The city’s core business district shows remarkable resilience with visitor numbers nearing pre-COVID levels and new business openings surging

Downtown Seattle is writing one of America’s most compelling urban recovery stories. After becoming the first major U.S. city to face the full economic brunt of COVID-19, Seattle’s central business district is now approaching pre-pandemic performance levels across multiple key metrics, according to the latest data from the Downtown Seattle Association.

The numbers tell a story of steady, methodical recovery. In July 2025, more than 3.2 million unique visitors flocked to downtown Seattle—representing 97 percent of the foot traffic recorded in July 2019. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a city center that saw its economic foundation shaken more than

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