Explore Communities · Seattle's Eastside
Bothell
A walkable Main Street wrapped in evergreen hills.
Historic Main Street · UW Bothell · Country Village · Sammamish River
Bothell is a former mill town reinvented around a genuinely charming Main Street, a university campus folded into the woods, and a park system tied to the river. It is one of the Eastside's better values and one of its more pleasant surprises.
Main Street Bothell is the kind of downtown people want on purpose: brick buildings, a brasserie in a former Masonic hall, a taproom in a converted car garage, and a farmers market in summer. The city invested heavily over the past decade, and you can feel it in the evening crowds around the new public plaza.
The University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia College campus sits on the site of a former golf course, with trails through mature forest between the classroom buildings, and it anchors a research district that has attracted biotech and engineering jobs. Country Village, an eccentric cluster of cottages and cafes, is worth a visit even if you are not moving here.
Bothell spans two counties, which matters for taxes and schools, and the hills on the King County side and the valley on the Snohomish side feel different: newer neighborhoods in some corners, mature ones in others. The Sammamish River Trail runs right through town, connecting by bike to Redmond and Woodinville.
Places you will love
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Main Street
Restaurants, a public plaza, summer concerts, and a farmers market in the heart of town.
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UW Bothell campus trails
Forest walking paths between the classroom buildings, open to the public.
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Country Village
Cottages, artisan shops, and cafes arranged around a gravel lane.
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Bothell Landing
Riverfront park at the historic crossing of the Sammamish.
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Sammamish River Trail
The paved spine connecting Bothell to Redmond and Woodinville.
Good to know
- Best for
- Families who want a real downtown, a university-town energy, and more home for the money than the core Eastside cities.
- Getting around
- About 25 to 35 minutes to Seattle and Bellevue by car at most hours; park-and-ride buses reach Seattle and the Lynnwood Link stations.
- Official site
- City of Bothell →
Questions about Bothell?
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