Kirkland is about 10 miles east of downtown Seattle via Interstate 405 or SR-520 across the floating bridge. By car, the drive takes 20–40 minutes depending on traffic; rush hour congestion on I-405 can extend this considerably. The Eastside Transit Center in Bellevue connects to routes serving Kirkland.
King County Metro buses run frequently between Kirkland and downtown Seattle, and the Link Light Rail's East Link extension to Bellevue opened connections that reduce the transit time from Seattle. The future NE 85th Street station (part of the Kirkland/NE 85th station plan) will eventually provide more direct rail access.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is about 30–40 minutes south by car via I-405 and I-5.