Is Seattle safe for solo female travelers?

Seattle is generally safe for solo female travelers. The city has a welcoming and friendly vibe. Most tourist areas are well lit and heavily populated, so you're unlikely to feel alone or at risk. Public transportation and ride-share apps are readily available, reliable, and safe to use. However, like any city, Seattle has areas that could be potentially unsafe, especially late at night. Street smarts and basic precautions like avoiding less populated and poorly lit areas at night or not flashing valuable items can significantly enhance your safety.

Safety rating

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How safe is Seattle for female travelers?

Travel safety index

3.9 /5

based on 9 experiences from female travelers

Solo travel

I absolutely love Seattle and visit often. If you're in the area do not feel like you need to only visit Seattle. Tacoma is a great place to see as well. They have Ruston and Owens beach, both places are amazing.

Posted: December 19, 2024Experienced: December, 2024
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Susanna

Susanna

Canada

Solo travel

Quiet place mostly reserved polite people. Very safe - food for nature hikes out of town. City is pretty basic American city - watch out for rainy season which is winter I believe. Lake Washington is nice, fish market is cool spot to see and get some local food or art.

Posted: September 27, 2024
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Solo travel

I went to Seattle from the Tacoma city. It was my first trip to this city. The trip took about 3.5 hours and public transportation cost $7.25 there and back ($3.25, why not $6.25? Because I put $4 in and the bus cash register didn't give me change, they usually don't give it back) and home by Uber cost $45. I walked around the center, didn't go into a restaurant but ate at the Korean cuisine store "Mart", I really liked the food, lots of choice, and there are hot dishes. I bought some here for $18-19, couldn't finish it all and took some home. The weather was incomprehensible, first cold, and after 20 minutes hot. I suggest taking outerwear if you are going here!

Posted: August 23, 2024
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Solo travel

Seattle was such a beautiful place to visit. The market they had was great, there were so many friendly people. There is quite a bit to do but it does get quite expensive. They have gorgeous mountains as well.

Posted: August 6, 2024
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Monica

Monica

United States

Solo travel

I’m from SoCal and have lived or been in run down cities (San bernadino county an downtown LA) so the homeless problem didn’t bother me as much. I did have a friend up there that I met up with during the evenings but the craziest thing I saw was someone tryin to break into cars😅 I never felt scared for my life but definitely be aware of that. I walked almost every where and their transit system is superior than in SoCal. I checked out the space needle and one of the parks not too far and it was amazing. I do want to visit Washington again solely for the trails and hikes! Overall a solid 4/5 stars for me

Posted: July 4, 2024
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How safe is Seattle for women?

Local safety index

3.5 /5

Based on 27 local experiences

Local crime index

2.4 /5

Based on 27 local experiences

Allison

Allison

Honestly, the whole country is a mess right now. Seattle is a sanctuary city, but like any large city there is crime and a homeless population. What I’ve learned - you can’t live in fear. Of course, be aware of your surroundings, but don’t let it stop you from visiting this beautiful part of the country. Summers are incredible and the rain really isn’t bad. If walking around downtown at night, I recommend having someone with you (or at least walking around populated places)

Posted: October 4, 2025
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I have always found it to be a safe city overall - but comfort level certainly depends on where you are. Downtown, amd the surrounding areas I usually feel the least comfortable in. Most of the other neighborhoods such as Ballard, Fremont, Green Lake, and Columbia City, etc, I’ve always felt comfortable. Even Capitol Hill isn’t too bad! Of course everyone has their own experience, but this is mine.

Posted: September 7, 2025
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I would say it's fine to travel alone but you need to be extremely careful in some parts bc of the homeless community they usually don't do anything unless provoked but it's always good to be cautious

Posted: August 4, 2025
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Pippa

Pippa

Overall Seattle is a very safe place for women. The main issues are not specifically targeting women or any other gender, but rather everyone seems to be somewhat at risk. For example, gun violence. I don’t often hear of gender-based gun violence out in public, but I have experienced gun violence personally which has made me more wary while going out to parties at night. Another issue is the fentanyl epidemic—it’s getting really bad in Seattle, so I am always careful when I’m downtown or going through areas where fentanyl is present. I take public transportation every day and I rarely feel targeted as a woman. Men tend to be very respectful and progressive, and Seattle is a very liberal city. I generally feel safe in my city and I love it here. The issues of gun violence are just an American thing, not really specific to Seattle.

Posted: August 3, 2025
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krislee

krislee

It is extremely safe during the day. There are a lot of unhoused people, some of whom are on drugs and can be unpredictable/erratic. There are also instances of trafficking, so like a lot of other big cities, I would not walk alone after dark.

Posted: July 28, 2025
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Safety in United States