King County is a county located in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States.

The county seat is Seattle, which is the state's largest city. About two-thirds of the county's population lives in the city's suburb

Suburb

The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

s. King County ranks among the 100 highest-income counties in the United States

Highest-income counties in the United States

There are 3,141 counties in the United States. The source of the data is the U.S. Census Bureau and the data is current as of the indicated year. Independent cities are considered county-equivalent by the Census Bureau.-2011:...

.

Etymology

The county was originally named after William Rufus King

William R. King

William Rufus DeVane King was the 13th Vice President of the United States for about six weeks , and earlier a U.S. Representative from North Carolina, Minister to France, and a Senator from Alabama...

 who was Vice-President when the Washington Territory

Washington Territory

The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....

 was created. In 1986 a motion was introduced by Ron Sims

Ron Sims

Ronald Cordell Sims, , is currently the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, having been confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 2009 and sworn in on May 8. He is also the former King County Executive...

 (a black Democrat from Seattle), and Bruce Laing (a white Republican from suburban Renton) to rename the county after Martin Luther King, Jr. No public hearings or votes were taken on the change.

On February 24, 1986, the King County Council

King County Council

The Metropolitan King County Council, the legislative body of King County, Washington, consists of nine members elected by district. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget...

 passed Council Motion 6461 five votes to four setting forth the historical basis for the renaming of King County in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Because only the state can charter counties, this change was not made official until April 19, 2005, when Washington Governor Christine Gregoire

Christine Gregoire

Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...

 signed Senate Bill 5332 into law.

Council member Larry Gossett

Larry Gossett

Larry Gossett is an American politician. He is a member of the King County Council, representing District 2...

 shepherded the County Council to a public vote on February 27, 2006 to change the county's logo from a royal crown to an image of King's face. On March 12, 2007, the new logo was unveiled.

Martin Luther King Jr. visited King county for two days in November, 1961.

History

The county was formed out of territory within Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the Oregon Territory

Oregon Territory

The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...

 legislature, and was named after Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

 resident William R. King

William R. King

William Rufus DeVane King was the 13th Vice President of the United States for about six weeks , and earlier a U.S. Representative from North Carolina, Minister to France, and a Senator from Alabama...

, Vice President under President Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...

. Seattle was made the county seat on January 11, 1853.

King County originally extended to the Olympic Peninsula

Olympic Peninsula

The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...

. According to historian Bill Speidel

Bill Speidel

William C Speidel known as Bill Speidel was a columnist for The Seattle Times and a self-made historian who wrote the books Sons of the Profits and Doc Maynard, The Man Who Invented Seattle about the people who settled and built Seattle, Washington.Speidel is also credited with being one of the...

, 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.

Government

The King County Executive

King County Executive

The King County Executive is the highest elected official representing the government of King County, Washington, USA. The post was established with the implementation of the Home Rule Charter for King County on November 5, 1968...

, currently Dow Constantine, heads the county's executive branch. The King County Prosecutor, Dan Satterberg

Dan Satterberg

Daniel T. Satterberg is currently King County Prosecuting Attorney, an office he has held since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Personal life:...

, Elections Director, Sheriff, and the King County Assessor are also elected executive positions. Judicial power is vested in the King County Superior Court

King County Superior Court

King County Superior Court, the largest trial court in Washington state, is based at the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, in downtown Seattle, Washington. It also operates a juvenile facility and a Regional Justice Center in Kent, southeast of Seattle....

 and the King County District Court. Seattle houses the King County Courthouse

King County Courthouse

The King County Courthouse is the administrative building housing the judicial branch of King County, Washington government. It is located in downtown Seattle, Washington, just north of Pioneer Square...

.

King County is represented in the United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 through the Washington 7th Congressional District and parts of the 1st, 2nd, 8th, and 9th districts. In the state legislature, King contains the entirety of the 5th, 11th, 33rd, 34th, 36th, 37th, 41st, 43rd, 45th, 46th, 47th, and 48th legislative districts as well as parts of the 1st, 25th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, and 39th districts.

