King County Metro Schedule: Routes, Map, Live Times & Stops

King County Metro Schedule Overview for Seattle and King County Riders

A metro king county bus schedule search usually means a rider needs a bus route time, a nearby stop, a route map, a live departure, a fare answer, a service advisory or help planning a transfer. King County Metro serves a large area, so the right schedule depends on your route, stop, direction, date and whether a service change or advisory is active.

Metro’s official Schedules and maps page includes route schedules, route maps, system maps, boarding maps, service change pages, holiday service and snow route information. It also links riders to Trip Planner and Next Departures. This is much safer than using a random old PDF, screenshot or copied timetable.

For a reliable trip, use three checks together: planned schedule, live departure information and service advisories. The schedule tells you what should happen. Next Departures and Trip Planner help show what may be happening now. Service advisories tell you whether a delay, reroute or closure may affect your route or stop.

King County Metro Routes and Maps: How to Find the Right Bus Schedule

King County Metro’s Schedules and maps page is the best starting point for route-specific bus schedules. It helps riders find a route, check service advisories, open Trip Planner, use Next Departures and view system maps. System maps are organized by areas of King County, including Northwest, Northeast, Central, Southwest and Southeast.

Search by Route Number or Route Name

If you know the route number, open the official schedule tool and search that number. If you only know your start and destination, use Trip Planner first. Many King County Metro trips connect with RapidRide, Link light rail, Sound Transit buses, Seattle Streetcar, Water Taxi or other transit services, so the route number alone may not be the full trip.

Use System Maps for Transfers and Service Area Planning

Metro system maps are useful when you need to understand where a route goes, which transit center it serves, and what other routes connect nearby. This is especially helpful for trips involving downtown Seattle, Bellevue, Burien, Kent, Renton, Northgate, Shoreline, Redmond, Issaquah, Federal Way or major Link light rail stations.

Use Boarding Maps for Busy Stops and Transit Centers

Boarding maps help riders find exact bus stops and boarding areas at busy locations. Metro lists boarding maps for many important hubs, including downtown Seattle corridors, Bellevue Transit Center, Burien Transit Center, Kent Station, Northgate Station, Redmond Transit Center, Renton Transit Center, SeaTac bus bays, U District Station, UW Station and more.

King County Metro Live Times: Trip Planner, Next Departures and Text for Departures

King County Metro provides multiple official tools for live and stop-level planning. Trip Planner helps plan a full trip, view upcoming departure times and show vehicle positions in real time. Next Departures helps find nearby stops, view departure times and track bus positions. Text for departures gives next departure times when you text your stop ID to 62550.

Trip Planner for Origin-to-Destination Planning

Trip Planner is best when you need a complete trip from one place to another. It can show transit options, nearby stops, direct transit trips during a time window and alerts associated with routes or stops. Use it when you are not sure which bus or transfer pattern is best.

Next Departures for Stop-Level Bus Times

Next Departures is best when you already know the stop, route or nearby location and need the next bus. Use it close to departure time, especially if traffic, weather or construction may affect the route.

Text Your Stop ID to 62550

If you know the stop ID, Metro’s Text for departures tool can return next departure times by text message. This is useful when mobile data is weak, an app is slow, or you want a quick stop-specific answer without opening a map.

King County Metro Service Advisories, Transit Alerts, Snow Routes and Holiday Service

Service advisories are essential because a route can still operate while a normal stop, street, bridge or downtown corridor is affected. King County Metro says service advisories keep riders informed about delays, reroutes or closures that may impact a commute.

Check Service Advisories Before You Leave

Open the official Service advisories page and filter by route or topic when available. Look for route-specific detours, canceled trips, reroutes, stop closures, construction, event impacts and ongoing service changes.

Sign Up for Transit Alerts

Metro offers route-specific and systemwide Transit Alerts by email or text. Metro says alerts are generally sent Monday through Friday during customer-information hours, while weekend and holiday alerts are used for significant service disruptions.

