Early Bird’s Guide to SEA

Original post written in 2019; updated in April 2025

While most of us would much rather be sleeping than heading to the airport in the wee hours, sometimes a morning flight can be your only option. Don't resign yourself to a miserable morning — Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has many options for early birds looking for caffeine and a bite. Many restaurants and shops at the airport open at 4:00 or 5:00 a.m., and some even earlier. Here’s a handy list for the next time you find yourself at SEA before the sun rises.

Early arrival

Just because you get to the airport at the crack of dawn doesn’t mean that you are the only one! In fact, early morning hours can be the busiest times for travelers. Plan to be at the airport two hours before a domestic flight, and three hours before an international flight, just to be safe — checkpoint wait times during peak hours can be 45-60 minutes, so allow time to check your bags and find your gate. 

If you are driving to the airport, think opposite to avoid traffic on the drives! In the mornings, the Arrivals drive tends to be much faster, so get dropped off there and take a short escalator up to the ticketing level. Or, take Link light rail to avoid traffic all together and save money — remember to check the schedule in advance to verify the trains are running at your arrival time. Once you get off at the Airport stop, it’s only 379 steps to the main terminal.

Ask the Pathfinder team in green shirts to help direct you to the fastest checkpoint line — surprisingly, the longer lines can be the quickest! For more information on checkpoints, check out our blog answering common checkpoint questions. If you brought coffee or tea with you to help wake up, make sure it’s gone by the time you reach TSA — don’t worry, there’s plenty more after security.

Early bird refreshments

Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day! If you're on the hunt for something to eat or drink before your flight, there are several options in every terminal of the airport. Here’s a list of restaurants that are open before 7:00 a.m.:

Before Security

• Alki Bakery, before security, opens at 3:30 a.m.
• Starbucks, before security, opens at 3:45 a.m.
• Starbucks, baggage claim level, opens at 6:00 a.m.
• Sourced Market, before security, opens at 4:00 a.m. 

Central Terminal

• Dilettante Chocolates & Mocha Cafe, Central Terminal, open 24 hours
• Pallino, Central Terminal, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Starbucks Evenings, Central Terminal, open 24 hours
• Lucky Louie Fish Shack, Central Terminal, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Brewtop Social, Central Terminal, opens at 5:00 a.m. 

A Concourse

• Floret, A1, opens at 4:30 a.m.
• Starbucks, A3, opens at 3:30 a.m.
• Capitol Hill Food Hall, A5, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Caffe D’arte, A10, opens at 4:30 a.m.
• Manchu Wok, A5, opens at 6:00 a.m.
• Africa Lounge, A5, opens at 6:00 a.m.
• Mountain Room Bar, A15, opens at 4:00 a.m. 

B Concourse

• McDonald’s, B1, opens at 4:00 a.m.
• Qdoba, B1, open 24 hours
• Starbucks, B7, opens at 3:30 a.m.
• Mi Casa Cantina, B9, opens at 6:00 a.m. 

C Concourse

• Starbucks, C9, opens at 3:30 a.m.
• Hachi Ko, C10, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Dish D’Lish, C11, opens at 4:00 a.m.
• Le Grand Comptoir, C10, opens at 6:00 a.m. 

D Concourse

• Starbucks, D2, opens at 3:30 a.m.
• Urban Market, D2, opens at 3:30 a.m.
• Camden food co., D5, opens at 4:30 a.m.
• Ballard Brew Hall, D7, opens at 6:00 a.m.

North Satellite

• Beechers, N11, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Caffe D’arte, N13, opens at 4:30 a.m.
• Skillet, N18, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Bambuza, N19, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Bad Egg Breakfast, N3, opens at 6:00 a.m.
• Wendy’s, N11, opens at 4:30 a.m. 

South Satellite

• Peet’s Coffee, S8, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Greedy Cow, S3, opens at 6:00 a.m.
• Smith Cove, S1, opens at 6:00 a.m. 

Early bird shopping

Before security

• Hudson, baggage claim level, opens at 6:15 a.m. 

Central Terminal

• Hudson, Central Terminal, open 24 hours
• Coach, Central Terminal, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Made in Washington, Central Terminal, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• MAC Cosmetics, Central Terminal, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Fireworks, Central Terminal, opens at 5:30 a.m.
• SubPop Records, Central Terminal, opens at 6:00 a.m.
• Dufry Duty Free, Central Terminal, opens at 5:00 a.m. 

A Concourse

• Hudson, A4, opens at 3:45 a.m.
• InMotion Entertainment, A5, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Hudson, A9, opens at 4:15 a.m.
• Dufry Duty Free, A10, opens at 6:00 a.m. 

B Concourse

• Hudson, B6, opens at 4:00 a.m.
• Planewear, B1, opens at 6:00 a.m.

C Concourse

• Hudson, C9, opens at 4:15 a.m.
• Seattle Made, C2, opens at 6:00 a.m.
• Seattle Chocolate, C2, opens at 6:00 a.m.
• Sunglass Hut, C10, opens at 5:00 a.m. 

D Concourse

• Fireworks, D7, opens at 6:00 a.m.
• Hudson, D6, opens at 3:30 a.m.
• InMotion Entertainment, D6, opens at 5:00 a.m.
• Urban Market, D2, opens at 3:30 a.m.

North Satellite

• New Stand, N19, opens at 4:00 a.m.
• Pike and Pine, N2, opens at 4:15 a.m. 

South

• Dufry Duty Free, S10, opens at 4:45 a.m.
• Hudson, S2, opens at 5:30 a.m. 

Sleepwalking

Keep moving to stay awake. While you're waiting to board, check out a few new developments around the terminal. See more

Central Terminal is another great place to sit and enjoy the morning views with airplanes taking off and landing throughout the early hours. SEA was the first airport in the country to have a public art program; check out more than 60 art pieces throughout the airport. See more 

If you have children, the Children’s Play Areas are open 24 hours near gates A1 and D25 — a great place to get out the wiggles before a long flight. See more

Or take advantage of the free airport Wi-Fi, recognized as one of the speediest, and watch a movie or download a book! 

 Top photo credit: Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash