King County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 47°28′N121°50′W / 47.467°N 121.833°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
Founded | December 22, 1852 |
Named for |
|
Seat | Seattle |
Largest city | Seattle |
Area | |
• Total | 2,307 sq mi (5,980 km2) |
• Land | 2,116 sq mi (5,480 km2) |
• Water | 191 sq mi (490 km2) 8.3% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,269,675 |
• Estimate (2023) | 2,271,380 |
• Density | 980/sq mi (380/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
Congressional districts | 1st, 7th, 8th, 9th |
Website | kingcounty |
ASN |
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, [1] making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 12th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, [2] also the state's most populous city.
Originally named after US representative, senator, and then vice president-elect William R. King in 1852, the county government amended its designation in 1986 to honor Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent activist and leader during the civil rights movement. The change was approved by the state government in 2005.
It is one of three Washington counties that are included in the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue metropolitan statistical area along with Snohomish County to the north and Pierce County to the south. About two-thirds of King County's population lives in Seattle's suburbs, which largely developed in the late 20th century and early 21st century as bedroom communities before becoming job centers for the technology industry. [3]
When Europeans arrived in the region that would become King County, it was inhabited by several Coast Salish groups. Villages around the site that would become Seattle were primarily populated by the Duwamish people. The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe occupied the area that would become eastern King County. The Green River and White River were home for the Muckleshoot tribal groups. [4] In the first winter after the Denny Party landed at Alki Point, the settlement at the point consisted of a few dozen settlers and over a thousand Native Americans. The local tribes provided the settlers with construction labor, domestic service, and help with subsistence activities. [5]
On December 22, 1852, the Oregon Territory legislature formed King County out of territory from within Thurston County. The county was named after Alabamian William R. King, who had just been elected Vice President of the United States under President Franklin Pierce. Seattle was made the county seat on January 11, 1853. [6] [7] The area became part of the Washington Territory when it was created later that year.
King County originally extended to the Olympic Peninsula. According to historian Bill Speidel, when peninsular prohibitionists threatened to shut down Seattle's saloons, Doc Maynard engineered a peninsular independence movement; King County lost what is now Kitsap County but preserved its entertainment industry. [8]
Coal was discovered in 1853 by M. Bigelow along the Black River, and in subsequent decades several companies formed to mine coal around Lake Washington and deliver it to Seattle. The Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad started servicing the Renton coal fields in 1877, and the Newcastle fields in 1878. By 1880, King County produced 22% of the coal mined on the West Coast, most of that coal being found within the Renton Formation's Muldoon coal seam. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
On February 24, 1986, the King County Council approved a motion to rename the county to honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (no relation to William R. King), preserving the name "King County" while changing its namesake. [14] [15] [16] The motion stated, among other reasons for the change, that "William Rufus DeVane King was a slaveowner" who "earned income and maintained his lifestyle by oppressing and exploiting other human beings," while Martin Luther King's "contributions are well-documented and celebrated by millions throughout this nation and the world, and embody the attributes for which the citizens of King County can be proud, and claim as their own." [17]
Because only the state can charter counties, the change was not made official until April 19, 2005, when Governor Christine Gregoire signed into law Senate Bill 5332, which provided that "King county is renamed in honor of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr." effective July 24, 2005. [18] [19] [20]
The County Council voted on February 27, 2006, to adopt the proposal sponsored by Councilmember Larry Gossett to change the county's logo from an imperial crown to an image of Martin Luther King Jr. [21] On March 12, 2007, the new logo was unveiled. [22] [23] The new logo design was developed by the Gable Design Group and the specific image was selected by a committee consisting of King County Executive Ron Sims, Council Chair Larry Gossett, Prosecutor Norm Maleng, Sheriff Sue Rahr, District Court Judge Corrina Harn, and Superior Court Judge Michael Trickey. [24] The same logo is used in the flag.
Martin Luther King Jr. had visited King County once, for three days in November 1961. [25] [26]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,307 square miles (5,980 km2), of which 2,116 square miles (5,480 km2) is land and 191 square miles (490 km2) (8.3%) is water. [27] King County has nearly twice the land area of the state of Rhode Island. The highest point in the county is Mount Daniel at 7,959 feet (2,426 meters) above sea level.
King County borders Snohomish County to the north, Kitsap County to the west, Kittitas County to the east, and Pierce County to the south. It also shares a small border with Chelan County to the northeast. King County includes Vashon Island and Maury Island in Puget Sound.