Snow Routes and Emergency Service

Metro publishes winter snow guidance and snow route information. During snow, ice or flooding, normal stops and routes may change. Riders should use the official snow route and emergency information before assuming a regular schedule applies.

Holiday Service

Holiday service may not match weekday service. Some routes may run on reduced service, Sunday service or special schedules. Check Metro’s Holiday service page before planning trips on or around holidays.

• Check Service advisories before walking to the stop.
• Use Transit Alerts for recurring route-specific updates.
• Check snow routes during winter storms, ice or flooding.
• Use Holiday service pages before riding on official holidays.
• Leave extra time for downtown Seattle, game days, major events and timed transfers.

King County Metro Fares, ORCA, Tap to Pay, Transit GO Ticket and Cash

Metro fare rules are important because payment options affect transfers. King County Metro’s Prices page lists adult fare for riders ages 19 to 64 at $3.00 single ride. It also lists senior, disability or Medicare, and ORCA LIFT single ride fares at $1.00, youth ages 0 to 18 as free, and Access Transportation single ride at $1.75.

ORCA Card and Transfers

ORCA is usually the simplest way to pay across the Puget Sound region. Metro explains that ORCA transfers can apply for up to two hours on other ORCA transit services, except Washington State Ferries and Kitsap Fast Ferries. If a later trip costs more, you pay the difference with ORCA value.

Tap to Pay

Metro says riders ages 19 and up can use Tap to Pay with a credit or debit card, smartphone or smartwatch. If you use this method, use the same payment device or card consistently when transferring so the system can recognize the trip correctly.

Transit GO Ticket

Transit GO Ticket lets riders buy and activate a ticket on a phone. Metro says Transit GO Ticket transfers are only between Metro buses and RapidRide buses, and the activated ticket is good for unlimited transfers for up to two hours from activation.

Cash Fare and Paper Transfers

Metro buses accept exact cash fares, but drivers do not carry change. If paying cash and transferring to another Metro bus, ask the driver for a paper transfer. If using more than one transit system, cash riders may need to pay a separate fare each time they board a different system.

RapidRide, Link Light Rail, Sound Transit and Transfer Planning

Many King County Metro trips connect with other services. A rider searching metro king county bus schedule may also need RapidRide, Link light rail, Sound Transit Express, Seattle Streetcar, Water Taxi or a park-and-ride connection.

RapidRide Routes

RapidRide is Metro’s frequent bus service brand. RapidRide routes may use different stop styles, frequent service patterns and transfer connections. Check the official route schedule and Next Departures just like any other Metro route.

Link Light Rail Connections

Many Metro routes connect to Link light rail stations such as Northgate, Roosevelt, U District, UW, Capitol Hill, International District/Chinatown, Beacon Hill, Othello, Rainier Beach, SeaTac/Airport and Eastside stations. If your trip combines Metro and Link, use Trip Planner and check both Metro and Sound Transit alerts.

Sound Transit, Streetcar and Water Taxi Transfers

When your trip crosses transit systems, fare and alert rules can change. ORCA is usually stronger for regional transfers than cash or some app-based tickets. Check the official fare page and the other agency’s service alerts when leaving King County Metro.

Access Transportation, ADA Service and Accessible Trip Planning

King County Metro Access Transportation is a paratransit rideshare service for eligible riders whose disability prevents them from using regular fixed-route bus service. It is not the same as a normal Metro bus route and has separate eligibility, booking and fare rules.

Access Transportation Phone and ETA Tools

Metro lists Access Transportation phone support at 206-205-5000 with WA Relay at 711. Metro also provides Access ETA and Access Trip Manager tools so eligible riders can see estimated arrival information and track a van’s progress on a live map.

Who Should Use Access

Access is for riders with disabilities who cannot use regular bus service because of their disability. Riders who can use fixed-route service for some trips may still need Access for other trips depending on accessibility, stop conditions, distance, weather or disability-related limitations.

