| Howe Street Stairs | |
| Image Place: | Stairs.png |
| Image Caption: | Three flights of the Howe Street Stairs pictured in June 2016 |
| Coordinates: | 47.636°N -122.3206°W |
| Steps: | 388 |
| Place Type: | Public stairway |
| Location: | Seattle, United States |
| Open: | 1911 |
The Howe Street Stairs (also known as the East Howe Steps, Howe Stairs, Howe Street Staircase, and the Howe Staircase) are a public, outdoor staircase that straddles Seattle's Capitol Hill and Eastlake neighborhoods. They were constructed in 1911.
Due to Seattle's difficult topography, the city has spent more than a century building in excess of 650 staircases linking sections of neighborhoods that are otherwise isolated or disconnected. The Howe Street Stairs were originally built in 1911 to provide a pedestrian link between two different lines in Seattle's former streetcar system.[1]
A proposal to construct a plaza at the bottom of the staircase has been advanced by area residents since the 2000s.[2]
The stairs, which begin at Eastlake Avenue, are divided into 13 flights interrupted by landings and streets. They contain 388 steps and are the longest such staircase in the city.[1] A portion of the stairs pass through the I-5 Colonnade, a city park under an elevated section of Interstate 5. They terminate at Howe Street, from which they take their name.[1] [3]
The stairs sit parallel to the nearby Blaine Street Stairs, which transits an identical route. They are used for exercise and fitness, as well as commuting.[3] [4] [5]