Westhill, Bothell: Complete Neighborhood Guide (2026)

Westhill at a Glance

Westhill sits on the south side of Bothell in King County, perched on the rise just west of downtown and the Sammamish River. It’s one of the city’s older, more settled neighborhoods — a place where streets curve along the hillside, mature evergreens canopy the lots, and the housing stock represents nearly every decade from the mid-century outward. For buyers who want a true neighborhood feel within walking distance of a real downtown, Westhill is one of the few Eastside addresses that still delivers both.

The neighborhood is anchored by Westhill Elementary at 19515 88th Avenue NE and feeds into Bothell High School, both inside the Northshore School District — the academic engine that drives much of the demand in this part of King County. Add in the proximity to Park at Bothell Landing, McMenamins Anderson School, the Sammamish River Trail, and the rebuilt Main Street corridor, and you have one of the most quietly desirable pockets in south Bothell.

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Where Westhill Begins and Ends

Westhill occupies the hillside between downtown Bothell and Kenmore, generally bounded by SR-522 (Bothell Way NE) to the south, NE 195th Street and the Bothell High School campus to the north, the Lake Pleasant area to the west, and the Sammamish River valley and downtown Bothell to the east. The neighborhood’s spine is 88th Avenue NE, the residential street that climbs from Bothell Way up to the elementary school and beyond.

Because Westhill is on the King County side of the city, properties here fall under King County tax assessment, and homes are zoned and permitted through the City of Bothell’s King County jurisdiction. This is an important distinction for buyers comparing Westhill to neighborhoods like Canyon Park or Mays Pond on the Snohomish County side — property tax rates, permit timelines, and even some utility districts differ between the two halves of the city.

ZIP code coverage is primarily 98011, with a few edges of the neighborhood touching 98021.

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Housing Stock and Architectural Character

Westhill’s homes tell the story of Bothell’s growth. The original Westhill development arrived in waves through the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, producing the bulk of what you’ll see today: split-level homes, mid-century ranchers, traditional two-stories on quarter- and third-acre lots, and a handful of custom builds on the largest parcels.

A few sub-pockets are worth knowing:

• West Hill at Lansdowne Heights — a William Buchan-built community of larger traditional homes on the upper portion of the hill, including the well-known Decatur floor plan. These homes command premium pricing within the neighborhood.
• Arrowhead — a wooded enclave near St. Edward State Park (technically Kenmore-adjacent) with large lots and a custom-home feel.
• Altamura and Rêve59 — newer townhome and small-lot single-family communities that have filled in the closer-to-downtown edges of Westhill, bringing a more contemporary, three-story aesthetic alongside the established neighborhood fabric.

The mix matters for buyers. A 1970s split-level on a flat lot, a 2005 Buchan two-story, and a 2024 modern townhome can all carry a Westhill address — but each tells a very different story in terms of price, maintenance, layout, and resale dynamics. With over a decade of residential construction experience, Matthew can help buyers read the bones of a home and weigh which generation of Westhill housing fits their plan.

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Schools: The Northshore Advantage

Northshore School District is consistently ranked among the strongest public districts in Washington, and Westhill sits squarely in its catchment. The neighborhood elementary is Westhill Elementary (Pre-K–5), and students typically continue on to Canyon Park Middle School and then Bothell High School — one of the original three Northshore high schools and a short walk or drive from most Westhill addresses.

A few details worth flagging for families:

• Westhill Elementary serves roughly 400+ students with a student-teacher ratio around 14:1.
• The school offers a Gifted & Talented program through Northshore’s broader Highly Capable services.
• Bothell High School is the assigned high school for nearly all Westhill addresses — one of the few Bothell neighborhoods where families can realistically walk children to the high school.

School boundaries do shift periodically with Northshore enrollment growth, so buyers purchasing with specific school assignments in mind should always verify current attendance areas with the district before writing an offer. The NWMLS listing data reflects boundaries at the time of input, not necessarily current assignments.

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Walkability, Trails, and Downtown Access

What separates Westhill from many other Bothell neighborhoods is its genuine proximity to a walkable downtown. From most homes in the lower half of Westhill, you can be at Main Street or Park at Bothell Landing in under ten minutes on foot. That puts the McMenamins Anderson School complex, the Sammamish River Trail, the Burke-Gilman Trail connection, and the rebuilt Main Street restaurant row within easy reach.

For commuters and weekend riders, the Sammamish River Trail runs directly along the bottom of the hill, connecting Westhill to Marymoor Park in Redmond to the south and to the Burke-Gilman to the west. Park at Bothell Landing sits at the trail junction and functions as the de facto town square for events, concerts, and the farmers market.

Walk Score for the broader Westhill area is modest — most of the neighborhood is hillside residential — but the destination walkability (the fact that downtown is genuinely within walking distance for many homes) is what buyers actually value.

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Commute Profile

Westhill’s location near the convergence of SR-522 and I-405 makes it one of the more flexible commute addresses in Bothell.

