Seattle

by The Linguist

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the largest city in the U.S. state of Washington with a population of 737,015 as of 2020 according to Wikipedia. It is a seaport city on Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest and is the seat of King County.

History

Settled in 1851, Seattle was founded on the timber industry and renamed after Chief Seattle of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes. It quickly grew as a transportation center during the Klondike Gold Rush. After being destroyed by fire in 1889, the city was completely rebuilt. Boeing aircraft company was founded in Seattle in 1916 and turned it into an aviation hub. Seattle continued to prosper through wartime industries and the establishment of software companies like Microsoft in the 1970s. It is now a global city with a diverse economy spanning aerospace, technology, healthcare, and transportation. The city’s name comes from Chief Seattle, a leader of the local Suquamish and Duwamish Tribes. For more on Seattle’s history visit the Seattle Public Library’s history resources.

Economy

Some of Seattle’s major employers include Amazon (410 Terry Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, (206) 266-1000), Microsoft (One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052, (425) 882-8080), Boeing (100 Boeing Ave N, Seattle, WA 98124, (425) 237-1110), University of Washington Medicine (1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA 98195, (206) 543-7211), and Alaska Airlines (19300 International Blvd, Seattle, WA 98188, (206) 433-3200). Major industries include technology, healthcare, aviation, biomedical research, and transportation. For more on Seattle’s economy visit the Office of Economic Development.

Attractions and Landmarks

Top attractions and landmarks in Seattle include:

  • Space Needle (400 Broad St, Seattle, WA 98109)
  • EMP Museum (325 5th Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109)
  • Seattle Aquarium (1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101)
  • Lumen Field (800 Occidental Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134)
  • Pike Place Market (86 Pike St #500, Seattle, WA 98101)
  • Kerry Park (211 W Highland Dr, Seattle, WA 98119) – GPS coordinates: 47.6305°N, 122.3531°W
  • Gas Works Park (2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103) – GPS coordinates: 47.6658°N, 122.3398°W
  • Olympic Sculpture Park (2901 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98121) – GPS coordinates: 47.6254°N, 122.3598°W

For more on Seattle attractions, visit the official tourism website or Facebook page.

Transportation

Public transportation in Seattle and surrounding King County is managed by the King County Department of Transportation (201 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104, (206) 477-3800). The city is served by an extensive bus system, light rail, streetcars, ferries, and the Seattle Center Monorail. For more information visit King County Metro Transit.

Sports Teams

Seattle is home to several professional and collegiate sports teams including:

County and School District Information

Seattle is located in King County (401 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, (206) 477-1000). Public schools in Seattle are managed by Seattle Public Schools (www.seattleschools.org, 2445 3rd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134, (206) 252-0000) and several other districts in surrounding areas.

Additional Local Resources