Norway Hill, Bothell: Complete Neighborhood & Real Estate Guide (2026)

Norway Hill, Bothell: Complete Neighborhood Guide

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Norway Hill at a Glance

Norway Hill rises directly south of downtown Bothell, a wooded ridge that for decades has been one of the area’s most established residential addresses. Where Westhill sits on the hillside west of downtown, Norway Hill occupies the slope to the south — separated from Main Street by the Sammamish River and the SR-522 corridor, then climbing up toward Kirkland’s northern edge. The neighborhood is older, leafier, and generally lower-density than much of south Bothell, with larger lots, mature evergreens, and a quieter feel.

The neighborhood’s character is defined by three things: the hill itself (with view properties that genuinely deliver Cascade and territorial vistas), the surrounding green infrastructure (Blyth Park, the Sammamish River Trail, the Tolt Pipeline Trail, and Wayne Golf Course), and the school assignment — Norway Hill feeds Moorlands Elementary, Northshore Junior High, and Inglemoor High School, not Bothell High. That last point matters more than buyers often realize.

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Where Norway Hill Begins and Ends

Norway Hill sits on the south side of the City of Bothell, generally bounded by the Sammamish River and SR-522 to the north, I-405 to the east, the Bothell/Kirkland city boundary to the south near NE 145th Street, and the Tolt Pipeline corridor and city limits to the west. The neighborhood encompasses roughly 1,000+ acres of hillside terrain, with Riverside Drive and Riverbend Drive forming the riverfront edge at the bottom and Norway Hill Park sitting at the top of the rise.

The neighborhood straddles King County primarily, with the great majority of homes assessed under King County and addressed in the 98011 ZIP code. Some adjacent and overlapping sub-areas — including Waynita, Simonds, and Tate’s Orchard — are sometimes listed together with Norway Hill in NWMLS data, which can confuse buyers who are comparing listings across mapping platforms.

A few orientation notes worth knowing:

• Norway Hill Park sits near the top of the hill and is one of the larger neighborhood parks in south Bothell.
• Blyth Park anchors the northwest corner along the Sammamish River — disc golf, river access, BBQs, and connection to the Sammamish River Trail.
• Wayne Golf Course (the historic former 18-hole course) sits at the foot of the hill along the river, now operating as open space and a partial course with ongoing community use discussions.
• The Tolt Pipeline Trail runs east-west through the upper portion of the neighborhood, providing a soft-surface walking and cycling corridor.

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Housing Stock and Architectural Character

Norway Hill’s housing is older and more varied than newer Bothell neighborhoods. The original development started in the 1960s and continued through the 1980s, producing a backbone of mid-century ramblers, split-levels, and traditional two-stories on lots that range from a quarter-acre on the more densely platted streets up to one-acre-plus parcels in the upper hill and Tate’s Orchard sections.

A few recognizable sub-pockets:

• Tate’s Orchard / Norway Hills. The upper, more rural section near the top of the hill — large lots (often three-quarter acre to one-acre-plus), custom homes, and a small number of estate-scale properties. This is where you’ll find some of Bothell’s highest-priced inland (non-waterfront) homes.
• Valhalla. An established planned community on the south side of the hill with a community pool, mid-size single-family homes, and a cohesive neighborhood feel.
• Bridlewood. Northwest contemporary homes on larger sunny lots with territorial and mountain views — a 1980s–90s era pocket popular with move-up buyers.
• Piper’s Glen. A smaller luxury enclave with newer custom homes near the trail and river access.
• Riverbend Drive / Riverside. The narrow ribbon of waterfront properties along the Sammamish River — rare in inventory, distinct in feel, and the only true waterfront product in Norway Hill.
• Carlyle. A more compact subdivision with updated mid-size homes, often a starting point for buyers entering Norway Hill at lower price points.

What unifies Norway Hill is the land. Lots tend to be larger than the comparable Bothell average, with more mature canopy, more privacy buffer, and more variation in topography. For buyers who want a residential feel that’s closer to “wooded Eastside” than to “infill subdivision,” Norway Hill delivers it.

With over a decade of residential construction experience, Matthew can help buyers read which Norway Hill homes have been well-maintained over their 40–50 year lifespans and which carry meaningful deferred maintenance — a distinction that matters more here than in newer Bothell neighborhoods.

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Schools: A Different Track Than the Rest of Bothell

Here’s where Norway Hill diverges from neighboring Bothell neighborhoods in a way buyers must understand: Norway Hill is in the Northshore School District, but its schools are different from most of Bothell.

The assignment typically runs:

• Moorlands Elementary (15115 84th Avenue NE, Kenmore) — a well-regarded Pre-K–5 school just south of the neighborhood.
• Northshore Junior High (12101 NE 160th Street, Bothell) — historically one of the district’s strongest middle schools.
• Inglemoor High School (15500 Simonds Road NE, Kenmore) — the high school assignment for nearly all Norway Hill addresses.

