Seattle District > Missions > Civil Works > Locks and Dams

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .mil

A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.

Secure .mil websites use HTTPS

A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

US Army Corps of Engineers

Seattle District Website

/ / / /

Lake Washington Ship Canal and Hiram M. Chittenden Locks

Project Links

Hours, Directions and Tours

Collapse All Expand All

Address

3015 NW 54th St

Seattle, WA 98107

Parking

The north parking lot adjacent to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks is city-owned. Pay stations ensure adequate parking turnover of the limited spaces and minimize all-day parking by non-locks visitors.

Parking is $2.00/hour for a maximum of three hours. Pay stations accept debit and credit cards, and coins. Payment is required for parking Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

For information about parking pay stations in Seattle, visit the Department of Transportion website at www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/paystation.htm. For questions about using a parking pay station, please call the Seattle Department of Transportation at (206) 684-ROAD. To report a problem, please call (206) 684-5260.

Directions from downtown Seattle

Take Denny Way westbound, continue onto Western Ave W and continue onto Elliott Ave W.
If you are on Hwy 99 (Alaskan Way Viaduct), exit onto Western Ave W. Follow Western until it merges with Elliott Ave W.
Once on Elliott, follow it northbound and merge onto 15th Ave W.
Turn left onto NW Market Street, .
Follow NW Market westbound through the Ballard business district.
At Taco Time bear left onto NW 54th Street.
Turn left immediately after the Lockspot Cafe

Directions from north Seattle

Follow Interstate 5 southbound taking Exit 172.
Merge onto N 85th Street heading westbound.
Continue on N 85th Street to end (32nd Ave NW).
Turn left onto 32nd Ave NW and follow it southbound to end (NW 54th St). A 7-11 Store is on your right and Totem House Restaurant is on your left.
Turn left on NW 54th Street, then turn right before the Lockspot Cafe.

Directions from south Seattle

Take Interstate 5 northbound and get off at Exit 169
At stop light, turn left onto NE 45th Street going westbound.
Follow 45th Street through intersection.
Take a slight right onto N Midvale Place, then continue onto N 46th Street. Stay in right lane and go under the Aurora overpass.
Continue West on 46th, which curves into NW Market Street.
Follow NW Market westbound across 15th Ave NW and through the Ballard business district.
At Taco Time bear left onto NW 54th Street.
Turn left immediately after the Lockspot Cafe.

Directions from eastside

Take Interstate 90 or Highway 520 (toll) westbound, to Interstate 5.
Take Interstate 5 northbound taking Exit 169
At stop light, turn left onto NE 45th Street going westbound.
Follow 45th Street through intersection.
Take a slight right onto N Midvale Place, then continue onto N 46th Street. Stay in right lane and go under the Aurora overpass.
Continue West on 46th, which curves into NW Market Street.
Follow NW Market westbound across 15th Ave NW and through the Ballard business district.
At Taco Time bear left onto NW 54th Street.
Turn left immediately after the Lockspot Cafe.

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks Hours

Vessel Traffic: 24/7

Grounds: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Fish Ladder Viewing Room Hours: 7 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Touring the Locks

Water Safety

Seattle District Missions

We're Hiring!!

We're more than just a world-class engineering organization. We're Mechanics, Lock & Dam Operators, Maintenance Workers, Electricians, Realty Specialists, Biologists, Construction Control Reps, Park Rangers, and much, much more!

Scan to apply on

USAJOBS!

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks

Construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Hiram M. Chittenden Locks was completed in 1917 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Connecting the waters of Lake Washington, Lake Union, and Salmon Bay to the tidal waters of Puget Sound, the canal and locks allow recreational and commercial vessels to travel to the docks and warehouses of Seattle's busy freshwater harbor.

The complex of locks sits in the middle of Salmon Bay and are part of Seattle's Lake Washington Ship Canal. They are known locally as the Ballard Locks after the neighborhood to their north. (Magnolia lies to the south.)

The locks and associated facilities serve three purposes:

To maintain the water level of the freshwater Lake Washington and Lake Union at 20 to 22 feet above sea level.
To prevent the mixing of sea water from Puget Sound with the fresh water of the lakes (saltwater intrusion).
To move boats from the water level of the lakes to the water level of Puget Sound, and vice versa.

The complex includes two locks, a small (30 x 150 ft, 8.5 x 45.7 meter) and a large (80 x 825, 24.4 x 251.5 meter). The complex also includes a (235-foot, 71.6 meter) spillway with six (32 x 12-foot (3.7 m), 9.8 x 3.7 meter) gates to assist in water-level control. A fish ladder is integrated into the locks for migration of anadromous fish, notably salmon.

The grounds feature a visitors' center, as well as the Carl S. English, Jr. Botanical Gardens.

Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the locks were formally opened on July 4, 1917, although the first ship passed on August 3, 1916. They were named after U.S. Army Major Hiram Martin Chittenden, the Seattle District Engineer for the Corps of Engineers from April 1906 to September 1908.

In 1978, the locks were added to the National Register of Historic Places.