The county has 760 lakes and 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of streams and rivers. [28]
King County has been identified as vulnerable to higher risks of flooding caused by climate change due to the number of waterways in the area. The county's oceanic ecosystems are predicted to face harmful chemical changes, while the mountainous ecosystems could experience a decrease in ice and snow. [29] Since the mid-2000s, the county government has adopted policies to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the region. [28]
The King County Metro serves the county with local routes, paratransit, vanpools, and rideshare in select areas. It also operates an electric trolleybus network in Seattle as well as the city streetcar system. [30] Metro was the seventh-largest transit bus agency in the United States by ridership in 2019, with 121.3 million annual passenger trips and 400,000 per weekday. [31] Sound Transit manages Link light rail, Sounder commuter rail, and Sound Transit Express buses in King County that provide connections to adjacent counties. [32] The Community Transit of Snohomish County and the Pierce Transit of Pierce County also operate routes that serve portions of King County. [33] Most transit modes in the county use the ORCA card, a smart fare card system introduced in 2009. [34]
The county is home to three major ferry terminals that are served by Washington State Ferries, a state-run passenger and automobile ferry system. Colman Dock in Downtown Seattle is served by routes from Bainbridge Island and Bremerton; Vashon Island is connected to West Seattle at Fauntleroy and also has service to Southworth in Kitsap County. [35] [36] The county government's Marine Division operates the King County Water Taxi, a passenger ferry service that connects Downtown Seattle to West Seattle and Vashon Island. [37] The passenger-only Kitsap Fast Ferries system operated by Kitsap Transit connects a terminal near Colman Dock to communities on the Kitsap Peninsula. [36]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 302 | — | |
1870 | 2,120 | 602.0% | |
1880 | 6,910 | 225.9% | |
1890 | 63,989 | 826.0% | |
1900 | 110,053 | 72.0% | |
1910 | 284,638 | 158.6% | |
1920 | 389,273 | 36.8% | |
1930 | 463,517 | 19.1% | |
1940 | 504,980 | 8.9% | |
1950 | 732,992 | 45.2% | |
1960 | 935,014 | 27.6% | |
1970 | 1,156,633 | 23.7% | |
1980 | 1,269,749 | 9.8% | |
1990 | 1,507,319 | 18.7% | |
2000 | 1,737,034 | 15.2% | |
2010 | 1,931,249 | 11.2% | |
2020 | 2,269,675 | 17.5% | |
2023 (est.) | 2,271,380 | [38] | 0.1% |
U.S. Decennial Census [39] 1790–1960 [40] 1900–1990 [41] 1990–2000 [42] 2010–2020 [1] |
The center of population of the state of Washington in 2010 was located in eastern King County ( 47°19′51″N121°37′12″W / 47.330750°N 121.619994°W ). [43] King County's own center of population was located on Mercer Island ( 47°32′54″N122°13′48″W / 47.548320°N 122.229983°W ). [44]
As of the fourth quarter of 2021, the median home value in King County was $817,547, an increase of 19.6% from the prior year. [45]
In 2021 King County experienced its first population decline in 50 years. [46]
Racial composition | 2020 [47] | 2010 [47] | 2000 | 1990 | 1980 | 1970 | 1960 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 54.2% | 64.8% | 73.4% | 83.2% | 87.2% | – | – |
Asian (non-Hispanic) | 19.8% | 14.5% | 10.8% | 7.8% | – | – | 2.0% |
Hispanic or Latino | 10.7% | 8.9% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 2.1% | 1.8% | – |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 6.5% | 6.0% | 5.4% | 5.0% | 4.4% | 3.5% | 2.9% |
Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic) | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.5% | – | – | – | – |
Native American (non-Hispanic) | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 1.1% | – | – | 0.3% |
Mixed (non-Hispanic) | 6.8% | 4.1% | 4.0% | – | – | – | – |
As of the 2020 census, there were 2,269,675 people, 917,764 households, and 537,466 families residing in the county. [48] The population density was 1,073.0 inhabitants per square mile (414.3/km2) There were 969,234 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 56.1% White (54.2% Non-Hispanic White), 6.7% African American (6.5% Non-Hispanic Black), 19.9% Asian (19.8% Non-Hispanic Asian), 0.9% Pacific Islander (0.8% Non-Hispanic Pacific Islander), 0.5% Native American, 5.2% from other races, and 10.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.7% of the population. [49]
As of the 2010 census, there were 1,931,249 people, 789,232 households, and 461,510 families residing in the county. [50] The population density was 912.9 inhabitants per square mile (352.5/km2). There were 851,261 housing units at an average density of 402.4 per square mile (155.4/km2). [51] The racial makeup of the county was 68.7% White (64.8% Non-Hispanic White), 6.2% African American, 14.6% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, 0.8% Native American, 3.9% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.9% of the population. [50] In terms of ancestry, 17.1% were German, 11.6% were English, 11.1% were Irish, 5.5% were Norwegian, and 2.9% were American. [52]
Of the 789,232 households, 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 41.5% were non-families, and 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age was 37.1 years. [50]
The median income for a household in the county was $68,065 and the median income for a family was $87,010. Males had a median income of $62,373 versus $45,761 for females. The per capita income for the county was $38,211. About 6.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over. [53]
King County is home two federally-recognized tribes, the Muckleshoot tribe and the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe tribe, and other unrecognized groups. [54] The Muckleshoot Indian Reservation is located southeast of Auburn and is home to a resident population of 3,606 as of the 2000 census.