Inglemoor is one of the standout high schools in Washington State. It hosts the district’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program in addition to its AP curriculum, has a long-standing record of high graduation rates (approximately 97%), and consistently ranks among the top public high schools in the state. The IB program in particular draws families who specifically target Inglemoor’s attendance area — and Norway Hill is one of the closest Bothell neighborhoods inside that boundary.

This is meaningfully different from Westhill, Maywood Hills, or Shelton View, which feed Bothell High School. Both are strong schools, but they serve different educational paths and different family priorities. Buyers focused on the IB pathway often shortlist Norway Hill, Moorlands, Kenmore, and Finn Hill specifically because of Inglemoor.

As always, school boundaries shift periodically with district enrollment growth, so verify current attendance before relying on any school assignment when writing an offer.

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Parks, Trails, and Outdoor Access

Norway Hill’s outdoor amenity stack is one of the strongest in Bothell:

• Sammamish River Trail. Runs along the base of the hill and connects to the Burke-Gilman Trail at Blyth Park — one of the major regional trail spines in King County.
• Blyth Park. River frontage, picnic infrastructure, 18-hole disc golf course, volleyball, and direct trail access.
• Norway Hill Park. A neighborhood park near the top of the hill with open space and walking paths.
• Tolt Pipeline Trail. Crosses the upper neighborhood east-west, providing a quieter inland walking and cycling corridor.
• Wayne Open Space / Former Wayne Golf Course. Historic site at the bottom of the hill, now substantially preserved as open space with ongoing community planning.
• Park at Bothell Landing. A short drive or walk across the river to downtown Bothell’s central park, farmers market site, and event venue.

For Eastside buyers, this combination — riverfront trail, neighborhood parks, regional trail connections, and adjacent golf — is unusually complete for a single inland neighborhood.

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Commute Profile

Norway Hill’s location at the convergence of SR-522 and I-405 makes commute logistics straightforward for most Eastside and Seattle destinations.

• Bellevue / Kirkland via I-405 South: 15–25 minutes outside peak.
• Seattle via SR-522 → I-5: 25–35 minutes typical.
• Redmond / Microsoft via SR-522 to SR-202 or I-405 to SR-520: 20–30 minutes.
• Canyon Park biotech corridor via I-405 North: 10–15 minutes.
• UW Bothell / Cascadia College: 5–10 minutes — a frequent draw for faculty and graduate students.
• Downtown Bothell: 5 minutes by car, longer on foot due to the river and SR-522 crossing.

Sound Transit bus service runs along the SR-522 corridor at the north edge of the neighborhood, providing one-seat connections into Seattle. For drivers, the I-405 on-ramps at NE 160th and SR-522 are some of the fastest in north King County for accessing the broader Eastside.

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Norway Hill Market Snapshot

Norway Hill’s market reflects what its inventory delivers: larger lots, more privacy, older but generally substantial homes, and access to one of Washington’s top high schools. That combination typically produces:

• Median sale prices in the $1.1M–$1.4M range for typical single-family homes based on recent NWMLS-sourced data, with significant upward variation for larger lots, view properties, or homes in Tate’s Orchard.
• Premium properties — large-lot custom homes, view properties, and recently rebuilt or fully renovated homes — regularly transacting in the $1.8M–$2.5M+ range.
• Days on market that tend to run faster than the broader Bothell market when homes are priced and presented well — turnover here often happens quickly because inventory is limited.
• Limited new construction. Unlike Westhill, Norway Hill has very little new-build townhome product. Most transactions are resales of existing single-family homes, with occasional teardown-and-rebuild activity on premium lots.

A few market dynamics specific to Norway Hill:

1. Lot premiums are real. A flat, usable, sunny lot in Norway Hill commands a substantial premium over a sloped or shaded lot of similar size, even on the same street.
2. Inglemoor pricing premium. Homes inside the Inglemoor attendance boundary — including most of Norway Hill — typically transact at a price point reflecting the IB program’s regional draw.
3. View premiums for territorial, Cascade, or Sammamish River outlooks are quantifiable and worth carefully verifying. Some “view” listings have view corridors that change significantly with seasonal foliage.
4. Riverfront is its own micro-market. The Riverbend / Riverside addresses transact on different dynamics than the rest of the hill — buyers should expect comp scarcity and longer pricing conversations.

All statistics referenced are derived from NWMLS data and should be verified for the specific submarket and product type at the time of any transaction.

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Who Buys in Norway Hill

Three buyer profiles dominate Norway Hill activity:

IB-track and Inglemoor-focused families. Parents who specifically want their children in Inglemoor’s International Baccalaureate pathway and who view Norway Hill as one of the most accessible neighborhoods inside that boundary.

