The southern terminus of the Seattle Center Monorail, it is located across Pine Street from Westlake Park, between 4th and 5th Avenues.

It is named for Westlake Avenue, which now terminates north of the mall but once ran two blocks farther south to Pike Street.

Westlake Park is considered Seattle's "town square"[3] and celebrities and political figures often make appearances or give speeches from the building's balcony.

[8] Westlake Center underwent renovations in the late 1990s to add larger store spaces for new tenants in response to the opening of the adjacent Pacific Place shopping mall.

Westlake Center Plaza is located on the corner of 4th Avenue and Pine St and has a small, one-story (plus loft) retail pavilion.