Seattle

Seattle sits between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, with tall towers rising from downtown and views extending toward the Cascade Range to the east. The city center occupies a narrow strip of land shaped by bays, hills, and waterways that cut through neighborhoods from north to south.

The Denny Party founded a settlement at Alki Point in 1851 and named it after Chief Seattle of the Duwamish people. Timber trade and later the Alaska Gold Rush fueled growth, while fire and reconstruction reshaped downtown in the late 1800s.

Coffee shops around Pike Place Market and in Capitol Hill fill with locals working on laptops, reading, or chatting over espresso drinks throughout the day. Live music venues host performances in small clubs and bars where local bands play and audiences mingle freely between sets.

Light rail, buses, and water taxis connect downtown with neighborhoods and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport throughout the day. Hilly streets require comfortable walking shoes, and weather shifts frequently between drizzle and brief clear spells.

Below street level in Pioneer Square, old sidewalks and storefronts from the 1890s remain preserved beneath the rebuilt city surface. These underground passages reveal former shop entrances and doorways that once opened onto the original ground level.

Location: King County

Inception: November 13, 1851

Elevation above the sea: 40 m

Shares border with: Shoreline, SeaTac, Bellevue, Lake Forest Park, Renton

Address: Seattle, WA, USA

Website: https://seattle.gov

GPS coordinates: 47.60500,-122.33000

Latest update: December 14, 2025 20:58