For a lot of buyers, the first question about Renton is a practical one: how close is home to work? The answer is one of Renton's quiet advantages. The city sits on a deep, varied jobs base anchored by the Boeing 737 plant, so many residents can live and work within a short drive instead of giving an hour to the freeway each way.

We are The Van Pelt Group at John L. Scott, a multi-generational Renton-area team, and commute and employer proximity come up in nearly every buyer conversation. This guide lays out where the Boeing plant sits, which other major employers in Renton matter, and how the commute works to the rest of the region.

Where Is the Boeing Plant in Renton?

Boeing's Renton factory sits at the north end of the city, on the south shore of Lake Washington beside Renton Municipal Airport, also known as Clayton Scott Field. This is where the company builds the 737, its best-selling jetliner, and the plant employs roughly 12,900 people, the single largest employer in the city.

Because the plant is inside Renton rather than a neighboring city, commutes are short from almost everywhere in town. Kennydale, just to the northeast, is often a 5 to 10 minute drive, while the Renton Highlands, Benson Hill, Talbot Hill, and downtown typically land in the 10 to 15 minute range. Even farther pockets such as Fairwood usually reach the plant in under half an hour outside of peak traffic.

Major Employers In and Near Renton

Boeing anchors the local economy, but it is far from the only large employer. Renton's jobs base spans aerospace, healthcare, technology, and trucking, part of why the housing market draws such a broad mix of buyers. The major employers in Renton and the immediate area include the following.

• Boeing 737 plant: roughly 12,900 employees, north Renton beside the municipal airport.
• Valley Medical Center: about 4,300 employees, a major hospital and clinic network just west of downtown.
• Kaiser Permanente: about 2,500 employees across area medical operations.
• Providence: about 2,050 employees in regional healthcare.
• Paccar: about 1,800 employees; the truck manufacturer maintains a significant Renton-area presence.
• Wizards of the Coast: about 1,000 employees at the game publisher headquartered in Renton.
• Blue Origin: about 800 employees at the aerospace company's nearby Kent facilities.

Add Renton Technical College, the City of Renton, and the retail and hospitality jobs at The Landing and Southport, and a large share of residents commute inside a few miles.

Commuting from Renton to Bellevue, Seattle, and Beyond

Plenty of Renton residents work outside the city, and the road network is built for it. I-405 runs north and south through Renton, SR-167 heads south toward the Kent valley, and SR-169 connects east toward Maple Valley. Typical drive times by car look like this.

• Bellevue: about 15 to 25 minutes north on I-405, reaching the Eastside tech corridor.
• Seattle: about 20 to 35 minutes via I-405 to I-90 or SR-167 to I-5.
• SeaTac Airport: about 10 to 15 minutes south, among the shortest airport commutes in the region.
• Redmond: about 25 to 35 minutes north on I-405 toward the Microsoft campus.

Transit riders have options too. The Renton Transit Center downtown connects multiple King County Metro routes, and the RapidRide F Line links Renton to Tukwila and Burien. Looking ahead, Sound Transit Stride bus rapid transit on I-405 and SR-167 is scheduled to open across 2026 to 2028, sharpening connections to Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Burien, with eventual light rail to Renton planned further out.

Best Renton Neighborhoods for Boeing and Local Workers

If a short commute to the Boeing plant or another major employer is your priority, a few Renton neighborhoods stand out, each balancing proximity against price differently.

• Kennydale: the closest established neighborhood to the plant, on the lake-view hillside, with mid-century homes and newer luxury construction. Homes here run from the mid $700,000s well into seven figures, according to Redfin.
• Renton Highlands: originally built for Boeing workers in the 1940s and 1950s, the Highlands still offers more affordable single-family homes near the plant, typically from the $500,000s to the $800,000s.
• Benson Hill and Talbot Hill: south Renton plateaus with quick SR-167 and I-405 access, well suited to workers heading to the Kent valley or south toward SeaTac.
• Downtown and South Lake Washington: condos and homes within a short drive of the plant, plus walkability and transit for car-light commuters.

Because school boundaries and prices shift across these areas, we recommend matching the neighborhood to both your commute and your budget.

Frequently Asked Questions