Move-up Eastside buyers seeking land. Buyers leaving smaller homes or denser neighborhoods in Kirkland, Bothell, or Kenmore who want a larger lot, mature landscaping, and a quieter setting without leaving the I-405 corridor.

Long-term Bothell holds. A meaningful portion of Norway Hill transactions are buyers who plan to live in the home for 15–25 years — raising children through the Northshore/Inglemoor pathway and remaining as empty nesters. The neighborhood rewards long ownership.

There’s also a smaller but consistent custom-build / renovation buyer segment focused on Tate’s Orchard, the upper hill, and the larger original lots. These buyers are often local builders or buyers who want to tear down a 1970s home and build a contemporary replacement on a one-acre parcel — a level of land flexibility that’s increasingly rare on the Eastside.

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What to Watch When Buying in Norway Hill

A few practical considerations:

• Slope and drainage. Norway Hill is, well, a hill. Many properties have slope, retaining walls, rockeries, and seasonal groundwater patterns. A thorough geotechnical/drainage inspection is worth the cost on any home with notable grade.
• Septic vs. sewer. While most of the neighborhood is on sewer, a small number of upper-hill and larger-lot properties may still be on septic systems. This affects financing, insurance, ADU potential, and future development. Confirm before writing an offer.
• Critical area buffers. Pockets of Norway Hill include wetlands, streams, and steep slopes that trigger City of Bothell critical area regulations. These affect future remodels, additions, and ADU/DADU potential.
• Original infrastructure. Homes from the 1960s–80s may carry original plumbing, electrical, and roofing systems. Disclosures and inspection findings on these matter.
• Tree code. Bothell has meaningful tree retention requirements. Norway Hill’s mature canopy is a feature buyers love — and a constraint to understand when planning future renovations or driveways.
• View permanence. Territorial views can be affected by neighbors’ tree growth or development. Worth understanding before paying a view premium.

With a builder’s eye honed by over a decade of residential construction experience, Matthew routinely flags these issues before clients write — not after inspection.

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Norway Hill vs. Westhill: How to Choose

Buyers often compare Norway Hill and Westhill side by side. Both are established south Bothell hillside neighborhoods, both are in Northshore, both put you minutes from downtown Bothell. The differences are real:

Factor	Norway Hill	Westhill
High school	Inglemoor (IB program)	Bothell
Lot sizes	Generally larger, more variation	More uniform, smaller average
Density	Lower, more wooded	Moderate, with newer infill
Walk to downtown	Less direct (river/SR-522 crossing)	Many homes within walking distance
New construction	Very limited	Active (Altamura, Rêve59, etc.)
Price range	Skews higher overall	Broader range with townhome entry points
Feel	More private, more rural-adjacent	More neighborhood, more walkable

Neither is “better” — they serve different buyer priorities. The right answer depends on schools, lot preferences, and how much you value walkable downtown access versus larger-lot privacy.

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Why Work With Matthew Konsmo on a Norway Hill Purchase or Sale

Matthew Konsmo is a third-generation Western Washington real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Danforth (license #20113555, office license #101728), serving Bothell and the broader Eastside under the NWMLS transaction framework. A background in Fortune 500 advertising shapes how he markets Norway Hill listings, and over a decade of residential construction experience means he reads the older Norway Hill homes the way a builder would — foundations, drainage, roofs, and renovation potential first, finishes second.

For a neighborhood where the inventory is older, the lots are more variable, and the school stakes are highest, that combination matters. Norway Hill rewards buyers and sellers who get the underlying details right.

Explore Other Bothell Neighborhoods

Bothell spans both King and Snohomish counties. Browse the full set of neighborhood guides:

King County side (98011)

• Westhill
• Queensgate
• Maywood Hills
• Downtown Bothell
• Beardslee
• Bloomberg Hill (includes Morningside, Pioneer Hills)
• Country Village / Lake Pleasant / 527 Corridor

Snohomish County side (98012 / 98021)

• Shelton View
• Canyon Park
• North Creek
• Fitzgerald / North Creek (Bothell side)
• Thrashers Corner / Red Hawk
• Mays Pond
• Cedar Park
• Filbert / Winesap
• Queensborough / Brentwood / Crystal Springs
• Bothell Biotech Corridor

Or return to the main Bothell Real Estate Guide.

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Ready to Explore Norway Hill?

Whether you’re targeting the Inglemoor IB pathway, looking for a larger lot than newer Bothell neighborhoods offer, or thinking about selling a home you’ve owned for two or three decades, Matthew is available for a direct conversation — no pressure, no scripted pitch.

Call or text Matthew directly: (425) 463-8243 Email: MatthewKonsmo@gmail.com Or reach out through the contact page

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