Olympia can be approached from the east by Interstate 5. In the center of the city, Interstate 5 turns southward. State highway 12 runs westward beginning at the center of the city. State highway 101 runs northward from the west side of Olympia.
Olympia is served by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Located 45 miles northwest of downtown Olympia, "SeaTac Airport" handled nearly 29 million passengers in 2004. The Olympia Regional Airport, situated in Tumwater, is home to aircraft service operations, hangars, corporate offices, and a modern public terminal. The airport provides tower-controlled and full-instrument approach access for a variety of recreational, commercial, and corporate users.
Olympia's downtown streets are arranged in a grid to the east of Budd Inlet. Local bus transportation is available on the free Capitol Shuttle. The Intercity Transit has routes to nearby cities. Amtrak provides rail transportation, and bus service is provided by Greyhound.