a decade now, and visited since we were kids at different parts of the year. So we know what Seattle is like during the winter and what’s is its rainiest month.
So let’s get started in uncovering what is the best month to visit Seattle for you!
What Is The Best Time To Visit Seattle?
The best time to visit Seattle will be between mid-May to early October; this time of the year will have fewer rainy days, longer days, and warmer weather and allow a comfortable experience for all the outdoor activities in Seattle.
To further expand, the best time to visit Seattle is going to depend on what you are visiting Seattle to do and the trip’s purpose. For example, if you’re goal is to enjoy a walking tour in Seattle and find out all there is to know about historical Seattle and its famous tourist destinations, then you might want to avoid Seattle’s rainiest season.
However, suppose you are visiting Seattle for a cozy vacation or a local looking for a Seattle Staycation. In that case, there are various things you can do indoors, such as visiting coffee shops, trying local breweries, visiting the Museum of pop culture, reading a book at a cat cafe, and many others.
Its no wonder why Seattle made our Best Places to Visit in Washington List!
What is the Best Season To Visit Seattle?
The Best Season to visit Seattle is summer due to its warm and sunny days and fewer chances of rainy days. This allows visitors to Seattle to enjoy a mixture of outdoor activities such as kayaking, paddle boarding, beach relaxation, sunbathing, cruises, hiking, and other various experiences. Plus, exploring seattle during the night is amazing during this time of the year!
What is the most popular month to visit Seattle?
The most popular month to visit Seattle is July; during July, you get the warmest weather that Seattle has to offer, along with the lowest amount of rainy days for the whole year! There are also tons of things to do during this time such as spending the 4th of July at gas works, visiting the all-you-can-eat ice cream festival, and many others!
Festivals Happening in Seattle in July 2023:
- Theater Festival during Strawberry Jam: July 1-8,2023
- Fireworks Shows: July 4th, 2023 Multiple locations but we recommend Gas Works Park
- Ice Cream Festival Scooped all-you-can-eat: July 8-9, 2023
- Bite of Seattle: July 21-23, 2023
- Capitol Hill Block party, a 3 day music festival: July 21-23, 2023
- Seattle Art Fair July 28-30, 2023
What is Spring in Seattle like?
Read our Spring in Seattle Guide! For the ultimate guide made by locals!
Seattle during the Spring is a lot of mixed signals; we like to refer to seasons in Seattle as first winter, second winter, false spring, etc. The weather in Seattle during Spring is still chilly until the end of May, with random peaks of warm sunny weekends followed by weeks of clouds and rain.
The crowds during May, are still lower than in Summer, but unlike winter crowds in Seattle, they are not as low, and each month closer to summer, you can see the increasing crowds.
One thing to note is to visit the University of Washington Campus in March for the Cherry Blossoms! It’s absolutely beautiful and was one of our favorite things when attending!
What is Summer in Seattle like?
Read our Summer in Seattle Guide for all you need to know and the best things to do!
Summer in Seattle is the most popular season to visit Seattle; due to its location near the mountain ranges, Seattle has relatively great weather during the summer. It’s not too hot, hardly rains, and has clear sunny days for most of the season for perfect views in Seattle
The only downfall is during summer, seattle locals and visitors may experience a few things such as:
- Forest Fires and Poor Air Quality
- Peak Crowds and Gridlock Traffic
- Heat Waves and no AC
What is Fall in Seattle Like?
Read our Fall in Seattle Guide! There's more to Seattle than just pretty foliage!
Fall in Seattle is a beautiful time of the year. Honestly, it’s our second favorite next to summer. Why? Because Fall is when the beautiful forest starts to show their fall foliage, pumpkin patches open, locally made pumpkin spice lattes are booming, and the weather is still fantastic.
Some popular things to do in fall include:
- Haunted Tour of some of the Spooky Places in Seattle
- Underground tour
- Pumpkin Patch
- Halloween bar crawl
- Go wine tasting
- Haunted House – Read about the rumored Georgetown Morgue haunting!
If you are visiting during the fall, make sure to try to visit during September and October, as they offer the best weather; sometimes, it can feel like summer weather, with random days of fall weather. It gets chilly when you visit during November, and cloudy days become the prominent forecast.
What is Winter in Seattle like?
Read our Winter in Seattle Guide , we listed the best cozy and outdoorsy things to do!
Winter in Seattle is a rollercoaster of rain, wind, frozen roads, and cloudy days. One thing to note is the Winter wet season accounts for roughly 75% of Seattle’s rain throughout the year! That is a lot of rain!
Since we live in Washington, we have learned to love it and find the good in winter in Seattle such as way fewer crowds, cozy experiences like lounging in a cat cafe or bookstore or experiencing indoor events.
However, with the cold weather and short days, it can feel like the days go by so much quicker. The main downfall of the Winter season is the weather, but with the lower cost for experiences and fewer crowds, we think it’s worth the few months of chilly weather.
When is the best time to visit Seattle for the best weather?
Wondering when you should visit Seattle for the best weather? Looking to avoid the rainiest month in Seattle? Or looking for the month with the most sun in seattle? The continue on reading to see our answer!
When is the rainiest month in Seattle?
The rainiest months in Seattle are October through March, with December having the highest amount of precipitation out of the year
What is the windiest month in seattle?
The windiest months of the year in seattle is December and January, the average wind speedy being around 5 miles per hour, and that can definitely make the weather feel even colder than what it really is.
What is the sunniest month in Seattle?
The Sunniest month in seattle is July, which is also during the dry period in Seattle.
What time is best for avoiding crowds in Seattle?
The best time to visit Seattle if you want to avoid crowds, is to go during its wettest season, Winter. Winter season will have lower crowds, since Seattle can be a bit chilly and gloomy not as many tourist visit during this time.
When should you visit Seattle if you’re on a budget?
Read our Cheap things to do in Seattle Guide made by Locals for awesome budget friendly activities!
If you are on a budget and visiting Seattle, then the best time to visit would actually be between late February and mid May. The reason is because there is no large holidays during this time, and it’s still prepreak tourist season for Seattle.
What is The Best Time to Visit Seattle for the Outdoors?
The best time visit Seattle for the great outdoors, is to visit from May through October, this time of the year will have less rain, better weather, longer days, and opens up a variety of outdoor activities such as swimming, kayaking, hiking, cycling, rollerblading and more!
It’s also one of the best times of the year to visit Washington!
Best Time to Visit Seattle FAQ
The best month to visit Seattle is July, with the lowest rainy days in the year, perfect summer weather, and longer days.
The best time of year for amazing weather in Seattle is to visit during May through October.
The rainy season in Seattle is from October through March, with it accounting for around 75% of the years precipitation.
3-4 days provides enough time for you to visit most seattle attractions at a comfortable pace. While also enjoying what the city offers such as its culture, food, entertainment and other things.