PAE vs. SEA

Paine Field vs. Sea-Tac

Two very different airports, about 40 miles apart. Paine Field is small, quick and easy. Sea-Tac has far more flights and every destination you could want. Here's how they compare.

Inside the Paine Field passenger terminal: armchairs, a fireplace and tall windows looking out on gate A2 — Inside the Paine Field terminal. Armchairs and a fireplace by the gates.

Side by side

The short version, row by row.

	Paine Field (PAE)	Sea-Tac (SEA)	Edge
Location	Everett / Mukilteo, about 25 mi north of downtown Seattle	SeaTac, about 14 mi south of downtown Seattle	Depends
Size	One small terminal with a handful of gates	52.7 million passengers in 2025; central terminal, four concourses and two satellite terminals	PAE
Walk to gate	A few minutes from the front door	Can be 15+ minutes, including a train to the satellite gates	PAE
Security lines	Usually short	Can be long at peak times	PAE
Airlines	Alaska Airlines (with Horizon)	More than 30 airlines	SEA
Nonstop destinations	Under ten: California, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland (see list)	Close to 100 U.S. cities plus dozens of international ones	SEA
International flights	None	Yes: Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico and more	SEA
Terminal parking	About $24/day economy, $34/day premium	About $32/day in the main garage, more for reserved	PAE
Public transit	Limited bus service	Link light rail to downtown in about 35–40 minutes	SEA
Food and shops	A few options	Dozens of restaurants and shops	SEA
Fares	One airline, so fewer sales	More competition, often more cheap fares	Compare

Sea-Tac passenger and airline figures are from the Port of Seattle. Parking rates are approximate, last checked October 2026. Confirm current prices with each airport before you go.

Choose Paine Field if

You live or are staying north of Seattle: Everett, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Marysville, Whidbey Island
Alaska flies nonstop where you're going
You hate long security lines and long walks to the gate
You're traveling with kids, a lot of bags, or someone who needs an easy airport
You want to skip I-5 traffic through Seattle

See flights from PAE

Choose Sea-Tac if

You're flying internationally
Your destination isn't on Paine Field's route list
You want to compare several airlines for the cheapest fare
You live in Seattle, the Eastside or south King County
You'd rather take light rail than drive

Sea-Tac official site

Which airport is closer to you?

Typical drive times without heavy traffic. At rush hour, add time for anything on I-5 or I-405.

Starting from	To Paine Field	To Sea-Tac	Usually closer
Everett / Mukilteo	10–15 min	40–50 min	PAE
Marysville / Arlington	20–30 min	50–60 min	PAE
Whidbey Island (via ferry)	Ferry + 10 min	Ferry + 50 min	PAE
Lynnwood / Edmonds	15–20 min	35–45 min	PAE
Bothell / Mill Creek	20–25 min	35–45 min	PAE
North Seattle	25–35 min	30–40 min	About even
Downtown Seattle	30–45 min	20–30 min	SEA
Bellevue / Redmond	30–40 min	25–35 min	SEA

Estimates only. Check a live traffic map before you leave, especially on weekday mornings and afternoons.

Tips for choosing

Search both airports at once. In Google Flights or Kayak, enter both PAE and SEA as your departure. A slightly higher fare from Paine Field can still come out ahead once you count parking, gas and time.
Count the whole trip. Thirty minutes saved on the drive, plus a shorter security line, can mean leaving home an hour later.
Check connections. From Paine Field you'll usually connect through cities like Portland, Los Angeles or San Francisco. From Sea-Tac, many more places are nonstop.
Mix and match. One-way tickets let you fly out of one airport and come home to the other, if that works better for you.

Flying from Paine Field? Start with the parking guide and getting here, or find a place to stay with hotels near PAE.