The people of King County voted on September 5, 1911 to create a Port District. King County's Port of Seattle

Port of Seattle

The Port of Seattle is a port district that runs Seattle's seaport and airport. Its creation was approved by the voters of King County, Washington, on September 5, 1911, authorized by the Port District Act. It is run by a five-member commission. The commissioners' terms run four years...

 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. Now in its 100th year, 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

Elliott Bay

Elliott Bay is the body of water on which Seattle, Washington, is located. A line drawn from Alki Point in the south to West Point in the north serves to mark the generally accepted division between the bay and the open sound...

, including its original property, publicly owned Fishermen's Terminal

Fishermen's Terminal

Fishermen's Terminal is located on Salmon Bay in the Interbay neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, east of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks and immediately west of the Ballard Bridge....

, home to the North Pacific fishing fleet and the largest homeport for fishermen in the U.S. West Coast; four container ship

Container ship

Container ships are cargo ships that carry all of their load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport.-History:...

 terminals; two cruise ship

Cruise ship

A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...

 terminals; the largest grain export terminal in the U.S. Pacific Northwest; three public marina

Marina

A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....

s; 22 public parks; and nearly 5,000 acres of industrial lands in the Ballard

Ballard, Seattle, Washington

Ballard is a neighborhood located in the northwestern part of Seattle, Washington. To the north it is bounded by Crown Hill, ; to the east by Greenwood, Phinney Ridge and Fremont ; to the south by the Lake Washington Ship Canal; and to the west by Puget Sound’s Shilshole Bay. The neighborhood’s...

-Interbay and Lower Duwamish industrial centers.

Council members

• District 1 – Bob Ferguson
  Bob Ferguson (politician)
  Bob Ferguson is a member of the King County Council, the nonpartisan legislative body for King County, Washington. Ferguson represents Council District 1, which includes northeast Seattle, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, and part of Woodinville....
  
  
• District 2 – Larry Gossett
  Larry Gossett
  Larry Gossett is an American politician. He is a member of the King County Council, representing District 2...
  
  
• District 3 – Kathy Lambert
  Kathy Lambert
  Kathy Lambert is a United States Non-partisan member of the King County Council, the legislative body for King County, Washington. Lambert is in her second full term representing the third district, which includes North Bend, Snoqualmie, Issaquah, Sammamish, Fall City, Preston, Duvall, Redmond,...
  
  

• District 4 – Larry Phillips
  Larry Phillips (politician)
  Larry Phillips is a Democratic member of the King County Council in Washington state. Phillips has served on the Council since 1991, representing the fourth district, which includes the Seattle neighborhoods of Queen Anne, Magnolia, Ballard, Fremont, Belltown, Capitol Hill, Montlake, and Downtown....
  
  
• District 5 – Julia Patterson
  Julia Patterson
  Julia Patterson is the chair of the King County Council's Budget Committee.A graduate of the University of Washington with a B.A. in English, Patterson launched her political career by assisting in the effort to incorporate the City of Seatac. In 1989 she was elected as a founding member of the...
  
  
• District 6 – Jane Hague
  Jane Hague
  Jane Hague is a current member of the Metropolitan King County Council in Washington state in the United States. She represents District 6, which encompasses the cities and towns of Beaux Arts, Bellevue, Clyde Hill, Hunts Point, Kirkland, Medina, Mercer Island, Redmond, and Yarrow Bay....
  
  

• District 7 – Pete von Reichbauer
  Pete von Reichbauer
  Pete von Reichbauer is a member of the King County Council, representing District 7. von Reichbauer served as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 30th District between 1973 and 1993....
  
  
• District 8 – Joe McDermott
  Joe McDermott (politician)
  J. Joseph McDermott , usually known as Joe McDermott, is an American politician from the state of Washington and a member of King County Council, representing the 8th district...
  
  
• District 9 – Reagan Dunn
  Reagan Dunn
  Reagan Dunn is an American member of the King County Council, representing the ninth district of King County, Washington. He was appointed to the council in 2005, after then Councilmember Rob McKenna was elected State Attorney General. Dunn was elected to his first full term in November 2005...
  
