Only the city routes are included. Included are present route numbers, and route numbers which existed when Metro took over the system in 1973. New and discontinued (disc) routes are indicated. The route numbering has generally remained stable going into the 21st Century.
Routes numbered in the 80's are "Night Owl" routes. Suburban routes are numbered in the 100's to the south, 200's to the east, and 300's to the north.
Seattle bus route names have not always been clear, but many routes have been named for neighborhood destinations. Better information is available for streetcar and trolleybus routes, than for routes which have always been motor bus routes.
Trolleybuses initially enabled elimination of the streetcars in 1940. And 1963 was the beginning of the replacement of many trolleybus routes with motor buses. But attitudes changed by 1978, which marked the beginning of renovation of the trolleybus system, and restoration of several routes. All existing trolleybus routes were temporarily replaced with motor buses for a few years beginning in 1978.
In 1990, the downtown transit tunnel opened, mainly for express buses serving the suburbs. But the tunnel is also used by certain city routes. Such routes use "dual mode" buses, capable of operating as electric trolleybuses in the tunnel and as diesel motor buses outside the tunnel. In 2009, Sound Transit's new light rail line began sharing the tunnel.
Seattle generally was developed later than most large cities. And as a result, by the time most street railways were developed, electric propulsion had been developed. A few earlier streetcar lines originally were horse cars (HC), cable cars (CC), and steam dummy (SD).
Current/1973 Route Early First First Motor New
Route Number Name Streetcar Street- Trolley Buses Trolley
Co. car Buses Buses
1 1 Kinnear SSR HC 1884 8/11/40 1978 9/13/80
2 2 West Queen Anne FSCR CC 1889 8/10/40 1978 9/14/79
2 2 Madrona SE 1900's 2/18/40 1978 9/14/79
3 3 North Queen Anne SE 1900's 8/10/40 1970 9/13/80
3 12 E. Cherry UTL 1891 2/ 8/40 1978 9/13/80
4 4 East Queen Anne SE 1900's 8/10/40 1970 9/13/80
4 12 Judkins Park UTL 1891 2/18/40 1978 9/13/80
5 5 Phinney WPR 1890 4/ 5/41 1963
E 6 Stone Way GLER 1889 1941 1963
7 9 Broadway UTL 1891 9/ 8/40 1978 5/23/81
7 7 Prentice St. RAER 1891 1940 1963 5/23/81
8 new ML King Way New Bus
9 new Broadway Exp. New Bus
9 new Rainer Beach Exp. New Bus
10 10 Capitol Hill SE 1903 8/16/40 1978 9/14/79
11 11 Madison MSCR CC 1890 1/14/40 1965
11 11 Madison Park SE 1900's 1/14/40 1965
12 13 Interlaken Park SE 1900's 2/10/40 1978 5/23/81
13 new Seattle Pacific U. New Bus 5/23/81
14 10 Jackson St. SCR CC 1888 1940 1978 5/23/81
14 10 Mt. Baker SE 1900's 7/ 6/40 1978 5/23/81
disc 14 Summit SE 1900's 9/ 8/40 1978 5/23/81
15 15 15th Ave. NW E&I 1906 1940 1963
17 26 Westlake SSR HC 1884 1941 1963
17 17 Sunset Hill SE 1906 3/25/40
18 18 Ballard WSNE 1890 6/30/40 1963
18 18 Loyal Heights LR 1906 6/30/40 1963
19 24 Magnolia New Bus
21 21 35th Ave. SW New Bus 1957 1963
22 18 Fauntleroy SE 1907 11/10/40 1963
131 36 4th Ave. S New Bus
131 23 South Seattle GSER 1892 1/ 4/41
131 36 Lake Burien HPLB 1912 7/15/31
24 19 Viewmont Way New Bus
24 24 Magnolia New Bus
disc 25 NE 45th St. New Bus
26 17 Dexter Ave. SMR 1914 1/ 4/41
26 26 Wallingford SE 1907 5/ 5/40
26 26 N. 40th St. SE 1900's 1931
27 27 Yesler Way SCR CC 1888 8/ 9/40
28 28 Fremont SE 1902 4/13/41
28 28 8th Ave. NW SE 1911 4/13/41
29 new Ballard New Bus
31 17 Nickerson St. SMR 1914 1/ 4/41
31 new Central Magnolia New Bus
32 new Seattle Center New Bus
132 32 1st Ave. S SSCR SD 1890 6/15/36
132 32 South Park SE 1909 12/ 8/35
33 33 Discovery Park SE 1905 1/ 7/36
disc 35 Harbor Island New Bus 1943 1957
disc 35 White Center HPLB 1912 12/10/37
36 3 Jefferson Park UTL 1891 7/14/40 1970 9/13/80
37 37 Alki SE 1907 11/17/40
40 41 Northgate-Ballard New Bus
41 41 Lake City New Bus
43 4 Montlake New Bus 1940 1970 5/23/81
44 30 Montlake-Ballard later 5/23/81
45 43 N 85th St. New Bus
47 new Summit New Bus
48 48 Montlake SE 1909 2/10/40
49 new Broadway-University New Bus 6/2005
50 39 Seward Park Ave. New Bus
55 29 West Seattle SE 1900's 11/10/40
56 15 Admiral Way New Bus
57 37 Alaska Junction New Bus
60 38 15th Ave. S New Bus
62 16 Meridian SE 1908 1/11/41
62 16 Green Lake GLER 1889 5/ 5/37 1963
63 new First Hill New Bus
64 new 35th Ave. NE New Bus
65 25 35th Ave. NE New Bus
66 22 Northgate New Bus
67 new Northgate-Univ. New Bus
70 7 Eastlake RPR 1893 5/12/40 1963 9/22/97
71 7 Wedgwood New Bus
disc 7 Lake City New Bus
73 7 Cowen Park SMR 1925 5/12/40
74 8 Ravenna SE 1900's 9/ 8/40
75 41 Sand Point Way New Bus
76 7 Wedgwood New Bus
77 7 North City New Bus
78 new Childrens Hospital New Bus
The Summit trolleybus route was discontinued in September 2014, numbered 47 in its final years.
All streetcars were electrically operated except as noted.
E&I - Everett & Interurban Railway
FSCR - Front Street Cable Railway Co. (cable cars 1889-1900)
GLER - Green Lake Electric Railway Co.
GSER - Grant Street Electric Railway Co.
HPLB - Highland Park & Lake Burien Railway
LR - Loyal Railway Co.
MSCR - Madison Street Cable Railway Co. (cable cars 1890-1940)
RAER - Rainier Ave. Electric Railway Co.
RPR - Rainier Power & Railway Co.
SCR - Seattle City Railway Co. (cable cars 1888-1940, Jackson to 1900)
SE - Seattle Electric Co.
SMR - Seattle Municipal Railway
SSCR - South Seattle Cable Railway Co. (steam dummy 1890-1891)
SSR - Seattle Street Railway Co. (horse cars 1884-1889)
UTL - Union Trunk Line
WPR - Woodland Park Electric Railway
WSNE - West Street & North End Electric Railway Co.
Seattle had two additional cable car lines. The West Seattle Cable Railway was closed in 1897 without a direct replacement. And the Union Trunk Line on James Street, part cable and part electric streetcar, was closed in 1940 without replacement.
Bus routes serving the suburbs have 3 digit numbers. Most suburban bus routes were newly created by Metro, while a few routes evolved from private predecessor operations.