Burien, Washington
Burien is a city of 51,513 people in King County, Washington, founded in February 28, 1993.
Why visit Burien
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 68 parks and trails, 284 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include First Avenue South Bridge, Chief Sealth International High School, South Park Bridge and Seola Park.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 78°F; December lows average 37°F.
Weather in Burien
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Burien
Burien is a suburban city in King County, Washington, United States, located south of Seattle on Puget Sound. As of the 2020 census, Burien's population was 52,066, which is a 56.3% increase since incorporation in 1993, making it the 25th most populous city in Washington. An annexation in 2010 increased the city's population significantly.
From the Wikipedia article Burien, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks10
Chief Sealth International High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
High school in Washington, United States
South Park Bridge
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Drawbridge in Seattle, Washington, United States
Tracy House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic house in Washington, United States
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Tukwila School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Historic building in Washington, USA
Parks, trails and playgrounds68
Fauntleroy Park
Park · 3.5 mi
Park in King County, Washington, United States of America
Green River Trail
Park · 3.1 mi
Foot and bicycle trail in King County, Washington
Interurban Trail South
Park · 4.7 mi
"rail trail" in south King County and north Pierce County, Washington, U.S.
Lincoln Park
Park · 4.5 mi
City park in West Seattle, King County, Washington, United States of America
Marra Farm
Park · 3.3 mi
Former farm, now a park, in Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Seahurst Park
Park · 0.7 mi
Park in Washington, United States of America, United States of America
56 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes284
Burien Press
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.7 mi
Burien Press is a local & independent coffee shop in downtown Burien. We love crafting coffee for the community we love.
423 Southwest 152nd Street, Burien
Mo-Fr 06:00-18:00; Sa-Su 07:00-18:00
El Pique Peruvian Restaurant
Restaurant · Peruvian
Catering for business and social gatherings at special rates. Live music, entertainment and Karaoke Saturdays from 6:00pm to 10:00pm and...
14445 Ambaum Boulevard Southwest, Burien
Su-Sa 11:00-02:00
Burien Pizzeria
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.6 mi
907 Southwest 152nd Street, Burien
Mo-Th 17:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 17:00-21:30
Emerald City Smoothie
Cafe · Smoothie · 0.5 mi
126 Southwest 148th Street, Burien
Su 10:00-18:00; Mo-Fr 08:00-19:00; Sa 09:00-18:00
Gõ Seattle Grab and Go
Restaurant · Vietnamese · 2.7 mi
9988 15th Avenue Southwest, Seattle
Tu-Su 07:00-19:00
Open in Google Maps · +1-206-762-7935;+1-206-606-9999;+1-206-555-0100
Ivar's Seafood Bar
Restaurant · Seafood · 0.6 mi
125 Southwest 148th Street, Burien
Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00, Mo-Th,Su 11:00-21:00
272 more on the map.
History
European settlement in the Burien area dates to 1864, when George Ouellet (1831–1899), a French-Canadian born in Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, Quebec, purchased his first of several land patents for homestead sites directly from a federal land office. Ouellet had first arrived in the Washington Territory at Port Madison on Bainbridge Island, off the Kitsap Peninsula, in 1858. Three years after purchasing his homestead in the Burien area, he married 14-year-old Elizabeth Cushner, who was born in the Washington Territory, and started a family. Several years later, the Ouellet family moved to the White River Valley, near Auburn.
A popular local tale recounts that an early settler named Mike Kelly gave the community its first name after he emerged from the trees and said, "This is truly a sunny dale." Today, a few long-time residents still refer to the Burien area as Sunnydale.