  

Politics

Presidential Election Results

Year	Democrat Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
2008	70.30% 648,230	28.17% 259,716
2004	64.95% 580,378	33.69% 301,043
2000	60.02% 476,700	34.40% 273,171
1996	56.38% 417,846	31.41% 232,811
1992	50.23% 391,050	27.36% 212,986
1988	53.88% 349,663	44.78% 290,574
1984	46.71% 298,620	52.09% 332,987
1980	39.16% 235,046	45.42% 272,567
1976	45.20% 248,743	50.80% 279,382
1972	40.1% 212,509	56.4% 298,707
1968	47.1% 223,469	46.0% 218,457
1964	59.5% 268,216	39.4% 177,598
1960	47.4% 208,756	50.8% 224,150

King County, which includes Seattle, is a major center for liberal politics and is a bastion for the Democratic Party

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

. In the 2008 election, Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 defeated John McCain

John McCain

John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

 in the county by 40%, a larger margin than any previous election. King County has also been the deciding factor for the Democrats in a few recent close statewide elections. In 2000, it was King County that pushed Maria Cantwell

Maria Cantwell

Maria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party....

's total over that of incumbent Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 Slade Gorton

Slade Gorton

Thomas Slade Gorton III is an American politician. A Republican, he was a U.S. senator from Washington state from 1981 to 1987, and from 1989 to 2001. He held both of the state's Senate seats in his career and was narrowly defeated for reelection twice as an incumbent: in 1986 by Brock Adams, and...

, winning her a seat in the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

. In 2004, King County gave a lead to Democrat Christine Gregoire

Christine Gregoire

Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...

 in the second recount in the state's razor-thin governor's race

Washington gubernatorial election, 2004

The election for governor of Washington on November 2, 2004 gained national attention for its legal twists and extremely close finish. Notable for being among the closest political races in United States election history, Republican Dino Rossi was declared the winner in the initial automated count...

, pushing her ahead of Republican Dino Rossi

Dino Rossi

Dino Rossi is an American commercial real estate executive, former Washington State Senator, two-time Republican candidate for Governor of Washington, and former Republican candidate for United States Senate. His first run for the Governor's mansion in the 2004 election became the closest...

, who led by 261 votes after the initial count. Dino Rossi resided in the county at the time of the election in Sammamish

Sammamish, Washington

-Surrounding cities and communities:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,104 people, 11,131 households, and 9,650 families residing in the city. In 2007, the population is expected to pass 40,000....

.

The suburbs east and south of Seattle have historically tended to be moderate. In the 2005 County Executive race, Republican David Irons beat Democrat Ron Sims outside of Seattle (which voted 74% for Sims), but in 2004, John Kerry

John Kerry

John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...

 received landslide victories in much of the Bellevue

Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...

 and Redmond

Redmond, Washington

Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....

 areas. Generally the suburbs are becoming more liberal on the state and county levels.

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). It has recently been revived as Cascade County. According to a map published by the Seattle Times, four different geographic borders are being considered. Additional plans (see Skykomish County, Washington

Skykomish County, Washington

Skykomish County is a county proposed to be carved out of Snohomish and King Counties in Washington state, USA. The name comes from the Skykomish River, which flows through the proposed county's boundaries....

) also exist or have existed.

Geography

King County has nearly twice the land area of the state of Rhode Island. According to the U.S. Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the county has a total area of 2307 square miles (5,975.1 km²). It is the 11th largest county in Washington (of 39) by area. 2126 square miles (5,506.3 km²) is land and 180 square miles (466.2 km²) is water. 7.82% of the total area is water. The highest point in the county is Mount Daniel

Mount Daniel

Mount Daniel is the highest summit on the Cascade Range crest of Alpine Lakes Wilderness of the central Washington, USA. It is the highest point in King and Kittitas counties. Streams on its eastern slopes form the headwaters of the Cle Elum River.- Geology :...

 at 2426 meters (7,959 feet) above sea level.

