Updated 14 Sep 2026 · recomputed nightly
Is December 2026 a good month to visit Seattle?
Lively — the typical December day in Seattle is calmer than 60% of its year.
The weather is the trade-off here, not the crowds.
Calm · Lively · Busy · Packed rank a day against Seattle's own year — not a headcount.
December sits between the seasons in Seattle: cool and wet, around 8°C / 46°F with rain on about 19 days, Lively on 29 of 31 days — 2 days run Busy or Packed.
Mostly yes, if the weather does not put you off. The typical December day in Seattle is Lively, and only 2 of the 31 days in our window run Busy or Packed. Expect around 8 °C by day, with rain on about 19 days. Public holidays in Canada and the UK add to it. Christmas Day falls on 25 December. No week of December is meaningfully quieter — the typical day is Lively throughout; pick by day instead. The crush is at the Overlook Walk stairs; the quiet is at Pioneer Square when nothing is on. The calmest day is Tuesday 1 December, the busiest Thursday 31 December.
In short, a solid middle-ground pick.
Among the 12 months we forecast for Seattle, December ranks 8th for crowd pressure. Its heaviest day is Thu 31 Dec, busier than 99% of the year; its lightest is Tue 1 Dec at 40%.
Preparing pays off in a month like this: timed-entry tickets and pre-booked tours turn the queue time into sightseeing time. see the options →
Pack for wet first — rain on 19 of 31 days.
A folding one lives in the day bag and weighs nothing.
See umbrellas →
Wet stone is the thing to plan around in a month this wet.
See walking shoes →
How busy is Seattle in December?
The busiest days are the 25th and 31st. Away from those, most days sit Lively. The calmest stretch is the 1st–24th.
The month is not one thing: its lightest day sits at 40% of the year and its heaviest at 99%, so where you land inside it matters. Daylight runs about 8 hours.
The calmest days include the 1st, 2nd and 3rd — 27 days share that level, so there is room to choose.
Tue 01 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Tue 1 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-01 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Wed 02 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Wed 2 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-02 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Thu 03 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Thu 3 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-03 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Fri 04 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Fri 4 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-04 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Sat 05 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Sat 5 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-05 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Sun 06 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Sun 6 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-06 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Mon 07 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Mon 7 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-07 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Tue 08 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Tue 8 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-08 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Wed 09 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Wed 9 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-09 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Thu 10 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Thu 10 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-10 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Fri 11 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Fri 11 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-11 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Sat 12 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Sat 12 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-12 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Sun 13 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Sun 13 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-13 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Mon 14 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Mon 14 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-14 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Tue 15 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Tue 15 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-15 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Wed 16 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Wed 16 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-16 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Thu 17 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Thu 17 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-17 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Fri 18 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Fri 18 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-18 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Sat 19 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Sat 19 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-19 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Sun 20 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Sun 20 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-20 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Mon 21 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Mon 21 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-21 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Tue 22 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Tue 22 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-22 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Wed 23 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Wed 23 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-23 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Thu 24 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Thu 24 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-24 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Fri 25 Dec Busy busier than 82% of days here · United States public holiday · Christmas Day
Event on this day
25 Dec 2026Almost everything closes. Pike Place Market, the Space Needle's neighbours and most restaurants shut, so a visitor who lands on this day finds very little open.
Record Seattle on Fri 25 Dec 2026 is forecast Busy. Why: United States public holiday; Canada public holiday; UK public holiday; Christmas Day. Nearest calmer day: Thu 24 Dec (Lively). The day in full, the year at a glance, and what's worth booking ahead: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-25 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Sat 26 Dec Lively busier than 46% of days here · Canada public holiday
Record Seattle on Sat 26 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. Why: Canada public holiday. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-26 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Sun 27 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Sun 27 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-27 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Mon 28 Dec Lively busier than 46% of days here · UK public holiday
Record Seattle on Mon 28 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. Why: UK public holiday. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-28 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Tue 29 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Tue 29 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-29 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Wed 30 Dec Lively busier than 40% of days here
Record Seattle on Wed 30 Dec 2026 is forecast Lively. The day in full, the year at a glance, and how this day compares: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-30 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Thu 31 Dec Packed busier than 99% of days here · New Year's Eve fireworks at the Space Needle
Event on this day
New Year's Eve fireworks at the Space Needle
31 Dec 2026A fireworks show launched from the Space Needle at midnight. Thousands stand on the Seattle Center grounds to watch it, and the streets around the campus close.
Record Seattle on Thu 31 Dec 2026 is forecast Packed. Why: New Year's Eve fireworks at the Space Needle. Nearest calmer day: Wed 30 Dec (Lively). The day in full, the year at a glance, and what's worth booking ahead: https://avoid-crowds.com/seattle/#d-2026-12-31 (Avoid-Crowds, as of 14 Sep 2026; recomputed nightly.)
Which week of December is quietest in Seattle?
No week of December is meaningfully quieter — the typical day is Lively throughout; pick by day instead.
Can't move the dates? How to avoid the worst crowds
- Need flexibility? The 1st–24th is the month's calmest stretch — the easiest window to move around in.
- On the busy days, the walk-up queues for the big sights are the biggest time-sink — a timed-entry ticket skips them, which is where a busy month is won or lost.
Travelling on a busy day?
Timed-entry and skip-the-line tickets turn queue time into sightseeing time — sort them before you fly.
December weather in Seattle
Cold — around 8°C / 46°F, so pack a proper coat, with rain on about 19 days, so keep a layer handy. Daylight is short, about 8 hours, so plan the big sights for the middle of the day.
Worth booking the marquee sights ahead for the busy days, but you can keep the rest of the trip flexible.
More about Seattle in December
Based on: United States' public holidays · the official airport-arrivals pattern (BTS T-100, measured 2023–2025; airport-arrivals proxy for visitor volume) · five years of weather records (2019–2023) · confirmed event dates · the published cruise schedule
Every figure is recomputed nightly from real cruise schedules, public and school holidays, and long-run climate normals. Gaps are shown, not filled.
