SeaTac Airport (SEA) is located 25 miles north of downtown Tacoma. Here ways to get from the airport to Tacoma.
Shuttle Express
This is a ride-sharing service that will drop you off at your destination. You will need to wait a few minutes for enough people traveling south to Tacoma for Shuttle Express to dispatch a van, and then possibly wait as others are dropped off to their destinations before you. They charge per destination. Approximate cost from the airport to Tacoma: $55 for the first passenger and $8 for each passenger after that if they are all dropped off at the same location. So, if you can coordinate with other attendees who are staying in the same accommodations, you can save on the transportation costs.
Taxi/Uber
A taxi will cost about $60 for a ride. Uber will likely be somewhat less expensive. If possible, carpool with other conference attendees to save on costs.
Bus
If you are not in as much of a hurry and want to save some money, try the bus. Sound Transit Express Bus 574 picks up passengers at the south end of the airport. Go to the baggage claim and follow signs south (after taking the escalators down to the baggage area, go to your right) for Sound Transit, route 574. The fare is $3.75. They do not take credit cards and do not make change, so get change before you board the bus (or just pay $4). Buses come two or three times an hour during the day. The ride is about 40 minutes to the Tacoma Dome Station. There are three stops (Kent/Des Moines, Star Lake Freeway, and Federal Way) before you get to Tacoma. Be sure to get off at the right stop, because the next stop is few miles further.
Schedule for Sound Transit Express Bus 574
You could request an Uber ride at this point (taxis don’t usually patrol the Tacoma Dome Station). But if you want some more adventure, then now the fun begins. At this point, you want to get to the UW Tacoma campus. You need to pick up the Tacoma Link, which is light rail that serves the downtown area. From the island where the bus stops, take the stairs up to the pedestrian bridge (see picture [1]). Then take the short walk to the next set of stairs (best is to take the stairs that are to the right, or you can go to the stairs that are straight ahead). Then head up the slight incline in the road to the Tacoma Link station (see pictures [2] and [3]).
[1] The staircase at the end of the bus stop island (follow the Link Downtown Tacoma signs)
[2] View of the Tacoma Dome Station of the Tacoma Link light rail after taking the second set of stairs
[3] The Tacoma Link light rail
The Link arrives every 12 minutes during the day on weekdays. You will go two stops (skip the 25th St. stop next to the Elephant Car Wash) to the Union Station stop; it will take 4 minutes. UW Tacoma is on the left. Now walk towards your accommodations by referring to the following annotated map of campus and the immediate area.