King County borders Snohomish County

Snohomish County, Washington

Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...

 to the north, Kitsap County

Kitsap County, Washington

Kitsap County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish tribe. As of 2011 state estimate, its population was 253,900. Its county seat is at Port Orchard, and its largest city is Bremerton....

 to the west, Kittitas County to the east, and Pierce County

Pierce County, Washington

right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...

 to the south. It also shares a small border with Chelan County to the northeast. King County includes Vashon Island

Vashon Island

Vashon is a census-designated place 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 10,624 at the 2010 census. At , it is about 60 percent larger...

 and Maury Island

Maury Island

Maury Island is a small island in Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is connected to Vashon Island by an isthmus built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Before construction of the isthmus, the island was connected to Vashon only during low tide. The island is rural with...

 in Puget Sound

Puget Sound

Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...

.

Geographic features

Terrain

• Cascade Range
  Cascade Range
  The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
  
  
• Issaquah Alps
  Issaquah Alps
  The Issaquah Alps are the highlands near Issaquah, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, including Cougar Mountain, Squak Mountain, Tiger Mountain, Taylor Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge, Rattlesnake Mountain, and Grand Ridge...
  
  
• Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
  Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
  The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington extends more than along the western slopes of the Cascade Range from the Canadian border to the northern boundary of Mount Rainier National Park. Forest headquarters are located in the city of Everett....
  
  
• Mount Daniel
  Mount Daniel
  Mount Daniel is the highest summit on the Cascade Range crest of Alpine Lakes Wilderness of the central Washington, USA. It is the highest point in King and Kittitas counties. Streams on its eastern slopes form the headwaters of the Cle Elum River.- Geology :...
  
  , the highest point
• Mount Si
  Mount Si
  Mount Si is a mountain in the U.S. state of Washington. It lies on the western margin of the Cascade Range just above the coastal plains around Puget Sound, and towers over the nearby town of North Bend. The mountain was named after local homesteader Josiah "Uncle Si" Merritt...
  
  
• Harbor Island
• Maury Island
  Maury Island
  Maury Island is a small island in Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is connected to Vashon Island by an isthmus built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Before construction of the isthmus, the island was connected to Vashon only during low tide. The island is rural with...
  
  
• Mercer Island
  Mercer Island, Washington
  Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States and the name of the island in Lake Washington on which the city sits. The population was 22,699 at the 2010 census....
  
  
• Sammamish Plateau
• Vashon Island
  Vashon Island
  Vashon is a census-designated place 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 10,624 at the 2010 census. At , it is about 60 percent larger...
  
  

Water

• Cedar River
  Cedar River (Washington)
  The Cedar River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. About long, it originates in the Cascade Range and flows generally west and northwest, emptying into the southern end of Lake Washington...
  
  
• Green/Duwamish River
  Duwamish River
  The Duwamish River is the name of the lower of Washington state's Green River. Its industrialized estuary is known as the Duwamish Waterway.- History :...
  
  
• Elliott Bay
  Elliott Bay
  Elliott Bay is the body of water on which Seattle, Washington, is located. A line drawn from Alki Point in the south to West Point in the north serves to mark the generally accepted division between the bay and the open sound...
  
  
• Greenwater River
  Greenwater River
  The Greenwater River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. Its watershed drains a portion of the Cascade Range east and northeast of Mount Rainier, including parts of the Norse Peak Wilderness. It flows into the White River at Greenwater, which eventually flows into Puget Sound via the...
  
  
• Tolt River
  Tolt River
  The Tolt River is located in the western foothills of the Cascade Mountains in north central King County in the U.S. state of Washington. The river begins at the confluence of the North Fork Tolt and South Fork Tolt rivers. It flows southwest joining the Snoqualmie River near Carnation, Washington...
  
  
• Issaquah Creek
  Issaquah Creek
  Issaquah Creek is a small stream flowing through the city of Issaquah and nearby communities, in the U.S. state of Washington. Its headwaters are on the slopes Cougar, Squak, Tiger, and Taylor mountains in the Issaquah Alps. Tributaries of Issaquah Creek include Holder Creek, Carey Creek,...
  