From the History section of Burien, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Churches and places of worship44
Bible Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.4 mi
625 Southwest 149th Street, Burien
Fellowship Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.7 mi
231 Southwest 152nd Street, Burien
Holy Family Church
Church · Catholic · 2.9 mi
9622 20th Avenue Southwest, Seattle
Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 1.2 mi
228 South 128th Street, Burien
Our Lady of Lourdes Church
Church · Catholic · 2.7 mi
10243 12th Avenue South, Seattle
St John Sudanese Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 2.7 mi
14826 South 148th Street, Tukwila
St. Elizabeth Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 0.7 mi
1005 Southwest 152nd Street, Burien
St. Francis of Assisi
Church · Catholic · 1.0 mi
15246 21st Avenue Southwest, Burien
St. Paul's of Shorewood
Church · Lutheran · 1.7 mi
11620 21st Avenue Southwest, Burien
Shopping48
Gas and EV charging31
Schools, colleges and libraries77
Healthcare15
CHI Franciscan Health Medical Pavilion - Highline
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.3 mi
16045 1st Avenue South, Burien
Sea Mar Community Health Center
Clinic and pharmacy
14434 Ambaum Boulevard Southwest, Burien
Shorewood Medical Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.8 mi
13014 12th Avenue Southwest, Burien
Map of Burien
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 38°F | 5.8 in | 1.8 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 38°F | 3.8 in | 2.2 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 40°F | 4.2 in | 0.4 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 43°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 66°F | 49°F | 1.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 71°F | 53°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 77°F | 57°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 57°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 54°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 47°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 52°F | 41°F | 6.3 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 37°F | 5.7 in | 1.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Seattle Tacoma Intl Ap 72793 (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
King County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2025-12-12: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2024-04-28: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2022-09-10: Bolt Creek Fire (Fire)
- 2020-04-23: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Bryn Mawr-Skyway 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Renton 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Kent 9 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Seattle 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Bellevue 12 mi northeast, about 20 min by car
- Auburn 13 mi southeast, about 22 min by car
- Bainbridge Island 14 mi northwest, about 22 min by car
- Tacoma 16 mi south, about 26 min by car
- Bremerton 18 mi west, about 29 min by car
- Artondale 19 mi southwest, about 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Aerial view of Three Tree Point, Burien, and SeaTac, Dcoetzee, Public domain
- 2023-02-17, Huckleberry Square Restaurant, Burien, Washington, 02, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2023-02-17, Huckleberry Square Restaurant, Burien, Washington, 01, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2023-02-17, Huckleberry Square Restaurant, Burien, Washington, 03, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Burien Transit Center (8620127884), Atomic Taco from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Burien Transit Center 2026, Traininteriorguy, CC BY 4.0
- Burien Transit Center (14365122139), Atomic Taco from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- SW 152nd Street, Burien, Washington, circa 1960 (54166978555), Seattle Municipal Archives from Seattle, WA, CC BY 2.0
- Burien, WA - Pizza Haven dining room, circa 1958 (53189468381), Seattle Municipal Archives from Seattle, WA, CC BY 2.0
- Lake Burien, King County, Washington, October 7, 2023, United States Geological Survey (USGS), Public domain
- South Park Bridge, Seattle, Happybluemo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tukwila Library 03, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- William B. Tracy House, October 2011, User:Jaydec, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pizza Haven dining room, circa 1958 - Flickr - Seattle Municipal Archives, Seattle Municipal Archives from Seattle, WA, CC BY 2.0
- Woman working in kitchen at Standring Memorial Hospital, 1964 - Flickr - Seattle Municipal Archives, Seattle Municipal Archives from Seattle, WA, CC BY 4.0
- Chorizo (5201031712), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Cebollin (5201031060), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Carne al pastor (5200440643), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Pigs feet (5201031764), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Pasilla (5201030020), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Chicken feet (5201031942), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Tripe (5201031904), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Milanesa para Empanizar (5200439301), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Piloncillo (5201032706) (2), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Cotija (5200441615), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Carne Asada cuts (5200439257), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Piloncillo (5201032706), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Candy fruits (5200439391), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Nopales (5200439693), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Mojarra (5200440871), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Guajes (5200439631), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Mexican Oregano (5200441431), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Tamarind Pods (5201031112), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- More Mexican sweets (5201030602), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Bread for Mole (5200440441), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Manzano (5201030934), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Chile Guajillo (5200438953), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Yuca (5200439779), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Tomatillo (5201031026), Leslie Seaton from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0
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