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Waverly Beach Park on Lake Washington in Kirkland

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Community guide · 03 of 08

Living in
Kirkland.

A lakefront downtown you can walk, then hills of very different neighborhoods climbing away from the water.

Photo: Henry Fraczek on Unsplash. Waverly Beach Park.

County
King County
Public schools
Lake Washington School District
Link light rail
No Link station in the city. Buses from King County Metro and Sound Transit; stations in Bellevue and Redmond are nearby.
Main roads
I-405 through the city; SR 520 at the south edge
Water
Lake Washington: Marina Park, Juanita Beach, Houghton Beach, Waverly Beach
Trails and open space
Cross Kirkland Corridor (Eastrail), Juanita Bay Park, Bridle Trails State Park
Housing, broadly
Condos downtown, older and new view homes, wooded lots in Finn Hill and Juanita
Official city site
kirklandwa.gov

Facts from official city, school district, transit and park sources, checked November 2026. Confirm school assignment by address.

The place

Landscape and character

Kirkland faces west across Lake Washington. Downtown sits on Moss Bay, with a marina, waterfront parks and streets of restaurants close enough to walk between. From there the land climbs, and the neighborhoods change with the height: older street grids and view homes near downtown, wooded ridges to the north, and busy commercial areas along I-405.

The city grew in 2011 when Finn Hill, Juanita and Kingsgate joined it, so “Kirkland” covers places with quite different histories.

A Kirkland street of houses running down toward the lake
A Kirkland street near the lake. Photo: Peter Robbins on Unsplash.

Homes

What you find here

Condos and townhomes cluster downtown, in Juanita and around Totem Lake. Near the water and on the hills above it, older houses sit next to new ones with lake views. Finn Hill and much of Juanita have wooded lots with homes from the 1960s to the 1990s, and some newer infill.

Daily life

A normal week

  • ParksA string of public parks along the lake, from Houghton Beach to Marina Park and Juanita Beach, plus Juanita Bay Park’s wetlands.
  • ErrandsDowntown Kirkland, Juanita Village, the redeveloped Village at Totem Lake, and Bridle Trails and Houghton centers.
  • TrailsThe Cross Kirkland Corridor, a gravel trail on the old rail line, part of the regional Eastrail.

Getting around

Connections and limits

Schematic map of Seattle and the Eastside, not to scale I-5I-405I-90SR 520SR 522SR 202 LINK 1 LINELINK 2 LINE PugetSoundLake WashingtonLake Sammamish NSeattleBellevueKirklandRedmondSammamishIssaquahBothellWoodinville
HighwaysLink light railWaterSchematic, not to scale. Select a city to open its guide.

Kirkland has no light rail station inside the city. Buses connect downtown and Totem Lake to Bellevue, Redmond and Seattle, and stations in Bellevue and Redmond are a short drive or ride away. I-405 runs north and south through the city.

Downtown and Juanita are walkable. Finn Hill, Rose Hill and the eastern neighborhoods depend more on driving, and some streets have no sidewalks.

Why no commute timesThey change with the hour, the season, tolls and construction. Test the trips you will make at the times you will make them, or use the transit agencies’ trip planners.

Inside the city

Neighborhoods are not the city

A few of the areas inside Kirkland, and what each one trades. Not a complete list; ask us about any street.

AreaCharacterHousingThe trade-off
Downtown and Moss BayWaterfront parks, marina, restaurants and galleries.Condos and townhomes.Walk to the lake; parking and summer crowds.
Market and NorkirkOlder street grids just north of downtown.Older houses and new homes, some with views.Close to downtown; steep blocks in places.
Houghton and LakeviewAlong the lake south toward Carillon Point.View homes and condos.Lake and SR 520 access; prices and traffic on Lake Washington Boulevard.
JuanitaNorth of downtown around Juanita Bay and Juanita Village.Condos, townhomes and houses.Beach and shops; arterial traffic.
Finn HillA wooded ridge with O.O. Denny Park and Big Finn Hill Park.Houses on larger, treed lots.Forest and space; fewer sidewalks and errands by car.
Totem LakeThe city’s commercial center on I-405, with the hospital and the Village at Totem Lake.Newer apartments and condos.Convenience; freeway noise and traffic.

Trade-offs

What you gain, what you give

What you gain

  • A walkable waterfront downtown
  • Public lake parks along much of the shore
  • A trail on the old rail corridor
  • Neighborhoods from walkable to wooded

What you may give up

  • No light rail station in the city
  • View and lakefront homes command a premium
  • Steep slopes on many view lots
  • I-405 noise in nearby neighborhoods

Before you buy here

What we check on a property

The items that come up most often in Kirkland, in addition to a standard inspection.

  • Steep slopes. Kirkland maps geologically hazardous areas; many view lots are on them. Ask for geotechnical reports on hillside homes.
  • Shoreline rules. Waterfront homes fall under shoreline regulations that limit docks, bulkheads and additions.
  • Trees. Tree retention rules apply when you build or remodel.
  • Sidewalks and lighting. In annexed neighborhoods, walk the street at night before deciding.
  • Freeway noise. Homes near I-405 and the NE 85th Street interchange: visit at rush hour.
  • Condo documents. Downtown and Juanita condos: budget, reserves and rental rules.

Official sources