Air Force One expected to land at Sea-Tac, not Boeing Field
President Joe Biden is expected to arrive this evening in Seattle as part of a West Coast fundraising trip.
Air Force One, which carries the president and his entourage, is expected to land at 5:50 p.m. at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The White House released details of the trip on Thursday, ending speculation President Biden might land at King County International Airport-Boeing Field in Georgetown.
Drivers and commuters should expect road closures and traffic delays beginning Friday evening. Secret Service security measures prevent other agencies from disclosing what streets the motorcade will drive on and what roads and highways will be closed.
Planes bringing White House VIPs to Seattle usually land at Boeing Field or Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Last August, Vice President Kamala Harris landed at Boeing Field. In October 2022, First Lady Jill Biden also arrived at Boeing Field as did President Barack Obama in 2015. In April 2022, President Biden arrived and departed from Sea-Tac. Former President Donald Trump never visited Seattle while in office but did visit as a candidate.
Looking back a few decades, Bill Clinton’s 1994 visit began at Boeing Field as did Ronald Reagan’s 1983 trip. George H.W. Bush landed at Everett’s Paine Field, but he did cut the ribbon to help dedicate the Museum of Flight just down the road in Tukwila, according to KIRO 7. John F. Kennedy arrived at Boeing Field and Dwight Eisenhower landed at Sea-Tac.
Biden and the entourage traveling with him will be coming to Seattle after fundraising events in California. The president will attend a campaign reception in Seattle, according to the White House. The Biden Victory Fund invited donors to a private reception on Friday, May 10, at an undisclosed address in Seattle where tickets began at $500 per guest, according to a report in the Cascadia Advocate.
President Biden last visited Seattle two years ago during Earth Day. He signed an executive order protecting old-growth forests at Seward Park and visited Green River College in Auburn. He also attended a private fundraiser hosted by Microsoft executives. In 2019, he visited as a candidate and spoke to donors at the home of an Amazon executive.
Biden's visit this time is also expected to be largely about fundraising and not public campaigning. Washington state has consistently voted for the Democratic presidential candidate since 1988. In 2020, Biden earned 58 percent of Washington votes to Trump's 38.8 percent, according to Ballotpedia.