City Profile: All About Lynnwood

Discover all the best things to do, places to eat and drink, events, ways to get around, and lodging options in Lynnwood, Washington.

As the first metropolis north of Seattle, Lynnwood is a great spot to access Pacific Northwest culture without the prices and parking of the big city. Lodge for cheaper, dine like royalty, skip the rental car, and reach Seattle via light rail. Lynnwood’s a hub literally at the crossroads of two of Washington State’s main arteries. Stay here and go far!

Things to Do in Lynnwood

If Lynnwood was a mantra, it would be three imperatives: eat, shop, stay -- all for less money than Seattle. That pretty much covers it. With plenty of restaurants, retail stores, and hotels, this city is all-caps COMFY... and easy on the budget. Yeah. There’s something to be said for comfort.

For the latest events and activities, visit Explore Lynnwood’s Things to Do page.

Easy Access to Seattle and Beyond

What’s worse than visiting a place and being basically stuck in your hotel because there’s nothing nearby? Not much.

By contrast, Lynnwood’s light rail station connects you to Seattle, Tacoma, Seattle’s eastside and beyond. Quick multimodal transportation awaits. Bring your bike, take the occasional Uber, and you’re set for regional urban exploration. It’s something quite international, really; it’s the future.


Gear Up for Adventure

If you’re like us (PNW locals, that is), you live for the outdoors. Lynnwood touches Puget Sound/the Salish Sea, is within an hour of the Cascade Mountains, and is bisected by the Interurban Trail. Visit the REI store, Gregg’s Cycles, or Play It Again Sports to grab the gear necessary to live life in the open air.


Pamper Yourself

Let’s be real. Self care is just not an option these days. You have to take time for yourself sometimes. Can you feel the rat-race-y burnout in the air? The churning news cycles? The social media stimulation seeping into your bones? Turn it off! Unplug! Visit Q or Olympus Spas for a day to just like chill hard, bro. Hit up that sauna. You can’t pour from an empty cup, as they say.

Events in Lynnwood

Community events are the best. Even if you’re from out of town, you can still get in on the excitement, the drinks and food, the music and chill, while feeling like part of the community. Lynnwood has some unique offerings from luaus to puppy costume contests, to Shakespeare in the Park, to say nothing of the rotating events at the Lynnwood Event Center. When you’re in Lynnwood, it’s a party.

Lynnwood Event Center

A standout among meeting venues just north of Seattle, the Lynnwood Event Center opened in 2005 and offers nearly 54,000 sq ft of flexible event space including a grand hall that seats up to 1,200. Just off I‑5, next to Alderwood Mall, it’s the perfect spot for weddings, conferences, product launches and galas with free parking, on‑site AV support, and professional event planning on hand.

Year-Round Events

Lynnwood is home to events year-round. What’s your thing? Eating delicious Hawaiian food at a luau? Walking your pup in a dog-themed costume contest? Catching Shakespeare in the park? Going to a sneakerhead convention? You can stay up to date on all upcoming events in Lynnwood by checking out their Events Calendar for all of the latest information.

Plan Your Trip to Lynnwood

Hotels are kind of the thing in Lynnwood. Given its proximity to Seattle, Lynnwood has plenty of lodging at competitive prices. Yeah, we talk about the light rail a lot, but it’s really great to be able to hop on high-speed rail and skip the headache of traffic, congestion, and parking. In fact, you can fly into Sea-Tac Airport and take the light rail directly from the airport to Lynnwood in one shot. No car required en route. Incredible.

Getting Here

Fly into Sea-Tac Airport and hop on the light rail to arrive in Lynnwood within the hour. Or fly into Everett’s Paine Field, just minutes north of Lynnwood. Arrive by ferry in Edmonds or Mukilteo. Drive here via I-405 or Interstate 5. Or be a complete boss and cycle to the city from Seattle via the Interurban Trail. Nice work!

Where to Stay

Get access to all the good stuff at competitive rates. Choose from hotels by the light rail station, I-5, or I-405. Book a hotel within walking distance of dining, indoor entertainment, or shopping. If there’s one thing that Lynnwood has a-plenty, it’s lodging options. It’s hard for us to pick favorites!

Where to Eat & Drink

Where to start? Boba. Nigiri. Dal. Dim sum. Korean BBQ. Katsu burgers. Shakes. Banh mis. Luau-style pork sandwiches. Really, there’s probably no way to eat wrong in Lynnwood. The only difficulty is knowing exactly where to start... and when to end haha.

Get cued in by checking out our NorthCountry Bites series.

For any questions or assistance planning your visit to Lynnwood, feel free to reach out! You can also contact Lynnwood via phone at (800) 662-2044, email, or by visiting the Contact Us page on the Explore Lynnwood website. Our friendly teams are happy to help with recommendations, event information, and travel tips.

Snohomish County Tourism

Snohomish County Tourism