A Guide to the Ballard Neighborhood

Ballard Neighborhood Guide: History, Water, and What It’s Really Like

On the original land of the Duwamish peoples, northwest of downtown Seattle, sits the Ballard neighborhood. It is laid back, hip, and highly walkable, and it is often considered one of Seattle’s most popular places to live and visit.

Ballard’s identity is deeply tied to the water. Its close proximity to both the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Puget Sound’s Shilshole Bay shapes everything from recreation to history. One of the clearest examples of this connection is the Ballard Locks.

Officially known as the Hiram M Chittenden Locks, this system links Puget Sound with Lake Union and Lake Washington and is one of Seattle’s top tourist attractions. Completed in 1917 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the locks are an engineering marvel, lowering vessels as much as 26 feet while managing the exchange between fresh and salt water.

Beyond boat traffic, the locks serve another critical role. Its 21 step fish ladder provides an essential migration path for salmon and steelhead heading upstream to spawn. And the locks are not the only waterfront highlight. Ballard is also home to one of our favorite Seattle beaches, Golden Gardens Park.

Water may also explain Ballard’s early roots. Like another Washington town we have previously covered, Poulsbo. Ballard’s early European settlers were Norwegian. That Nordic heritage remains a visible and celebrated part of the neighborhood today.

From Independent City to Seattle Neighborhood

With its size and history, Ballard often feels like more than just a neighborhood. That is because before becoming part of Seattle, it was its own city. Founded in 1890, the City of Ballard took pride in both its independence and its cultural identity.

However, rapid growth brought a major challenge. Ballard lacked a clean and reliable water supply. In 1902, the city signed an agreement to tap into Seattle’s water system. As usage increased, costs rose, and annexation slowly became part of the conversation.

In 1905, annexation appeared on the ballot for the first time. Residents rejected it overwhelmingly, holding tightly to Ballard pride. But water frustrations continued, and in 1906, residents narrowly voted to approve annexation. On May 29, 1907, Ballard City Hall was draped in black and its flag flown at half mast. That day, the City of Ballard officially ceased to exist, and the Ballard neighborhood was born.

Today, Ballard appears far more accepting of that decision. With a population now exceeding 28,000 residents, the neighborhood offers no shortage of amenities, from restaurants and storefronts to everyday conveniences.

Ballard Pricing and Demographics:

Ballard comes with a familiar Seattle reality. It is expensive. It is one of the pricier neighborhoods in an already expensive city. While there are fewer family households, there are still public and private school options for those with school aged children.

Demographically, Ballard is made up largely of highly educated, high earning, working aged adults. The population is mostly white, followed by Asian residents, with Black or African American residents making up about 1 percent.

To help add context, we put Ballard up against our TWB Neighborhood Rating Scale.

Drive Grade

For our neighborhood series, we base Drive Grade on how walkable the neighborhood is, the neighborhood’s access to highways, the amount of traffic within the neighborhood, the neighborhood’s proximity to schools, and parking.

• Walkability: 2/2 - It is one of the most pedestrian friendly neighborhoods in Seattle.

• Access to Highways: 1/2 - Getting to major highways like I-5 or I-90 can be a hassle depending on traffic.

• Traffic: 1/2 - Traffic in the neighborhood can be a hassle during rush hour and busy weekends.

• Proximity to Schools: 2/2 - There are many public and private schools in the neighborhood.

• Parking: 0/2 - There isn’t a lot of parking in the neighborhood and a lot of the parking is paid.

Ballard’s Neighborhood Drive Grade Score comes to 6 out of 10.

Level of Fun

For our neighborhood series, we base Level of Fun on Quality of Activities, Access to Nature, Access to Coffee Shops, Quality of Restaurant Options, and Special Events within the neighborhood.

This is where Ballard shines brightest.

• Quality of Activities: 2/2 - There are a plethora of activities in the Ballard neighborhood, like visiting the Hiram M Chittenden Locks to watch the salmon migration at the fish ladder, there is always something to experience.

• Access to Nature: 2/2 - It’s easy to get outside in Ballard. Some examples are a the Ballard Locks, there’s a botanical garden, and the amazing Golden Gardens Park is perfect for experiencing the beach.

• Quality of Restaurants: 2/2 - Ballard has some great restaurants! One of our favorite restaurants to visit was the Lockspot Cafe, a Black and woman owned historic tavern style restaurant. Ballard is also home to Un Bien, known for what has been voted the best sandwich in Washington and one of the best in the country.

• Access to Coffee Shops: 2/2 - Seattle takes coffee seriously, and Ballard delivers. Shoutout to Valentina’s Cafe, a Mexican inspired coffee shop we really enjoyed.

• Special Events: 2/2 - Ballard as some great events in the neighborhood. Like the Ballard Farmers Market, held every Sunday year round. It is one of Seattle’s most popular markets and a true neighborhood staple.

Ballard’s Neighborhood Level of Fun Score comes to 10 out of 10.

Comfortability for Black People

Our Comfortability for Black People Neighborhood Series Scale, is based on the Amount of Black People Seen, Areas Black Population Numbers, Amount of Black Businesses, Personal Feelings during Visit, and Visibility of Signs and artifacts of inclusion.

To see our Comfortability for Black People Rating, check out the video.

Based on our Neighborhood Series scales, Ballard performs well across the board. It is not the easiest neighborhood when it comes to driving and parking, but it offers an incredible amount of high quality experiences and things to do.

For us, Ballard is always a neighborhood we enjoy spending time in. But for you as a potential mover, the question is simple. How does Ballard sound as a place you would consider living?

Watch our YouTube Episode on the neighborhood!