Seattle Area Speed Cameras and Red Light Cameras – How to Avoid Getting a Ticket

Seattle’s Sneaky Speed Cameras: The Exact Spots That Catch Drivers Off Guard

If you’ve driven around Seattle long enough, you’ve probably seen it happen:
a sudden flash in your rearview mirror, followed by that quiet “oh no” moment.

I see it all the time—and yes, I’ve been there myself.

This is what it feels like when you see the speed camera flash.

A few years ago, I got a ticket for going 31 mph in a 25 mph zone on Ballinger Way NE by Lake Forest Park Elementary. It was a Sunday. Light traffic. Slight downslope. I didn’t even register the camera until it flashed.

No excuses—it was enforceable. But it’s also a perfect example of how easy it is to get caught off guard in certain parts of Seattle and the surrounding cities.

This post isn’t about whether speed cameras are good or bad. It’s about being specific: where people actually get surprised, why it happens, and how to avoid an unnecessary ticket.

Why speed camera tickets feel so unexpected

Most people who get camera tickets aren’t driving aggressively. They’re driving normally—and that’s the problem.

Certain Seattle streets send mixed signals:

• Roads that feel like arterials but are enforced like neighborhood streets
• School zones that extend farther than drivers expect
• Enforcement hours that are broader than “drop-off and pick-up”
• Cameras placed mid-block, not right at the school entrance
• Downslope segments where speed creeps up unintentionally

Drivers read the road. Cameras enforce the sign.

Specific Seattle-area locations that catch people by surprise

These are real, repeat-offender locations we hear about constantly—not hidden, but easy to underestimate.

Ballinger Way NE (Lake Forest Park)

Location: Ballinger Way NE near Lake Forest Park Elementary

This one gets a lot of Seattle drivers because Ballinger functions like a connector road. It’s relatively wide, gently sloped, and often free-flowing.

It’s also a strictly enforced school-zone corridor.

Even small overages get ticketed here, and enforcement doesn’t disappear just because it’s a weekend or the road feels quiet. My ticket was proof of that.

Why it catches people:
The road feels faster than 25 mph, especially downhill.

NW 80th Street — Whittier / Loyal Heights

Location: NW 80th St near Whittier Elementary and through Loyal Heights

This may be the single most common “I didn’t see it” camera we hear about in North Seattle.

NW 80th is long, straight, and heavily used as an east-west connector. It feels forgiving. It isn’t.

During school-zone hours, cameras enforce 20 mph, and drivers often don’t register the zone until they see the flash.

Why it catches people:
The street design encourages speeds that don’t match the posted limit.

North Seattle school-zone corridors that surprise drivers

These are areas where enforcement is clear on paper but often overlooked in practice:

• 5th Ave NE near Olympic View Elementary
• 35th Ave NE near Nathan Hale High School (roughly NE 105th–NE 113th)
• 3rd Ave NW near Viewlands Elementary
• 3rd Ave NW near Greenwood Elementary

Many of these streets look and feel like standard neighborhood arterials. When the beacons are flashing, they’re not.

West Seattle spots that trip people up

West Seattle has seen multiple enforcement changes over the years, which leads drivers to rely on outdated assumptions.

Common surprise areas include:

• California Ave SW near West Seattle High School
• Portions of 35th Ave SW near school zones and former pilot enforcement areas

Even longtime West Seattle residents sometimes assume old rules still apply.

Red-light camera intersections people don’t always expect

These aren’t speed cameras, but they generate plenty of “surprise tickets”:

• NE 45th St & Roosevelt Way NE
• NW Market St & 15th Ave NW
• Stone Way N & N 40th St
• Aurora Ave N & N 85th St
• Denny Way & Fairview Ave N

Many of these enforce specific directions or lanes, which catches drivers who assume uniform coverage.

Suburban cameras that catch Seattle commuters

A significant number of tickets come from just outside Seattle.

Kirkland
School-zone cameras near John Muir Elementary / Kamiakin Middle School (132nd Ave NE) and NE 80th St near Rose Hill Elementary enforce detailed schedules, including early-release days.

Bellevue
Existing cameras are well marked, but expansion plans mean enforcement may appear on corridors that historically didn’t have it.

Tukwila
Park-zone cameras—especially near Codiga Park—enforce speed limits without flashing beacons, which surprises many drivers.

Assumptions that lead to tickets

“It’s Sunday—school zones don’t apply.”
Sometimes true. Sometimes not. It depends on the specific designation.

“The camera must be right by the school.”
Not necessarily. Enforcement zones often extend well beyond school frontage.

“Everyone else is driving faster.”
Cameras don’t care.

“I was only a few miles over.”
Many cameras ticket at low thresholds.

How to avoid getting caught

You don’t need to memorize every camera location—but you do need to recalibrate how you read the road.

• Treat any school, park, or playground area as a potential 20–25 mph zone
• Slow down before the obvious landmark, not at it
• Look for “photo enforced” signs, not just flashing beacons
• Be cautious on streets that feel faster than their posted speed
• Don’t assume old rules still apply—enforcement changes

When in doubt, trust the sign, not the street.

Final thought

Most people who get camera tickets aren’t bad drivers. They’re normal Seattle residents navigating evolving rules, inconsistent street design, and enforcement that doesn’t always announce itself clearly.

If this post helps you avoid one unexpected flash in your rearview mirror, it’s done its job.

Reach out below with the message “Camera”. We will send you a map of all Seattle traffic cameras we are aware of at this time.

Last Updated 2/7/2026