Accessible Fixed-Route Tips

If you ride regular Metro buses with a mobility device, stroller, service animal, visual impairment, hearing impairment or other accessibility need, check the stop, route, snow conditions and transfer details in advance. For complicated trips, call Metro customer service before leaving.

King County Metro Customer Service, Lost and Found and Pass Sales

King County Metro lists 206-553-3000 for customer service, with WA Relay at 711. Metro’s contact page says trip planning and lost and found calls are handled from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, while fare/pass information and customer comments are handled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Customer service is closed weekends and holidays.

Lost and Found

If you lose an item on a Metro bus, report it through the official form or call Metro. For critical items such as wallets, purses, keys, medication, ID, credit cards, glasses or bikes, Metro says immediate assistance may be available by calling 206-553-3000 and selecting from the prompts.

Pass Sales Office

Metro lists the Pass Sales Office at King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104. Office hours can change, so check Metro’s official contact page before visiting for ORCA, pass, fare or in-person service needs.

Interpreter Support

Metro says interpreter support is available through the customer service line. If you require an interpreter, call 206-553-3000 and select the interpreter option when prompted.

King County Metro Schedule Confusion: Official Tools vs Old PDFs and Third-Party Apps

The biggest King County Metro schedule mistake is using a source that looks helpful but is not the final current source. Search results can show old PDFs, app mirrors, copied timetables, forum posts, news articles, service-change pages and old route notices. These may not match the current schedule.

Use Official Metro Pages for Final Decisions

Third-party apps can help with route discovery and walking directions, but Metro’s official Schedules and maps, Trip Planner, Next Departures and Service advisories should control final trip decisions.

Check the Effective Date and Service Change

Metro routes can change during scheduled service changes. If a route PDF or screenshot does not show current service dates, confirm it against the official Metro schedule page before relying on it.

Apps Can Miss Advisory Details

A trip-planning app may show a bus time but not fully explain a detour, stop closure, snow route or service advisory. If an app result feels wrong, check the official advisory page and route page.

Step-by-Step: How to Check a King County Metro Bus Schedule Correctly

1. Open the official Metro Schedules and maps page Start with King County Metro’s current schedule source instead of an old saved PDF or screenshot.
2. Search your route or use Trip Planner Use the route number if you know it, or enter your origin and destination in Trip Planner.
3. Choose the correct direction Confirm inbound, outbound, northbound, southbound, eastbound, westbound or destination-based direction.
4. Confirm the service day Weekday, Saturday, Sunday, holiday, snow route and special-event schedules may not match.
5. Find the exact stop or stop ID Use route maps, boarding maps, transit center maps, station maps or nearby-stop tools.
6. Check live departures Use Next Departures, Trip Planner or Text for departures by texting your stop ID to 62550.
7. Read service advisories Check route advisories for delays, reroutes, closures, snow service, canceled trips and stop changes.

Official King County Metro Schedule Links and Trusted Seattle Transit Resources

Use these official and trusted resources to verify King County Metro routes, maps, live times, service advisories, fares, payment options, customer service and accessible transportation.

King County Metro Schedule Map for Seattle Routes and Stops Near Me

This Seattle and King County-focused guide includes a safe Google Maps search for Metro King County bus schedule near me. Use it to discover nearby Metro stops, stations and route options. Then verify the exact route, stop ID, fare, service advisory and live departure through King County Metro’s official tools.

Frequently Asked Questions About King County Metro Schedule

Final Summary: Best Way to Use a King County Metro Schedule

The best way to use a metro king county bus schedule is to start with Metro’s official Schedules and maps page, search your route, confirm the direction and service day, then use Trip Planner, Next Departures or Text for departures for stop-level timing.

If you need fare help, use Metro’s official Prices and Ways to pay pages. If you need route changes, use Service advisories and Transit Alerts. If disability-related needs prevent regular bus use, review Access Transportation and call the Access support line.

For important trips, do not rely on an old PDF, screenshot or one app result alone. Use the official schedule, live departure tools, service advisory page, fare resources and customer service together, then leave extra time for Seattle traffic, snow, downtown reroutes, special events and transfers.