It terminates at the former site of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which led to a public staircase called the Pine Street Hillclimb, which provided access to Pike Place Market.

[4] Pine Street is the center of Seattle's downtown retail district, passing several major retail buildings from west to east: the former Bon Marché flagship store between 3rd and 4th avenues; the Westlake Center shopping mall and Westlake Park between 4th and 5th; Nordstrom's flagship store between 5th and 6th; and Pacific Place mall between 6th and 7th.

[1][6] Pine Street reverts to bi-directional traffic at 8th Avenue on the north side of the Washington State Convention Center and continues northeast.

[1] East Pine Street resumes at 17th Avenue adjacent to a trio of television antennas on the north side of Cherry Hill.

The street travels east through a predominantly residential area with several small traffic circles, crossing into Madrona after intersecting Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

[14] Excavation was completed in August 1987 and the street was temporarily backfilled to reopen to traffic for the Christmas shopping season at the request of downtown merchants.

[18][19] A one-block section of Pine Street between 4th and 5th avenues was converted into a pedestrian zone in July 1989, after the city government began repairing decorative paving stones that were installed at Westlake Park and damaged by heavy traffic.

[21] Outgoing mayor Charles Royer ordered that Pine Street remained a permanent pedestrian zone, but councilmember and mayor-elect Norm Rice led a 5–4 majority of the city council in supporting a reopening plan.

[28] The ballot measure to re-open Pine Street passed with 60 percent in favor across the city amid a higher than usual voter turnout.

[31] A three-block section of Pine Street near the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct on Capitol Hill was closed during the June 2020 George Floyd protests.