• Seattle via SR-522 → I-5: typically 25–35 minutes outside peak.
• Bellevue / Kirkland via I-405 South: 15–25 minutes depending on time of day.
• Redmond / Microsoft campus: 20–30 minutes via SR-522 to SR-202 or I-405 to SR-520.
• Canyon Park biotech corridor (Seagen/Pfizer, Philips, AT&T): 8–12 minutes via I-405 or Bothell-Everett Highway.
• UW Bothell / Cascadia College: 5 minutes — many UW Bothell employees and graduate students live in Westhill.
• Sound Transit bus connections are available along Bothell Way (SR-522) for one-seat rides into Seattle.

The Canyon Park corridor — Washington’s second-largest biotech hub — is the commute that increasingly drives Westhill demand. Buyers working at Seagen (now part of Pfizer), Philips, AT&T’s Bothell campus, or the surrounding biotech cluster often choose Westhill specifically because it offers a sub-15-minute drive to work while still feeling like an established residential neighborhood.

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Westhill Market Snapshot

Westhill’s market behaves like the rest of south Bothell: closely tied to broader Eastside dynamics, with a notable price-per-square-foot advantage versus comparable Kirkland and Bellevue neighborhoods.

According to recent NWMLS-sourced data, Westhill has been seeing:

• Median home prices generally in the $1.0M–$1.3M range, with single-family homes on larger lots and newer construction pushing into the high $1M to $2M+ territory.
• Days on market around 30–40 days for typical listings — faster than the national average but reflective of the more measured Eastside pace.
• Townhome inventory in newer communities like Rêve59 priced from the mid-$900s into the low-$1.1M range, providing a more accessible entry point.
• Single-family prices ranging widely depending on vintage, lot, and condition, with updated homes near the elementary school commanding the strongest premiums.

A few patterns specific to Westhill worth understanding:

1. Established-section homes rarely come to market. The original 1970s–80s Westhill streets have long-term owners. When updated homes do list, they tend to draw multiple buyers.
2. Lot quality matters enormously. Flat usable lots, cul-de-sac locations, and parcels backing to greenbelt command significant premiums over sloped or busy-street parcels.
3. New construction has reshaped pricing. The Altamura and Rêve59 developments have introduced a different product mix that affects the comparable set used in appraisals.
4. King County tax treatment generally results in lower property taxes than comparable Snohomish County addresses, though specific rates depend on levy lid lifts and bond measures.

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

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Who Buys in Westhill

Three buyer profiles dominate Westhill activity:

Northshore-driven families. Parents prioritizing school assignment, with children entering elementary or middle school, who want a true neighborhood with sidewalks, a walkable school, and access to the high school.

Eastside commuters seeking value. Buyers who could stretch into Kirkland’s Finn Hill or Bellevue’s lower price points but who find Westhill delivers more home, more lot, and a more grounded feel for the dollar — while keeping I-405 access intact.

Biotech and tech professionals. Canyon Park-employed buyers (and increasingly, hybrid Seattle/Bellevue tech workers) who want a short, predictable commute and a real community rather than a corporate-feeling apartment complex.

There’s also a small but consistent downsizer segment — long-time Westhill owners moving from the larger original homes into the newer townhomes within the same neighborhood, allowing them to stay in their community while shedding maintenance.

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What to Watch When Buying in Westhill

A few practical considerations for buyers:

• Drainage and slope. Like much of hillside Bothell, parts of Westhill have sloped lots and seasonal groundwater. A thorough inspection — including crawlspace, foundation drainage, and any rockeries — is essential.
• Original-era infrastructure. Homes from the 1960s–80s may still have original galvanized plumbing, aluminum wiring branches, or knob-and-tube remnants in some pockets. Sellers’ disclosures and a careful inspection typically surface these.
• Setbacks and ADU potential. Some of the larger Westhill lots have ADU or DADU potential under City of Bothell zoning, but lot geometry, critical area buffers (wetlands, streams, and steep slopes are present in pockets), and permit pathways vary.
• Permit history. With over a decade of residential construction experience, Matthew routinely pulls permit history on Westhill properties before clients write offers — what isn’t permitted often matters more than what is.

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Why Work With Matthew Konsmo on a Westhill 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 informs how he positions Westhill listings, and over a decade of hands-on residential construction experience means he reads homes the way a builder does — not just the way an agent does.

For Westhill specifically, that combination matters. The neighborhood’s mix of original 1970s housing, premium Buchan custom builds, and brand-new townhome construction means buyers and sellers need someone who can speak the language of each generation of inventory — and price, market, and inspect accordingly.

Explore Other Bothell Neighborhoods

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

King County side (98011)

• Norway Hill
• 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 Westhill?

Whether you’re looking to buy into Westhill, sell a home you’ve owned for decades, or simply get an honest read on what your property is worth in today’s market, 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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