Seattle, Washington

Founded in 1869, the City of Seattle is located in the State of Washington on Puget Sound, 113 miles (182 km) from the U.S.-Canadian border. Seattle is a commercial, cultural and advanced technology hub of the US Pacific Northwest and a major port city for trans-Pacific and European trade. Surrounded by mountains and water, the greater Seattle area features picture-perfect views and abundant recreational opportunities year-round.

Christened "The Emerald City", Seattle is known as one of the most livable cities in the world and actually receives less annual rainfall (36 inches) than New York and Atlanta. Surrounded by lakes, rivers, Puget Sound, and mountains, Seattle is a recreation enthusiasts' dream. In the summer, water sports are only 10 minutes away and winter sports, such as snow skiing and snowboarding, are only 45 minutes away.

The greater Seattle area is home to 2.7 million people. Boeing, Microsoft, Nordstrom and Starbucks coffee are based here. Seattle is also known as the birthplace of the recent crazes for grunge rock and espresso coffee. This area is the home of baseball's Edgar Martinez, glass art's Dale Chihuly, musicians Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Queensryche, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart and Kenny G., software giant Bill Gates, maestro Gerard Schwartz, actor Tom Skerritt, writers Ann Rule, Robert Fulghum, and Tom Robbins.

Latitude: 47° 39' North Longitude: 122° 17' West

Land Area:
84 sq mi (217 sq km)

Population:
540,500

Population density:
6,462 people per sq mi
(2,494 per sq km)

Seattle Lodging Information

Back to Area Attractions