The Historic Sunset Highway
in Washington

"The Trail to Sunset"

Seattle to Fall City via Renton

This segment of the route has had some drastic realignments in the years leading up to the completion of the floating bridge across Lake Washington in 1940. From the early years up to the 1930's you would have taken The Pacific Hwy and headed South to Renton Junction. From here you drove east toward Renton following the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Interurban Trolley lines.

In the 1930's the highway was rerouted and began on S. Jackson St. and east to Rainier Ave. Then south to what was then called Empire Way. This road was named for James Hill of the Great Northern Railroad. Today Empire Way is now named Martin Luther King Jr. Way in honor of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

From Renton the route follows SR900 across the Cedar River and then up the hill on Sunset Blvd. and then reconnected with SR900. The old route follows SR900 all the way to Issaquah.

The Sunset Hwy/ SR900 at Issaquah turns left onto Newport Way NW and continues east then south and connects to W. Sunset Way. From W. Sunset Way you head east as it turns into E. Sunset Way.

In 1940 you would have taken the new floating bridge from Seattle toward Issaquah on what is today's Interstate 90. This new new route at Issaquah went onto Gilman Blvd. and converged with the old route at E. Sunset Way and Interstate 90.

The original road headed up the hill close to where the eastbound lanes of I-90 are and then it crossed over to the westbound lanes.

As the highway rounded to the right and before Issaquah creek the road crosses back over all the lanes of the freeway and crossed Issaquah creek. The original bridge is still there. From here the original road was about where the westbound lanes are. Looking at the map you can see the changes.

At Highpoint the original road passed over the freeway at about where SE 79th St. ends and crossed the old bridge and then up the hill to connect with SW Preston Way. In the late 1930's the railroad was realigned so the newer hwy could be built from Highpoint to Preston.

From Preston the hwy follows closely to the original road down to Fall City.