West Renton Highlands

Home to the Jimi Hendrix Memorial, final resting place of the late, great Seattle-born rock star, the residential King County suburb of West Renton Highlands is also famed for its convenience and access to local open space. “This is a fantastic location for commuting to Seattle and Bellevue, with an outdoor playground all around you,” says Realtor Dea Church of Real Estate by Dea, a longtime area resident. “Boeing is right next door, and with access to major roads, it’s easy to travel to local parks with lots of fabulous, well-maintained trails, plus large and small lakes and rivers.” Twelve miles southeast of Seattle and 10 miles south of Bellevue, West Renton Highlands sits east of Lake Washington and the junction of Interstate 405 and Washington State Route 900, with easy access to Interstate 90. RapidRide’s F Line gets you from here to Downtown Seattle in 20 minutes, and Sound Transit’s Stride bus will begin traveling the I-405 corridor in 2026.

Reflecting a community where residents put down roots, housing in West Renton Highlands includes everything from small condos to mansions to retirement homes. Within well-manicured gated communities and along leafy, sidewalk-lined streets, Craftsman-style model homes from the mid-1990s through 2000s are 2,000 to 5,000 square feet with four to six beds, up to four baths and an attached garage for up to four cars; prices range from $700,000 to $1.5 million. Traditional mid-size two-story homes with four beds, up to three baths and a one-car garage on a large grassy lot are about $800,000, while small and mid-size midcentury modern ramblers average $675,000. Within small, tree-cushioned complexes from the 1990s and 2000s, a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment condo with a patio averages $425,000. In 55-plus communities like the 1980s-era Leisure Estates, you can swim in the community pool, play some pickleball and treat your dog to the fenced-in run; double-wide units with two or three bedrooms average $120,000.

Local kids may attend Renton District schools, which earn an overall B from Niche. The neighborhood’s Sierra Heights Elementary is rated C-plus by Niche, with robust, fee-based before- and after-school programs and a student-teacher ratio of 15-to-1. Rated a B-minus, McKnight Middle hosts student activities like Gay Straight Alliance, Robotics Club and Spirit Squad; the latter perform at school basketball games. Hazen High earns an A-minus from Niche, with a comprehensive sports roster that includes swimming, volleyball, golf, tennis, track and wrestling.

In the heart of town, the 9-acre Kiwanis Park was completely renovated in 2023, offering new and accessible play areas, playing fields and sports courts; if you’re a parent or guardian, you’ll now have a central plaza where you can watch the playground action (and enjoy some adult conversation). Farther south at the fir-forested Heritage Park, you can play a little half-court basketball or raise your heart rate on the exercise circuit; kids both big and little can clamber age-tailored playgrounds and a low-key rock-climbing area. To immerse yourself in nature, head north to wide, flat, gravel-packed trails along gurgling creeks like Honey Dew and May, following wooden bridges and reclaimed roads through a cool, green canopy of mossy, old-growth trees and ferns. Three miles northeast at lowland Lake Boren, you can fish for largemouth bass and rainbow trout right from the pier. And 5 miles northeast, 3,000-acre Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is crossed by 35 miles’ worth of trails through towering forests and along wetlands, streams, cliffs and caves.

Most neighborhood shopping and dining spots are locally owned. Start the day with a seasonal latte and pesto croissant at cozy Refuel Café, then later enjoy Vietnamese soups, noodle bowls and bubble tea at Pho Hien Trang; Café Sabah serves authentic Turkish cuisine for breakfast, lunch or dinner, including omelets, kebabs, pides (flatbreads) and mezzes. You can fill up your grocery cart at Safeway, Albertsons and Mexican-focused Los Jalapeños, and head just west for Viet Wah Asian Food Market and Grocery Outlet. Near Lake Washington and Boeing, The Landing is a mixed-use development where you can get errands done, meet up with friends or enjoy a night out with your family; you’ll find outposts of regional chains like fast-casual Just Poké and upscale WildFin American Grill, plus big-box retail like Target and a Regal Cinemas movie theater with stadium seats.

For a residential suburb with a range of price points near Boeing, with easy access to Seattle, Hazen High School and gorgeous open space, head east across Lake Washington to explore West Renton Highlands.

Written By

Melanie Wynne

Photography Contributed By

Landon Gauthier

Video By

Matthew Link