The Snoqualmie tribe's casino property was federally recognized as their reservation in 2006, however few tribe members live near the reservation. [55]
In 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in King County was the Archdiocese of Seattle, with 278,340 Catholics worshipping at 71 parishes, followed by 95,218 non-denominational adherents with 159 congregations, 56,985 LDS Mormons with 110 congregations, 25,937 AoG Pentecostals with 63 congregations, 25,789 ELCA Lutherans with 68 congregations, 24,909 PC-USA Presbyterians with 54 congregations, 18,185 Mahayana Buddhists with 39 congregations, 18,161 UMC Methodists with 50 congregations, 14,971 TEC Episcopalians with 35 congregations, and 12,531 ABCUSA Baptists with 42 congregations. Altogether, 37.6% of the population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information. [56] In 2014, King County had 944 religious organizations, the 8th most out of all US counties. [57]
The King County Executive heads the county's executive branch; the position has been held by Dow Constantine since 2009. [58] The King County Prosecuting Attorney (Leesa Manion since 2023), Elections Director, and the King County Assessor are elected executive positions. [59] The King County Sheriff is appointed by the county executive and approved by the county council. It was previously an elected position from 1996 until 2020 and has been held by Patti Cole-Tindall since 2022. [60] [61] Judicial power is vested in the King County Superior Court and the King County District Court. Seattle houses the King County Courthouse.
The county government manages elections, records, licensing, parks, wastewater treatment, and public health, among other duties. It also handles the criminal legal and incarceration system for all cities and unincorporated areas within King County. It has a sheriff's department that also provides basic policing to unincorporated areas. [62] The Department of Local Services, established in 2019, serves as the local government for populated unincorporated areas. [63]
King County is part of four congressional districts that each elect a member of the United States House of Representatives; the boundaries are redrawn every 10 years based on the results of the decennial census. [64] The 1st district comprises the Eastside cities north of Bellevue; the 7th district includes northern Seattle, West Seattle, Burien, Normandy Park, and Vashon Island; the 8th district includes areas east of Lake Sammamish and the immediate Green River Valley; and the 9th district comprises the southern areas of the county from Federal Way to Seattle, Mercer Island, and part of Bellevue. [65] In the state legislature, the county has 17 districts that each elect two House members and one senator. [66] [67] The majority of state legislators from King County are Democrats; only four House members and two senators are from the Republican Party. [66]
The people of King County voted on September 5, 1911, to create a Port District. King County's Port of Seattle was established as the first Port District in Washington State. The Port of Seattle is King County's only Port District. It is governed by five Port Commissioners, who are elected countywide and serve four-year terms. The Port of Seattle owns and operates many properties on behalf of King County's citizens, including Sea-Tac International Airport; many seaport facilities around Elliott Bay, including its original property, publicly owned Fishermen's Terminal, home to the North Pacific fishing fleet and the largest homeport for fishermen in the U.S. West Coast;[ citation needed ] four container ship terminals; two cruise ship terminals; the largest grain export terminal in the U.S. Pacific Northwest; three public marinas; 22 public parks; and nearly 5,000 acres of industrial lands in the Ballard-Interbay and Lower Duwamish industrial centers.[ citation needed ]
The King County Council was established in 1969 and consists of nine members elected by districts to four-year terms. [68]
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This section needs additional citations for verification .(November 2016) |
King County and Seattle are strongly liberal; the area is a bastion for the Democratic Party. No Republican presidential candidate has carried the county votes since Ronald Reagan's landslide reelection victory in 1984. In the 2008 election, Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the county by 42 percentage points, a larger margin for the Democrats than that seen in any previous election up to that point in time. Slightly more than 29% of Washington state's population reside in King County, making it a significant factor for the Democrats in a few recent close statewide elections. In the 2000 Senate election, King County's margin of victory pushed Maria Cantwell's total over that of incumbent Republican Slade Gorton, defeating and unseating him in the United States Senate. In 2004, King County gave a lead to Democrat Christine Gregoire in her 2004 victory gubernatorial election, pushing her ahead of Republican Dino Rossi, who led by 261 votes after the initial count. [69] Rossi resided in the county at the time of the election, in Sammamish. In the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by earning 75% of King County votes. Governor Jay Inslee also defeated Republican challenger Loren Culp with 74% of the King County vote in the concurrent gubernatorial election. These were the largest margins by any candidate in a presidential race and a gubernatorial race since the county's creation. [70]
In 2004, voters passed a referendum reducing the size of the County Council from 13 members to 9. This resulted in all council seats ending up on the 2005 ballot.
