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@wsdot - main account

@wsdot_traffic -Puget Sound area traffic reports

@wsdot_north - Whatcom, Skagit, Island and Snohomish counties

@wsdot_sw - Vancouver and southwest Washington traffic reports

@wsdot_passes - mountain pass reports

@wsdot_tacoma - Tacoma traffic

@goodtogowsdot - Good To Go! tolling information

@snoqualmiepass - I-90 Construction updates

@wsferries - Ferry alerts and updates

We are using Twitter to help keep you informed about happenings around Washington state.

We provide information for you to make good travel decisions before you get into your vehicle and to "Know Before You Go". We regularly include "Know Before You Go" in our Twitter messages. 

In order to receive these reports from us, set yourself up with a Twitter account and follow WSDOT.  Once we follow you, you can get real time information using the following directions.


Getting Seattle area travel times via Twitter

If you are a Twitter user you can get Seattle area travel times reports by sending a direct message to WSDOT. We will then tweet you back the current travel time for your requested route.

For a direct message from Twitter use this format:

tt [route identifier]

Example: tt seattle to bellevue

Sample travel time text returned for Seattle to Bellevue:

Seattle to Bellevue: 12 min via I-90 and 12 min via SR 520

For travel time reports from your cellphone, send a text message to 40404 using this format:

d wsdot tt [route identifier]

Example: d wsdot tt bellevue to issaquah

Sample travel time text returned for Bellevue to Issaquah:

Bellevue to Issaquah: 10 min via I-405 and I-90


Route identifers are based on the following text descriptions:

  • Auburn to Renton
  • Bellevue to Bothell
  • Bellevue to Everett
  • Bellevue to Federal Way
  • Bellevue to Issaquah
  • Bellevue to Lynnwood
  • Bellevue to Redmond
  • Bellevue to Renton
  • Bellevue to Seattle
  • Bellevue to Tukwila
  • Bothell to Bellevue
  • Everett to Bellevue
  • Everett to Seattle
  • Federal Way to Bellevue
  • Federal Way to SeaTac
  • Federal Way to Seattle
  • Issaquah to Bellevue
  • Issaquah to Seattle
  • Lynnwood to Bellevue
  • Lynnwood to Seattle
  • Redmond to Bellevue
  • Redmond to Seattle
  • Renton to Auburn
  • Renton to Bellevue
  • Renton to Seattle
  • SeaTac to Federal Way
  • SeaTac to Seattle
  • Seattle to Bellevue
  • Seattle to Everett
  • Seattle to Federal Way
  • Seattle to Issaquah
  • Seattle to Lynnwood
  • Seattle to Redmond
  • Seattle to Renton
  • Seattle to SeaTac
  • Tukwila to Bellevue


Getting mountain pass reports via Twitter

If you are a Twitter user you can get mountain pass conditions by sending a direct message to WSDOT. You can also get the pass report in a text message by sending a direct message from your phone via SMS, using the format below.

For a direct message from Twitter use this format:

pass [pass id]

Example: pass sno

For current mountain pass conditions from your cellphone, send a text message to 40404 using this format:

d wsdot pass [pass id]

Example: d wsdot pass ble

Pass ids are based on the first three letters of the pass name.

Mountain Pass NameID
Blewett Pass US97 ble
Cayuse Pass SR123 cay
Chinook Pass SR410 chi
Crystal to Greenwater SR410 cry
Disautel Pass SR 155 dis
Loup Loup Pass SR20 lou
Manastash Ridge I-82 man
Mt. Baker Hwy SR542 bak
North Cascade Hwy SR20 cas
Satus Pass US97 sat
Sherman Pass SR20 she
Snoqualmie Pass I-90 sno
Stevens Pass US2 ste
Wauconda Pass SR20 wau
White Pass US12 whi

WSDOT will then tweet you back the current weather and road conditions for any mountain pass you specify.


Getting Canadian border wait times via Twitter

If you are a Twitter user you can get northbound Canadian border wait times by sending a direct message to WSDOT. You can also get the wait times in a text message by sending a direct message from your phone via SMS, using the format below.

For a direct message from Twitter use this format:

border [route id]

Example: border 5

For current border wait times from your cellphone, send a text message to 40404 using this format:

d wsdot border [route id]

Example: d wsdot border 5

Route ids are based on the northbound highway number.

Highway NameRoute ID
I-5 (Peace Arch Park) 5
SR 543 (Blaine) 543
SR 539 (Lynden) 539
SR 9 (Sumas) 9

Getting aviation METAR weather reports via Twitter

METAR reports typically come from airports or permanent weather observation stations and are usually generated once an hour. These weather stations are identified by a unique 4-letter code.

If you are a Twitter user you can get aviation METAR weather reports by sending a direct message to WSDOT.

For a direct message from Twitter use this format:

metar [4-letter station identifier]

Example: metar kolm

Sample METAR text for Olympia Airport (KOLM):

KOLM 232154Z 06003KT 5SM BR OVC007 02/M01 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP234 T00171006

For METAR weather reports from your cellphone, send a text message to 40404 using this format:

d wsdot metar [4-letter station identifier]

Example: d wsdot metar ksea

Sample METAR text for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA):

KSEA 232153Z 01003KT 6SM HZ BKN008 BKN250 03/M01 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP239 BKN008 V SCT T00331006

A list of weather stations can be found in this file, stations.txt. This file is organized by state alphabetically, then by Canadian province and finally by all other stations. The returned METAR text is provided by NOAA's Aviation Weather Center.



Learn more about how to use Twitter at their help site.

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