# Mercer Island

Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, consisting entirely of an island in Lake Washington. Once known as "East Seattle", it has become one of the region's most upscale residential communities.

## Get in
### By car

Interstate 90 (I-90) is the only access to Mercer Island. A pair of floating bridges connects with Seattle to the west, and Bellevue and the rest of the Eastside to the east.
* Exits 7A (77th Ave SE) and 7B (Island Crest Way) from eastbound lanes.
* Exit 7 (Island Crest Way) from westbound lanes.

### By public transit

The transportation hub (bus station) in Mercer Island is the 47.5885-122.232331 Mercer Island Park & Ride on N Mercer Way and 80th Ave SE, alongside of I-90. It is served by:
* Sound Transit, toll-free: +1-888-889-6368. Has regional public transit routes including Sounder trains, Link light rail, and express bus in King County (e.g. Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond, Kirkland, Seattle, etc); Snohomish County (e.g. Everett, Lynnwood); and Pierce County (e.g. Puyallup, Tacoma). The following routes stop into Mercer Island P&R on their way between Seattle and the eastside: (updated Jun 2023)
   * 550 Downtown Seattle - Bellevue
   * 554 Downtown Seattle - 142nd Pl SE & I-90 Ramp Stop - Issaquah
* King County Metro, ☏ +1 206-553-3000. Operates bus, streetcar, and monorail routes in King County. Communities within the county served by this operator's routes include Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Mercer Island, North Bend, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Tukwila, Vashon Island, White Center, and Woodinville. (updated Jun 2023) They operate the following in Mercer Island:
   * DART 204 serves as a local shuttle between the Mercer Island P&R (north) and Mercer Island Village Shopping Center (south).
   * DART 630 connects downtown Seattle and First Hill to Mercer Island Village Shopping Center via Mercer Island P&R during weekday afternoons and to Seattle during the weekday mornings. Check schedules.
Construction is underway to extend the Link light rail 2 Line to downtown Seattle from Bellevue via Mercer Island, expected to complete in late 2025 or 2026.

## Get around

I-90, Mercer Island Park and Ride, and most businesses are at the north end of the island.
There are two major roads to the south end of the island:
* Island Crest Way, which passes through the center of the Island.
* The scenic Mercer Way, which is divided into West Mercer Way, East Mercer Way and North Mercer Way. This route goes along the edges of the island and has many curves.

### By public transit

There are three bus routes to the south end of the Island, near the Mercer Village Shopping Center.
* King County Metro DART 204, ☏ +1 206-553-3000. DART 204 is the only Metro bus route within Mercer Island linking Mercer Island P&R in the north to Mercer Village Shopping Center in the south via 77th Ave SE, SE 40th, 86th Ave SE and Island Crest Way. (updated Jun 2023)

## See

Great views can be seen from the small parks which dot the island. These include Groveland Park, Clarke Beach Park, and the westernmost edge of Lid Park, which sits on top of I-90.

## Do

* 47.5918-122.2441 Aubrey Davis Park (Lid Park), 2030 72nd Ave SE (on top of I-90). (updated Jun 2020)
* 47.59138-122.2252 Luther Burbank Park, 2040 84th Ave SE. The most notable park on the north part of the island, offering views of Bellevue and Medina. Has public docks. (updated Jun 2020)
* 47.54259-122.220723 Pioneer Park, Island Crest Way & 68th St (in the middle of the island). A nature preserve serving as a nexus for the many miles of trails on the island. There are horse stables just south of Pioneer Park if you are in the mood for horse riding lessons. (updated Feb 2025)

## Buy

* 47.54118-122.224851 Mercer Village Shopping Center, 8415 SE 68th St (at the south end of the island). Has a grocery store, several coffee shops, a drug store and other shops that mostly cater to residents. (updated Feb 2025)

## Eat

* Pom Proem Thai (78th Ave).
* Anise Thai (On Mercer Way).
* Yuzen (Middle of the island). Japanese.

## Sleep

Mercer Island has no hotels or motels. If you need one, your best bet is to hop on I-90 to either Seattle or Bellevue, as both cities have multiple, varied options for overnight stays.

## Go next

* Bellevue
* Seattle