Getting to CNA Class in Federal Way by Bus, Light Rail, and Car

Federal Way became one of the easiest places in south King County to reach without a car on December 6, 2025, when Sound Transit opened the Link 1 Line extension to Federal Way Downtown Station, adding Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way Downtown stations and extending the line from Lynnwood to Federal Way. The station sits next to the Federal Way Transit Center, where Sound Transit express buses (574 to Tacoma and SeaTac, 577 and 578 toward Seattle), King County Metro's RapidRide A Line and local routes, and Pierce Transit routes 402, 500, and 501 connect. Huduma CNA Programs is in Federal Way, and for a 4-week course that meets roughly 27 hours a week, the commute plan below is worth setting before day one.

Transit options at a glance

Service details, schedules, and fares change; confirm current times with Sound Transit, King County Metro, and Pierce Transit before relying on a connection for a clinical shift. This article names the routes and agencies but does not quote timetables.

By light rail: Federal Way Downtown Station

Federal Way Downtown Station is at 31911 23rd Ave S, Federal Way, WA 98003. Sound Transit lists 1,592 parking spaces for its passengers, with ADA parking in the garage and at a surface lot on the south end, plus 8 bike lockers and 40 bike racks. Ticket machines are at street level near each entrance, and ORCA cards work across Sound Transit, Metro, and Pierce Transit.

For students, the practical points are:

• From Seattle and SeaTac: ride the 1 Line south to the end of the line. No transfers.
• From Kent, Des Moines, or Star Lake: the two intermediate stations opened with the extension. Kent Des Moines Station also connects to Metro route 165 and the A Line.
• From the north end of the line (Shoreline, Lynnwood): a single train, but a long ride; check the trip time at the hour you will travel, not at midday.

The station connects to buses at the adjacent Federal Way Transit Center, so a student who lives off the rail line typically rides a bus to the transit center and either walks or transfers from there.

By bus: Sound Transit, Metro, and Pierce Transit

Sound Transit 574 links Tacoma, Federal Way, and SeaTac and is the main option for students in Tacoma and Lakewood. Sound Transit 577 and 578 run between Federal Way and downtown Seattle, with the 578 also serving Auburn, Sumner, and Puyallup, which makes it the Pierce County and south Auburn option.

King County Metro's RapidRide A Line runs frequent service along the Pacific Highway South corridor and stops at both Federal Way Downtown Station and Kent Des Moines Station. Metro local routes 181, 182, 183, and 187 cover neighborhoods inside Federal Way and connections to Auburn and Twin Lakes; the 183 also serves Star Lake Station.

Pierce Transit routes 402, 500, and 501 bring riders from Milton, Fife, and the Tacoma area to the transit center.

Metro's own summary counts 17 bus routes across the three agencies serving the new 1 Line stations, so most students in south King County or north Pierce County have at least one option without a car.

By car: driving and parking

Federal Way sits on Interstate 5 with exits serving the downtown area, and State Route 18 connects from Auburn and Covington. For driving students, three rules apply:

1. Time the trip at the real hour. I-5 through Federal Way behaves very differently at 6:30 a.m. than at 10:00 a.m., and clinical shifts start early.
2. Ask the program where students park. Parking arrangements differ between the classroom site and the clinical facility, and facilities often restrict student parking to specific lots.
3. Know the transit fallback. If the car fails during the four weeks, the bus or rail plan above is the backup, and it only works if you have tried it once.

Sound Transit's station parking is intended for transit passengers, so use it only if you are then riding the train or a connecting bus, not as general parking for class.

Two commutes, not one

CNA training involves two destinations. Theory and lab hours happen at the school. The 40 clinical hours happen at a licensed nursing facility, which may be in a different city and will start on the facility's shift schedule. Plan both trips separately, and treat the clinical trip as the one with zero margin, because a late arrival to a clinical shift generally means being sent home and rescheduling the hours. The rest of the scheduling picture, including childcare, is in childcare, commuting, and CNA class schedules.

Fares, passes, and help with costs

Fares are set by each agency; check current adult fares and any reduced-fare programs with Sound Transit, King County Metro, and Pierce Transit. ORCA is the shared fare card, and ORCA LIFT is Metro's reduced-fare program for lower-income riders, so students who qualify should apply before class starts. For students receiving training funds through WorkSource, WIOA, or Basic Food Employment and Training, transportation is sometimes an allowable support cost; the process is explained in WorkSource, WIOA, and Basic Food Employment and Training. A commute of four weeks at five days a week is 20 round trips, so the difference between a pass and single fares is worth calculating.

A pre-class commute checklist

• Look up the route from home to the school at the hour class starts, and again for the hour it ends.
• Ride or drive it once before the first day and record the door-to-door time.
• Ask the program for the clinical facility's address and start time as soon as it is assigned, then repeat the test run.
• Load an ORCA card or buy the pass you will use, and apply for ORCA LIFT if eligible.
• Save the agencies' alert channels so a service disruption reaches you before you leave.
• Pack for the commute: scrubs on, supplies in a bag, and a plan for the last bus home after a weekend or evening session.

Students from farther afield can also compare nearby training options in south King County CNA training, CNA classes near Tacoma, WA, and CNA classes near Kent, WA.

Frequently asked questions

Is there light rail to Federal Way? Yes. The Link 1 Line reached Federal Way Downtown Station on December 6, 2025, and runs from Lynnwood through Seattle and SeaTac to Federal Way.

Which bus goes from Tacoma to Federal Way? Sound Transit route 574 connects Tacoma, Federal Way, and SeaTac. Pierce Transit routes 402, 500, and 501 also reach the Federal Way Transit Center.

Is there parking at Federal Way Downtown Station? Sound Transit lists 1,592 parking spaces for its passengers, with ADA parking in the garage and a south surface lot.

Can I get to CNA class in Federal Way without a car? Yes. The 1 Line, Sound Transit express buses, Metro's A Line and local routes, and Pierce Transit routes all serve the station and transit center.

Do I need transportation to a separate clinical site? Yes. The 40 clinical hours are in a licensed nursing facility, which may be in another city; the program tells you the site and shift times.

Class dates and day or weekend patterns are on the schedules page, and course details for the CNA Traditional program include what to bring on day one.