Bitter Lake Real Estate Agent

Bitter Lake market snapshot

Median Sale Price$1,112,500▲ 0.1% YoY

Price / Sq Ft$561▼ 0.9% YoY

Median Days on Market7▲ 16.7% YoY

Sale-to-List100.0%± 0.0% YoY

Over the trailing twelve months, the median Bitter Lake home sold for about $1,112,500 — up 0.1% from a year earlier. Homes here typically went under contract in about 7 days at roughly 100.0% of list price (around $561/sq ft), reflecting a brisk, seller-leaning market. These rolling 12-month figures (NWMLS, June 2026) cover the broader market area around Bitter Lake rather than Bitter Lake on its own, so for any specific home it is worth comparing recent sales on that block.

About Bitter Lake

Bitter Lake is a residential neighborhood in north Seattle named for the lake at its center. Its boundaries are generally described as Aurora Avenue N to the east (across which is Haller Lake), Greenwood Avenue N to the west (across which is Broadview), N 145th Street and the Shoreline city line to the north, and Greenwood to the south, with N 130th Street often treated as the southern edge.

The lake itself is a roughly 19-acre glacial lake carved by the Puget Lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, the same ice sheet that shaped Lake Washington and nearby Green and Haller lakes. The neighborhood name traces to tannic acid leached from logs floated in the water during the area's early logging era, which gave the water a bitter taste.

Bitter Lake is one of Henos Adhana's north-end service areas, alongside his work across Seattle, the Eastside, and the north suburbs through eXp Realty.

Housing & homes

Bitter Lake's housing stock is mixed. Alongside single-family homes, you will find post-war ramblers and mid-century houses, plus more recent townhome and low-rise multifamily construction. Some homes date to the early 1900s, when the Seattle-to-Everett Interurban streetcar reached the lake in 1906 and spurred early development.

Condominium and apartment product is also present, and the neighborhood has seen newer multifamily development, particularly toward the Aurora Avenue corridor. Because the neighborhood combines older detached houses with newer attached and multifamily units, floor plans, lot sizes, and construction eras vary widely from block to block.

Local conditions to know

Aurora Avenue N (State Route 99) forms the neighborhood's eastern edge and carries the RapidRide E Line, King County Metro's bus rapid transit route between the Aurora Village Transit Center in Shoreline and downtown Seattle. The paved Interurban Trail, built on the former Interurban railway alignment, runs through the area and provides a north-south walking and cycling route.

Sound Transit's Pinehurst Station, a Link light rail infill station at NE 130th Street (previously referred to as the NE 130th Street station), is scheduled to open in 2026 to the east of Bitter Lake, with planned bus connections serving the neighborhood. The City of Seattle is also making mobility and safety improvements along N 130th Street between Bitter Lake and Haller Lake in connection with the station. Seattle maps liquefaction-prone areas as part of its Environmentally Critical Areas regulations; buyers should check the city's ECA and any parcel-specific mapping for a given address, since designation varies by lot.

Getting around & local texture

The neighborhood centers on Bitter Lake Park and the Bitter Lake Playfield, which include ball fields, tennis courts, a wading pool, play areas, and a section of the lake shoreline; the play area and restrooms were renovated in 2025. The adjacent Bitter Lake Community Center opened in 1997 at the southeast corner of the lake, and there is a nearby indoor pool. Aurora Avenue N and Greenwood Avenue N serve as the neighborhood's commercial corridors, with restaurants, markets, and shops.

Bitter Lake is designated by the City of Seattle as a Village Hub Urban Village within the Aurora-Licton Springs area, a land-use designation that shapes zoning and growth. The neighborhood is served by Seattle Public Schools; the Broadview-Thomson K-8 School is located in the Bitter Lake area. Attendance-area boundaries are assigned by address, so confirm the specific school for any home using Seattle Public Schools' Find Your School address lookup.

What buyers & sellers weigh in Bitter Lake

Verify a home's assigned Seattle Public Schools attendance area by address, since boundaries do not follow neighborhood lines
Check the City of Seattle Environmentally Critical Areas map for liquefaction-prone designation on a specific parcel
Confirm zoning for the parcel, as Bitter Lake's Village Hub Urban Village designation allows a range of housing types
Consider proximity to Aurora Avenue N (SR 99) for both transit access and traffic-noise exposure
Factor in the 2026 opening of Pinehurst light rail station and related N 130th Street improvements when assessing access
Compare older single-family homes against newer townhomes and condos, which carry different maintenance and HOA profiles
Ask for recent comparable sales nearby before pricing a specific home

What makes Bitter Lake distinct

A named glacial lake with an adjacent public park, playfield, community center, and indoor pool at the neighborhood's core
Direct RapidRide E Line bus rapid transit on Aurora Avenue plus the north-south Interurban Trail on the historic railway alignment
The 2026 opening of the nearby Pinehurst Link light rail station at NE 130th Street with planned bus connections
A Village Hub Urban Village land-use designation that supports a mix of single-family, townhome, and multifamily housing
Local history including the Interurban streetcar era and the former Playland amusement park that operated near the lake until 1961

Services in Bitter Lake

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Bitter Lake real estate FAQ

Where is Bitter Lake in Seattle?

Bitter Lake is a north Seattle neighborhood bordered roughly by Aurora Avenue N to the east, Greenwood Avenue N to the west, N 145th Street and the Shoreline city line to the north, and Greenwood to the south, with N 130th Street often treated as the southern boundary.

What kinds of homes are in Bitter Lake?

The housing stock is mixed, including post-war ramblers and mid-century single-family houses, some homes dating to the early 1900s, and newer townhomes, condominiums, and low-rise multifamily buildings, particularly near the Aurora Avenue corridor.

What transit serves Bitter Lake?

The RapidRide E Line bus rapid transit runs along Aurora Avenue N between Shoreline and downtown Seattle, the Interurban Trail provides a walking and cycling route, and Sound Transit's Pinehurst Link light rail station at NE 130th Street is scheduled to open in 2026 with planned bus connections to the neighborhood.

Which school district serves Bitter Lake?

Bitter Lake is served by Seattle Public Schools, and the Broadview-Thomson K-8 School is located in the area. Attendance-area boundaries are assigned by address, so confirm the specific school for any home using Seattle Public Schools' Find Your School lookup.