One-way car rental from Seattle: Sea-Tac's rental cars are a five-minute shuttle from baggage claim
You can rent a car in Seattle and return it in another US city with any of the seven big brands. The drop fee, if any, shows in the quote. Portland is the closest city on the list below, about 163 miles and 3 hr 18 min by road from SEA.
Key figures
Where do you pick up a rental car at SEA?
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Where the cars are. Off-site Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Rental Car Facility, 3150 S. 160th St., SeaTac, WA 98188. All rental companies operate there. 2
Getting there. Free dedicated shuttle buses, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, about a five-minute drive. Pick-up on the lower drive outside baggage claim at the north end (near Alaska Airlines) or south end (near international airlines). Frequency not stated. 2
Brands on site. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar Car Rental, Enterprise, Fox Rent A Car, Hertz, National, Payless, Rent-A-Wreck, Sixt Rent A Car, Thrifty Rental Cars 2
Read on each airport's own website on 15 November 2026 unless marked reported elsewhere.
Portland is 163 miles from SEA, San Francisco is 796
The list covers the nearest large cities outside the Seattle area and the big cities within a day's drive. Each one has its own airport if you want to fly on from there.
| Drive to | State | Miles | Drive time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR | OR | 163 | 3 hr 18 min |
| Spokane, WA | WA | 285 | 5 hr 18 min |
| Boise, ID | ID | 497 | 9 hr 18 min |
| San Francisco, CA | CA | 796 | 15 hr 24 min |
Fastest road route from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to each city centre, free-flowing traffic with no stops or rest breaks 3. Checked 15 November 2026. These estimates tend to run a little long against map apps, and real trips take longer.
Every brand at SEA quotes the drop fee at booking
National says there is typically no drop charge between airport locations, so an airport return in the destination city is worth pricing first. Avis says most locations charge no one-way fee. Enterprise, National and Alamo collect any drop charge at pick-up. Full rules for each brand are on the one-way car rental guide.
- Book the return location in advance. Budget and Sixt charge extra for an unannounced return elsewhere.
- The minimum age is 21 at most brands and 20 at Hertz, with a fee under 25.
- Add your flight number to any car booked at your destination, which waives the no-show fee at the brands AutoSlash checked 4.
Seattle on 13 and 14 November
- Friday 13 November: 140 flights cancelled 1
Searches during the stop
Washington was not among the states Google Trends listed for "rental car" or "one way car rental" in the week of the stop 5.
Google Trends, United States, 7 to 14 November 2026. Values are relative, with 100 for the highest area. Only the top 12 states and metros were recorded for each term.
Trains and coaches leave Seattle too
Amtrak runs the Cascades, Coast Starlight and Empire Builder from Seattle.
| Mode | Operator | Station or stops | Routes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train | Amtrak | King Street Station (SEA), 303 South Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104 | Amtrak Cascades, Coast Starlight, Empire Builder 6 |
| Bus | Greyhound | 9 stops, main one Seattle Bus Station, 503 S Royal Brougham Way. Also Seattle Train Station (303 S. Jackson St) and University of Washington (1100 NE Campus Pkwy), plus several hospital stops. | Intercity coach 7 |
| Bus | FlixBus | Same 9 stops as Greyhound. Seattle Bus Station boarding at the bus slips outside the Greyhound station. | Intercity coach 8 |
Read on each operator's own station or city page on 15 November 2026 unless marked reported elsewhere. Check timetables with the operator.
Questions about one-way rentals from Seattle
Can I rent a car one way from Seattle?
Yes. Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National, Alamo and Sixt all allow one-way rentals between US cities. All seven are listed on site at SEA. Any drop fee appears in the quote before you pay.
Where do I pick up a rental car at SEA?
Off-site Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Rental Car Facility, 3150 S. 160th St., SeaTac, WA 98188. Free dedicated shuttle buses, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, about a five-minute drive.
How long is the drive from Seattle to Portland?
About 163 miles and 3 hr 18 min from SEA in free-flowing traffic, by a routing estimate on OpenStreetMap road data. Allow longer for traffic and stops.
Is there a train or bus from Seattle instead?
Amtrak trains run from Seattle. Intercity coaches are run by FlixBus and Greyhound.
More for travellers leaving Seattle
- One-way car rental rules at seven brands, and whether insurance pays for the car
- Ground stop status and the 13 November record
- SEA delays and cancellations
- Claim tool for refunds and receipts
Other cities: Chicago · Las Vegas · New York · Atlanta · Boston · Fort Lauderdale · Denver · Nashville · Orlando
Check your flight, then write the claim
The flight check takes about a minute and gives the rule that applies to your trip. The claim tool writes the letters.
- Check my flightWhat the airline and your insurer or card owe you.
- Write the claim lettersRefund, expenses and insurance letters that cite the rule.
- Airline phone lines and chatRebooking and refund contacts for 12 US airlines.
- Should I go to the airport?Live FAA ground stops and delay programmes, and what each means.
Sources for this page
8 sources
Numbers in boxes point to this list. "Checked at source" means the page itself was read on the date shown. "Reported elsewhere" means the wording came from a search extract, a secondary page or a page that only partly loaded, so check it against the original before relying on it. "Not confirmed" means sources conflict or the document is old. Event figures for 13 and 14 November are sourced in full on the methodology and sources page.
- Flightradar24 via Karryon Checked at source
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport rental car page Checked at source · checked 15 November 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap road data Reported elsewhere · checked 15 November 2026
- AutoSlash Checked at source · checked 26 May 2026
- Google Trends, US, past 7 days, collected Saturday 14 November 2026, 6:45pm to 7:03pm ET Checked at source · checked 14 November 2026
- Amtrak: King Street Station (SEA), 303 South Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104 Checked at source · checked 15 November 2026
- Greyhound Seattle stops Checked at source · checked 15 November 2026
- FlixBus Seattle stops Checked at source · checked 15 November 2026