It does rain a lot in Seattle, but the temperature stays mild most of the year.

The city receives 65% of its precipitation from November to March. But in spring the raindrops frequently let up to provide gorgeous days that are well worth the wait.

April and May are best for enjoying the fruits of all that gloomy winter rain: suddenly everything is supernaturally green and covered in flowers. Summer – June, July and August – is the high season and can usually be relied upon for sunny days, warm weather and lots of people saying things like ‘I thought you said it rained all the time here.’ Fall, the season of Bumbershoot and Oktoberfest, is the favorite of beer lovers and music fans.

Seattle is served by the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport www.portseattle.org/seatac located 13 miles south of downtown Seattle. There are baggage storage facilities (kensbaggage.com; duffels & backpacks $5-10 per day) in the airport as well as currency-exchange services. Car-rental agencies are located in the baggage-claim area. For a map of the airport’s ground-transport options, go to : www.portseattle.org/about/maps/ground.shtml. There are many shuttle buses that can take you to Seattle and elsewhere in the region, or you can rent a car, grab a taxi or limo, or take public transportation.

Sound Transit's Link Light Rail from Downtown to the Airport The SeaTac / Airport Station is connected to the fourth floor of the Airport Garage. Trains arrive and depart on the platform level of the station. The covered, level walkway to the Airport Terminal is one level down on the mezzanine. The well-lit walkway is separated from the main area of the garage and directional signs point the way to the Main Terminal skybridge. Wheelchair service is available.

The Link light rail service runs from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m to midnight on Sundays. Trains arrive and depart every 7 1/2 to 15 minutes, depending on the time of day. Click here to see a full-size map of the route from the Airport Terminal to the Link Light Rail Station. The drive to downtown Seattle from SeaTac Airport will take 20-30 minutes,depending on the traffic. A trip to downtown Seattle from the airport on public transportation takes 30-40 minutes.

Downtown Seattle Map - from Seattle's Convention and Visitor's Bureau

Doing Business in Seattle: http://www.seattletradealliance.com/index.php

Chinese Information and Service Center: http://www.cisc-seattle.org/

For a major US city, Seattle’s civic history began only about 130 years ago. While the rest of the country was establishing firm roots at that time, most of today’s Seattle was covered in deep forest that was always drenched in rain. Though native groups lived here long before, colonialist settlement didn’t reach Puget Sound until 1851. The history of Seattle as a city is itself long, but in that time it’s become the cultural and economic center of the Pacific Northwest. Not that the city would ever brag about that status itself, mind you. Despite its achievements and importance to the region, Seattle still has the mellow sense of modesty and self-deprecation that characterizes the Northwest.

Seattle is anything but ordinary. It's a place where bike messengers share elevators with world-renowned researchers. Where fishermen have lunch alongside top surgeons. It's a city where the extraordinary is commonplace and commonplace is anything but. And if you look closely, you just might discover that in Seattle there are amazing things happening all around you.

From a jet engine to an espresso machine to grunge rock, Seattle's world-changing events have all had a distinct sound. But the symphony doesn't end there. Your visit to Seattle may bring you the sound of an orca blowing as it surfaces, the roar of the crowd at Safeco Field or the near silence of the Olympic rainforest. Come to Seattle and hear for yourself.

Our Top Picks for Seattle

1. THE SPACE NEEDLE - A 41-second elevator ride takes you up 520 feet to the observation deck of the Space Needle, built for the 1962 World's Fair. Enjoy a meal at SkyCity, the restaurant at the top that revolves 360° while you dine.
2. PIKE PLACE MARKET - Born in 1907, Seattle's Pike Place Market is the granddaddy of farmers' markets. Today, it's a major tourist attraction with 200 businesses operating year-round, 190 craftspeople and 120 farmer booths - plus street performers and musicians. Flowers by the bucketful, flying fish, fresh pastries and fruit, handmade cheeses, local honey, wine, an assortment of restaurants, import goods, antiques, collectibles and lots of surprises are around every corner.
3. MUSEUMS & ART GALLERIES - The Seattle area is home to an excellent collection of art, history, maritime, and special interest museums, including one of the largest air and space museums in the world, and The Experience Music a one-of-a-kind music museum housed in a notable Frank Gehry-designed building.
4. OLYMPIC SCULPTURE PARK - Enjoying art is a walk in the park at Seattle Art Museum's new Olympic Sculpture Park, a vibrant green space for residents and visitors to experience art outdoors while enjoying incredible views of the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound and Seattle's cityscape.
5. PIONEER SQUARE - Seattle's historic district is filled with boutique shopping, art galleries, nightlife activities, international dining and sightseeing opportunities.
6. DOWNTOWN SHOPPING - Seattle's downtown retail core, within easy walking distance of the Convention Center and hotels, offers a variety of stores to suit all tastes. Shoppers will enjoy Nordstrom's new flagship store, the up-scale shopping center Pacific Place and the REI flagship store complete with an indoor climbing pinnacle, rain booth and dirt trail for shoppers to test their outdoor equipment.
7. BOATS, CRUISES & FERRIES - See the waterfront, visit Blake Island for an Indian-style salmon bake, ferry across Puget Sound, enjoy a dinner cruise on the water or explore Elliott Bay on a harbor cruise.