Introduction to Geography of Seattle
Seattle, Washington, the state's largest city and the seat of King County. It is in western Washington on hilly land between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. Across the sound rise the snowcapped peaks of the Olympic Mountains. To the southeast, Mount Rainier's 14,410-foot (4,392-m) peak looms prominently above the Cascade Range.
Downtown Seattle faces Elliott Bay, an excellent natural harbor and the city's principal port area. There are other port facilities around Lake Union and along the Duwamish River. A short distance from the business district stands a major landmark, the 607-foot (185-m) Space Needle built for the 1962 World's Fair. Residential areas cover the city's hills, which reach heights of 500 feet (150 m) or more.
Economy
Seattle is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest. Although nearly 150 miles (240 km) from the open sea, it is an important port and gateway to Alaska and Asia; it is closer to Asia than is any other major port on the United States West Coast. Grain, lumber, and wood products make up the largest share of the cargo shipped. Seattle is also the trade and business center for much of western Washington, an area heavily dependent on forest resources.
From its earliest days, the city has been a lumber milling and shipping center. Numerous plants make a variety of wood products, including plywood and furniture. Aircraft manufacture is a major industry; the Boeing Company's plants in Seattle and nearby cities produce commercial and military aircraft, as well as missile and satellite parts. Other important activities are commercial fishing and associated canning and freezing, ship repairing, and the manufacture of machinery and paper.
Seattle is served by all principal means of transportation. A network of railroads and highways, including two Interstate routes, provides service to all parts of the country and to Canada. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a short distance south of the city, is a major terminus for overseas flights. The Port of Seattle includes the Lake Washington Ship Canal, linking Puget Sound, Lake Union, and Lake Washington; locks in the canal raise ships 26 feet (8 m) to the lakes. Ferries link Seattle with Canadian and Alaskan ports and serve cities on Puget Sound. Floating bridges carry highway traffic over Lake Washington.
Main Attractions
With water bordering much of Seattle, outdoor activities such as boating and fishing are extremely popular. Hydroplane races are a highlight of the annual Seafair held on Lake Washington. Beaches, parks, and other recreation areas dot the shores of Seattle and much of the Puget Sound region. Woodland Park, home of the Seattle Zoo, is one of the most popular attractions.
On a hill near the central business district stands the Seattle Center, occupying the site of the 1962 World's Fair. The Center's attractions include the Space Needle, science and art exhibits, shops, and restaurants. Seattle Aquarium, on the downtown waterfront, is a popular attraction. Also popular is the Museum of Flight, at Boeing Field, which displays vintage aircraft and has exhibits on aviation technology.
Seattle has three professional sports teams: the Seahawks (football), the Manners (baseball), and the Supersonics and the Seattle Storm (basketball). Seahawks Stadium hosts the Seahawks, the Mariners play at SafeCo Field, and Key Arena, at the Seattle Center, hosts the Supersonics and the Seattle Storm.
Seattle Art Museum has a notable collection of Oriental art. Seattle is home to a symphony orchestra, an opera company, and a ballet company. Seattle also has a repertory theater. Institutions of higher learning include the University of Washington, the largest university in the state; Seattle University; and Seattle Pacific University.
History
A small group of pioneers from Illinois settled on the site of Seattle in 1851, at a place now called Alki Point. At that time, the region was inhabited by various tribes of Salishan Indians. The settlement was named in honor of Chief Seattle (properly Seathl) of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes, who had aided the settlers.
Lumbering soon became the main activity. In 1853 Henry L. Yesler, a lumberman from the Midwest, built a steam-powered sawmill in Seattle, the first on Puget Sound. In the 1860's, Asa S. Mercer, president of the Washington territorial university, brought a number of women from the East to provide wives for Seattle's loggers. Seattle was incorporated as a town in 1865 and as a city in 1869, but remained a small mill town for some years.
The coming of the first major railway early in the 1880's marked the beginning of Seattle's growth. The city developed rapidly despite bitter labor disputes, riots against Chinese workers in 1886, and a disastrous fire in 1889. Population increased twelvefold, 1880-90. In 1893 Seattle became the western terminus of the Great Northern Railway. At about the same time, it became a port of entry for ships from the Far East.
The discovery of gold in Canada's Yukon Territory in 1896 brought prosperity to Seattle, which served as supply center for the gold miners. Expansion continued into the 20th century. In 1909 the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition was held in Seattle. The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 led to an increase in the city's maritime trade. In 1916 Lakes Washington and Union were connected to Puget Sound by the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
During World War I, Seattle led the country in shipbuilding. At the same time, William Boeing began manufacturing airplanes there. World War II generated new industrial growth, particularly in the shipbuilding and aircraft industries. In 1962 the city was the site of a world's fair, the Century 21 Exposition. During 1966–71, Seattle's economy was hard hit by temporary cutbacks in production by the Boeing Company. By the late 1970's, industrial diversification had helped the city's economy to rebound. In 1989 voters elected the city's first black mayor, Norman B. Rice. He was reelected in 1993. In 2001, the Seattle area was hit by a powerful earthquake.
Largest communities in the Seattle areaNamePopulationSeattle 563,374Tacoma 193,556Bellevue 109,569Everett 91,488Federal Way 83,259Kent 79,524Lakewood 58,211Shoreline 53,025Renton 50,052Redmond 45,256