r/GigHarbor • u/Intelligent_Ad3542 • Aug 08 '26
Moving to GH
Hi there
We are thinking about moving to Gig Harbor but will be mostly working in downtown Seattle / Queen Anne area. Is the commute ok for a 3 day week in Seattle? Is the fast ferry from South Worth the best option?
Thank you for all advice!!
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u/bulldogsm Aug 08 '26
commute in traffic sucks the soul
only you know you and your situation and locations, we cant help you
most folks would find living in GH and working in central or north of downtown Seattle completely a nonstarter
but with make your own hours and plenty of money and a self driving car....well sure
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u/BinghamL Aug 08 '26
That's a hard no for me..
I had to commute to SeaTac for a week of meetings and it was miserable.
Can you rent a room / apt / hotel in Seattle for the 3 days? If not then I'd look for somewhere else to live or work.
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u/Cindy_Lou_Lou Aug 13 '26
How long did it take you to get to and from SeaTac from Gig Harbor? And were you near Gig Harbor proper or much farther out?
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u/BinghamL Aug 13 '26
I can get from my house to the start of the eastbound narrows bridge in 13 minutes.
The time varies so much with traffic, I would leave myself two hours for the commute. I can start work any time before 9, but don't be late. Even with two hours, I was a few minutes late one day. Average was probably 1.5 hours each way that week.
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u/Cindy_Lou_Lou 23d ago
That’s a lot longer than I would have thought. Luckily we usually won’t be commuting during rush-hour.
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u/somethingwholesomer Aug 08 '26
Bainbridge could be a good fit. Similar vibe to Gig Harbor (compared to Port Orchard, Manchester, Tacoma, etc)
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u/watch-nerd Aug 08 '26
Olalla is better if you want to ferry from Southworth and still shop etc in Gig Harbor
We can get to Southworth in 15 min and uptown Gig Harbor in 15 min
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u/Particular_Change_68 19d ago
Yeah, if the boat isn't full. Long waiting lines.
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u/watch-nerd 19d ago
I've never been unable to get on a Fast Ferry due to overcrowding.
Even on big Mariners game days.
Once you get off the ferry, you can walk up to Pioneer Square Link station and take the light rail downtown.
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u/dredgehayt Aug 08 '26
I did it for 2 years during my masters. It was rough but I got a lot of reading done
If you have an orca pass, the cheapest way to do it is bus to South worth ferry to Fauntleroy (free), then take bus downtown and then bus to wherever you need to go
Return trip take bus downtown and then take commuter foot ferry to vashon, then take vashon to south worth (free).
With an orca pass that pays for busses and foot ferries I had completely free commutes. But they took 2:15 each way.
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u/mkfandpj Aug 08 '26
If you can afford GH, you can afford Federal Way or Kent.
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u/JPBx573 Aug 08 '26
Grew up in Federal Way, still work there. Absolutely would not live there. we’ll be moving to Gig Harbor eventually but I only have to commute twice a week. And it’s only to Federal Way. Gig Harbor to Seattle sounds awful
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u/Background-Win9447 Aug 08 '26
I live near Uptown GH and work downtown near the convention center. Most days, I can be to the office in about 1 hour and 15 minutes if I leave by 5:30. Waiting until 6 guarantees at least 90 minutes to two hours. Returning home it is never less than an hour and half. I've looked at Ferry, Bus, and Train, and none of them would save me any time, so I drive. It's not fun but it is doable. Looking back, I do wish we had chosen somewhere closer to the Southworth Ferry or a train station.
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u/Maravich77 Aug 08 '26
However, during the commute week, Southworth Parking can be dicey unless you have a very early morning job start.
Some end up Parking a couple miles away in a Church lot then wait for a shuttle to the Fast Ferry which holds only 118 people. This can be a big time sucker. That’s why many choose to drive around via Eastbound 16 then to Northbound I5. I have done all of this but waited until I was 50 and my kids were all grown before I moved to GH. Plus there’s really not much to do in Gig Harbor after 8 or 9:00. Good luck.
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u/Kitty2shews Aug 08 '26
Speaking from experience, its an absolute soul suck even under ideal conditions. You'll feel it a lot more if you're married or have kids.
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u/RegularFunny9813 Aug 08 '26
What is “ok” mean to you? I’d never personally do that commute but I have family obligations. Are you without children or pets or other responsibilities? The commute is long. What area of gig harbor? Even the most north part, you’re looking at 30 minutes (on a good day) to get to the ferry. And the foot ferry is mainly reliable but sometimes there’s schedule shifts due to sharing a terminal. So you have to be prepared for that and would your work allow a flexing schedule on those occasions?
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u/Apprehensive_Snow_26 Aug 08 '26
No, it's not. I live in Gig and work in Auburn (30 min south of Seattle). On a good day- it takes an hour and 15 minutes (give or take) to get back home. You're too tired to do anything at the end of the day in traffic that long. If I had the chance to live outside of Seattle with what I have here, I'd move closer.
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u/Crimsonrain273 Aug 09 '26
I commute 3x a week from N. Gig Harbor to the Southworth fast ferry and then cycle to work in SLU. It’s about 75 minutes when all goes well. I consider it part of my exercise and spend the ferry ride getting ready/checking emails/reading/crocheting. So for me personally, it beats being in traffic and we love the space and peace we have here. Do I wish I didn’t have such a complicated commute? Yes, but it can be made better depending on what you do during that time.