  
• Lake Sammamish
  Lake Sammamish
  Lake Sammamish is a freshwater lake east of Seattle in King County, Washington, United States. The lake is long and wide, with a maximum depth of and a surface area of . It lies east of Lake Washington and west of the Sammamish Plateau, and stretches from Issaquah in the south to Redmond in...
  
  
• Lake Washington
  Lake Washington
  Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and...
  
  
• Lake Youngs
• Pratt River
  Pratt River
  The Pratt River is a river in King County in Washington. It is a tributary of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. It was named for prospector George A Pratt, who discovered nearby iron deposits in 1887....
  
  
• Puget Sound
  Puget Sound
  Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
  
  
• Raging River
  Raging River
  The Raging River is a modest tributary to the much larger Snoqualmie River in western Washington State in the United States. It is located in the western foothills of the Cascade Mountains in east central King County, Washington. It gets its name from the large amount of water is sometimes carries...
  
  
• Snoqualmie River
  Snoqualmie River
  The Snoqualmie River is a long river in King County and Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington. The river's three main tributaries are the North, Middle, and South Forks, which drain the west side of the Cascade Mountains near the town of North Bend and join near the town of Snoqualmie...
  
  
• Taylor River
  Taylor River (Washington)
  The Taylor River is a river in King County in Washington.- Course :The river starts at the outlet of Bear Lake. The river drops over a small waterfall before entering Deer Lake...
  
  
• White River
  White River (Washington)
  The White River is a white, glacial river in the U.S. state of Washington. It flows about 75 miles from its source, the Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier, to join the Puyallup River at Sumner...
  
  

Major highways

• 
  Interstate 5
  Interstate 5 in Washington
  Interstate 5 in Washington is a highway in the U.S. state of Washington that extends from its border with Oregon to its border with Canada...
  
  
• 
  Interstate 90
  Interstate 90 in Washington
  Interstate 90 , a transcontinental Interstate Highway from Seattle, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts, crosses the state of Washington before crossing the Idaho state line between Spokane and Post Falls...
  
  
• 
  Interstate 405
  Interstate 405 (Washington)
  Interstate 405 in Washington is a stretch of freeway that bypasses Seattle east of Lake Washington. The northern terminus is in Lynnwood and the southern terminus is in Tukwila...
  
  
• U.S. Route 2
  U.S. Route 2 in Washington
  U.S. Route 2 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that has a western segment that runs from Everett, Washington, to the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. In Washington, it is a state highway that begins at in Downtown Everett. The of US 2 that lie within...
  
  
• 
  State Route 18
• 
  State Route 99
  Washington State Route 99
  State Route 99, abbreviated SR 99, commonly called Highway 99, is a numbered state highway in the U.S. state of Washington extending just under from Fife in the south to Everett in the north, with a gap in Tukwila.-Southern division:...
  
  
• 
  State Route 520
• 
  State Route 167
  State Route 167 (Washington)
  State Route 167, commonly known as the Valley Freeway, is a state highway in the U.S. state of Washington. It connects Interstate 5 in Tacoma with Interstate 405 in Renton, and is long.-Route description:...
  
  

Adjacent counties

• Snohomish County, Washington
  Snohomish County, Washington
  Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...
  
   - north
• Chelan County, Washington - east/northeast
• Kittitas County, Washington - east/southeast
• Pierce County, Washington
  Pierce County, Washington
  right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...
  
   - south
• Kitsap County, Washington
  Kitsap County, Washington
  Kitsap County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish tribe. As of 2011 state estimate, its population was 253,900. Its county seat is at Port Orchard, and its largest city is Bremerton....
  
   - west

National protected areas

• Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
  Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
  Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park commemorating the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s. The gold rush was in the Yukon Territory, and this park comprises staging areas for the trek there, and routes leading in its direction...
  
   (part, also in Skagway, Alaska
  Skagway, Alaska
  Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. It was formerly a city first incorporated in 1900 that was re-incorporated as a borough on June 25, 2007. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 862...
  