Some residents of eastern King County have long desired to secede and form their own county. This movement was most vocal in the mid-1990s (see Cedar County, Washington ). [71] [72] It has recently been revived as Cascade County. [73] According to a map published by the Seattle Times , four different geographic borders were considered. [74] Additional plans (see Skykomish County, Washington ) also exist or have existed.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2024 | 251,558 | 22.30% | 830,927 | 73.66% | 45,509 | 4.03% |
2020 | 269,167 | 22.24% | 907,310 | 74.95% | 34,030 | 2.81% |
2016 | 216,339 | 21.04% | 718,322 | 69.85% | 93,789 | 9.12% |
2012 | 275,700 | 28.36% | 668,004 | 68.72% | 28,317 | 2.91% |
2008 | 259,716 | 28.03% | 648,230 | 69.97% | 18,511 | 2.00% |
2004 | 301,043 | 33.65% | 580,378 | 64.87% | 13,307 | 1.49% |
2000 | 273,171 | 34.40% | 476,700 | 60.02% | 44,325 | 5.58% |
1996 | 232,811 | 31.41% | 417,846 | 56.38% | 90,447 | 12.20% |
1992 | 212,986 | 27.36% | 391,050 | 50.23% | 174,557 | 22.42% |
1988 | 290,574 | 44.78% | 349,663 | 53.88% | 8,720 | 1.34% |
1984 | 332,987 | 52.09% | 298,620 | 46.71% | 7,654 | 1.20% |
1980 | 272,567 | 45.42% | 235,046 | 39.16% | 92,544 | 15.42% |
1976 | 279,382 | 50.79% | 248,743 | 45.22% | 21,994 | 4.00% |
1972 | 298,707 | 56.39% | 212,509 | 40.12% | 18,478 | 3.49% |
1968 | 218,457 | 46.00% | 223,469 | 47.05% | 33,009 | 6.95% |
1964 | 177,598 | 39.41% | 268,216 | 59.52% | 4,826 | 1.07% |
1960 | 224,150 | 50.85% | 208,756 | 47.36% | 7,904 | 1.79% |
1956 | 213,504 | 55.28% | 167,443 | 43.35% | 5,276 | 1.37% |
1952 | 200,507 | 53.93% | 165,583 | 44.54% | 5,681 | 1.53% |
1948 | 131,039 | 44.93% | 143,295 | 49.14% | 17,301 | 5.93% |
1944 | 118,719 | 41.42% | 165,308 | 57.68% | 2,577 | 0.90% |
1940 | 95,504 | 39.50% | 143,134 | 59.19% | 3,165 | 1.31% |
1936 | 66,544 | 31.68% | 138,597 | 65.98% | 4,904 | 2.33% |
1932 | 63,346 | 34.42% | 108,738 | 59.09% | 11,947 | 6.49% |
1928 | 96,263 | 65.63% | 46,604 | 31.77% | 3,811 | 2.60% |
1924 | 60,438 | 53.51% | 7,404 | 6.56% | 45,098 | 39.93% |
1920 | 58,584 | 54.69% | 17,369 | 16.21% | 31,171 | 29.10% |
1916 | 38,959 | 40.71% | 52,362 | 54.71% | 4,387 | 4.58% |
1912 | 15,579 | 21.85% | 20,088 | 28.17% | 35,642 | 49.98% |
1908 | 22,297 | 55.75% | 14,644 | 36.62% | 3,052 | 7.63% |
1904 | 20,434 | 70.39% | 5,266 | 18.14% | 3,329 | 11.47% |
1900 | 10,218 | 54.26% | 7,804 | 41.44% | 810 | 4.30% |
1896 | 6,413 | 44.83% | 7,733 | 54.06% | 159 | 1.11% |
1892 | 6,520 | 44.17% | 4,974 | 33.69% | 3,268 | 22.14% |
School districts in the county include: [76]
Most of King County is served by the King County Library System, with the exception of Seattle, Hunts Point, and Yarrow Point. [77] [78] The city of Seattle is served by the Seattle Public Library system, which has 27 branches compared to King County's 49 locations. [79]
Thurston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 294,793. The county seat and largest city is Olympia, the state capital.
Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 72nd-most populous in the United States. The county seat and largest city is Everett. The county forms part of the Seattle metropolitan area, which also includes King and Pierce counties to the south.
Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 921,130, up from 795,225 in 2010, making it the second-most populous county in Washington, behind King County, and the 59th-most populous in the United States. The county seat and largest city is Tacoma. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory, it was named for U.S. President Franklin Pierce. Pierce County is in the Seattle metropolitan area.
Kitsap County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 275,611. Its county seat is Port Orchard; its largest city is Bremerton. The county, formed out of King County and Jefferson County on January 16, 1857, is named for Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish Tribe. Originally named Slaughter County, it was soon renamed.
Ames Lake is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,524 at the 2020 census, up from 1,486 at the 2010 census.
Carnation is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It was historically known as Tolt and lies at the confluence of the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers.
Des Moines is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 32,888 as of the 2020 census. The city is located on the east shore of Puget Sound, near the center of the Seattle metropolitan area. It is bordered by the suburbs of Federal Way to the south, Kent to the east, SeaTac to the northeast, Burien to the north, and Normandy Park to the northwest.
Duvall is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located on SR 203 halfway between Monroe and Carnation. The population was 8,034 at the 2020 census.
Fall City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States, 25 miles (40 km) east of Seattle. The community lies along the Snoqualmie River and Raging River. The population was 2,032 at the 2020 census.
Lake Marcel-Stillwater is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,334 at the 2020 census.
Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located on an island of the same name in the southern portion of Lake Washington. Mercer Island is in the Seattle metropolitan area, with Seattle to its west and Bellevue to its east.
North Bend is a city in King County, Washington, United States, on the outskirts of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 7,461 at the 2020 census. The city is 30 miles (48 km) east of Seattle on Interstate 90 and lies in the foothills of the Cascade Range near Snoqualmie Pass.
Sammamish is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 67,455 at the 2020 census. Located on a plateau, the city is bordered by Lake Sammamish to the west and the Snoqualmie Valley to the east. Sammamish is situated 20 miles east of Seattle, is a member of the Eastside, and is a part of the Seattle metropolitan area. Incorporated in 1999, Sammamish is an affluent community and has been ranked as one of the wealthiest cities in Washington.
Shoreline is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is located between the city limits of Seattle and the Snohomish County border, approximately 9 miles (14 km) north of Downtown Seattle. As of the 2020 census, the population of Shoreline was 58,608, making it the 22nd largest city in the state. Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Shoreline ranks 91st of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
Snoqualmie is a city next to Snoqualmie Falls in King County, Washington, United States. It is 28 miles (45 km) east of Seattle. Snoqualmie city is home to the Northwest Railway Museum. The population was 14,121 at the 2020 census.
Snoqualmie Pass is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. It includes the unincorporated community of Hyak. The population was 311 at the 2010 census.
Vashon is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon–Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 11,055 at 2020, up from 10,624 at the 2010 census and the size is 36.9 square miles (95.6 km2).
The Seattle metropolitan area is an urban conglomeration in the U.S. state of Washington that comprises Seattle, its surrounding satellites and suburbs. The United States Census Bureau defines the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area as the three most populous counties in the state: King, Pierce, and Snohomish. Seattle has the 15th largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States with a population of 4,018,762 as of the 2020 census, over half of Washington's total population.
The Snoqualmie Valley School District is located in King County, Washington about 40 miles (64 km) from Seattle at the foothills of Snoqualmie Pass. It encompasses over 400 square miles (1,000 km2), making it geographically one of the largest school districts in Washington state. The district has an enrollment of approximately 7,200 students.
The Puget Sound region is a coastal area of the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. state of Washington, including Puget Sound, the Puget Sound lowlands, and the surrounding region roughly west of the Cascade Range and east of the Olympic Mountains. It is characterized by a complex array of saltwater bays, islands, and peninsulas carved out by prehistoric glaciers.