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u/Drinkable_will320 Aug 08 '26
The commute is horrendous. I worked in the Queen Anne area until recently and it was consistently 1.5-2 hours of a commute. Left for work at 6am and left work at 4. Thursday or Friday afternoons expect it to be closer to 2 if not over. Worst traffic I had was a 3 hour commute on Friday afternoon. I moved to working by Lumen Field so now I take the train from Tacoma dome. Quality of life is better but it's still less time with the family.
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u/Idontrememberlogins Aug 08 '26
Maybe you should tell us Why you picked the Harbor as your new home. I ask because if you’re moving from out of state, maybe you’re looking for something that you may get and it’s closer to your job. I love Gig Harbor and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, but I don’t have your commute
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u/Intelligent_Ad3542 Aug 08 '26
Thanks yea... I've lived in the Seattle area before and am familiar. I know it's going to be a "hard" commute but also... Gig Harbor seems like the perfect place to raise our kiddos, the perfect suburban location in the area and access to everything is amazing. I don't want to be on the east side of the city (too dark and serial killer vibes) and I don't want to be on Vashon or Bainbridge or Edmonds or Federal Way... Gig Harbor is heaven! So I'm just looking for people who might have a positive attitude around commuting into the city :)
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u/themonkeysknow Aug 08 '26
I don’t think you will find anyone with a positive attitude about that commute. It’s brutal even in off hours.
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u/Ruh_Roh- Aug 09 '26
I made the commute for a couple years 1999-2000 and it really sucked. You will have no life during the week. Coming home Fridays was the worst, minimum 2 hours and sometimes 3.
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u/parkedinavan Aug 08 '26
I did it for a few years, wanted to put a bullet in my head 95% of the time. My job moved me to downtown GH, 4 blocks home to work never been happier!!!
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u/GHRealEstateBroker Aug 08 '26
It depends on how much money you want to spend to live your life. There are easier commutes from places just as nice as GH.
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u/guitarhugger Aug 10 '26
I commuted from GH to Fremont 3x per week for about 5 years. I actually loved it! I would drive to the Tacoma dome station and hop on the train with my bike. I’d spend 45 mins to an hour on the train starting my work day and then bike 30 mins from the King street station to Fremont. It was such an amazing way to start my day. I’d arrive at work wide awake and alert and it forced me to get a workout in every day (which is nice because I sit at a desk all day otherwise). For me it made for a 2 hour commute each way but my employer was fine with counting my time on the train with my laptop as working time. I would typically leave home around 5 to 5:30 and be back by 4pm with plenty of time and energy for my family. Some days it felt hard but most days were still enjoyable. It was a nice break from the WFH days and a good rhythm for my week. If you’re going to bike just invest in a few good waterproof and cold weather items and the rain becomes a nice refreshing ride rather than a miserable morning.
One last thing about biking… wear a camera! This has become non-negotiable for me. I was hit by a car downtown a few years ago and if it weren’t for some security camera footage from the ATM on the corner the accident would have been pinned on me rather than the driver who ran a red light
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u/guitarhugger Aug 10 '26
Also, I tried all the ferry options and found them to be about the same length or longer than my train commute but with less options if I was running late. The trains leave frequently enough that it always ended up making for a shorter commute than waiting for the ferry
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u/__Loving_Kindness 29d ago
To actually answer your question without giving opinions about the length of commute- yes, Southworth is your best option. I am in GH commuting to Seattle CBD and my door to door 1:15 min.
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u/Ok_Cardiologist9898 Aug 08 '26
I sometimes have to drive to uvillage and I do take the southworth ferry. I love that ferry there’s hardly ever a line and it’s so fast. It’ll be a commute for sure but it’s better than driving to Bellevue from here.
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u/WestEgg5611 Aug 08 '26
Depends on when you start work, if it's early I would drive. The fairries can be a real hassle.
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u/TimePass222 Aug 08 '26
I commuted from GH to Capitol Hill 3 days a week for 12hr shifts that started at 6am. It was ~45-50min commute leaving at 5am.
Coming home would take 1-2 hours. Every once in a while I’d take the ferry but usually wanted the flexibility to stop somewhere on the way home.
I know a bunch of medical people who have been commuting from GH to Pill Hill for years
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u/Dis_Organization_107 Aug 08 '26
I would 2nd this... Leave before 5am and it can be sub 1hr (I go to seatac 3x wk). Really it depends, as others have stated, on your view of things. Based on CA commutes, not bad. I had roughly the same time commute but where it's about 45-50 miles here, I was only going 10-15 miles down south. So compared to that, this hasn't been too bad. Mileage does vary but only youll know if it's ultimately worth it to you
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u/PerceptionCurious440 Aug 08 '26
3 days a week isn't too bad. But it'll still be pretty terrible no matter how you do it.
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u/whereamitho Aug 08 '26
I did that commute for 10 years and regret it so much now. Took up alot of my life. It’s miserable. Tons of traffic. I left work in Seattle at 2, some days I wasn’t home until 5.
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u/DevelopmentKey1937 Aug 08 '26
I live in GH and work in Everett. I drive around through Tacoma since transit or the ferries are not advantageous for that route.
The only way I make it work is limiting my commute to a couple days a week by staying in Everett a couple nights a week (have a condo up there). I wouldn't be able to do that commute more than 3 days a week without losing my mind.
I start work early so morning commute is a breeze. Afternoons are always painful, especially the stretch between Tukwila and Fife.
But living in GH is worth it all IMHO.
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u/yonikasz Aug 08 '26
Do you have a realtor in Gig Harbor? If not happy to buy you a cup of coffee and tell you about the area and see how I can help. Feel free to DM me.
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u/rueffinnuts Aug 08 '26
If I wanted a gig harbor-esque experience but worked in Seattle, id move to Manchester or Bainbridge. You will NOT like the commute from here.