  )
• Snoqualmie National Forest
  Snoqualmie National Forest
  Snoqualmie National Forest is a United States National Forest in the State of Washington. It was established on 1 July 1908, when an area of 961,120 acres was split from the existing Washington National Forest. Its size was increased on 13 October 1933, when a part of Rainier National Forest was...
  
   (part)

Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2010, there were 1,931,249 people, 710,916 households, and 420,151 families residing in the county. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 817 people per square mile (315/km²). There were 742,237 housing units at an average density of 349 per square mile (135/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.7% White

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 6.2% Black

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.8% Native American

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 14.6% Asian

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.8% Pacific Islander

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 5.0% from two or more races. 8.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race. 13.2% were of German, 9.1% English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

, 8.3% Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 and 5.5% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000. 81.7% spoke English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, 4.2% Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

, 2.3% Chinese

Chinese language

The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

 (incl. all variations), 1.5% Vietnamese

Vietnamese language

Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...

, 1.3% Tagalog

Tagalog language

Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...

, and 1.0% Korean

Korean language

Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...

 as their first language.

There were 710,916 households out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.40% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.90% were non-families. 30.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out with 22.50% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 34.70% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males.

The center of population

Center of population

In demographics, the center of population of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population...

 of Washington in the year 2000 was located in the city of Enumclaw

Enumclaw, Washington

Enumclaw is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,669 at the 2010 census.The Enumclaw Plateau, on which the city resides, was formed by a volcanic mudflow from Mount Rainier approximately 5,700 years ago....

, in King County.

The median income for a household in the county was $53,157, and the median income for a family was $66,035 (these figures had risen to $64,915 and $82,879 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $45,802 versus $34,321 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the county was $29,521. About 5.30% of families and 8.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.40% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.

Census-recognized communities

See also Cities in King County.

Incorporated areas

• Algona
  Algona, Washington
  Algona is a city in King County, Washington, United States, and the Seattle metropolitan area, surrounded by the suburbs of Auburn to the north and east, Pacific to the south, and unincorporated King County to the west...
  
  
• Auburn
  Auburn, Washington
  -Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
  
   (partial)
• Beaux Arts Village
  Beaux Arts Village, Washington
  Beaux Arts Village is a town located in the Eastside, an affluent region of King County, Washington, United States in the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the smallest municipal jurisdiction in the county, with a population of 299 as of the 2010 census and a land area of 0.1 sq mi...
  
  
• Bellevue
  Bellevue, Washington
  Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
  
  
• Black Diamond
  Black Diamond, Washington
  Black Diamond is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,151 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Black Diamond ranks 64th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-History:Black Diamond was...
  
  
• Bothell
  Bothell, Washington
  Bothell is a city located in King and Snohomish Counties in the state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 33,505 as of the 2010 census...
  
   (partial)
• Burien
  Burien, Washington
  Burien is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located south of Seattle. As of the 2010 Census, Burien's population is 33,313, which is a 2.9% increase since incorporation. Annexation in 2011 has increased the cities population to about 45,000....
  
  
• Carnation
  Carnation, Washington
  Carnation is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,786 at the 2010 census.-History:Settled in 1865, Carnation was officially incorporated on December 30, 1912, as Tolt. The name was changed to Carnation in 1917, back to Tolt on May 3, 1928, and finally back to...
  
  
• Clyde Hill
  Clyde Hill, Washington
  Clyde Hill is a city located in the Eastside, a region of King County, Washington, United States, and part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The town of Kirkland lies to the northeast, while the satellite city of Bellevue is located to the east and south. Lake Washington is also nearby, providing...
  
  
• Covington
  Covington, Washington
  Covington is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 17,575 at the time of the 2010 census. Prior to the 2010 census, Covington was counted as part of Covington-Sawyer-Wilderness CDP.-History:...
  
  
• Des Moines
  Des Moines, Washington
  Des Moines is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 29,673 at the 2010 census. Property within the city has been the subject of land buyouts because of noise from aircraft landing or taking off from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport two miles to the north of...
  
  
• Duvall
  Duvall, Washington
  Duvall is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located on SR 203, halfway between Monroe and Carnation. The population was 6,695 at the 2010 census.-History:...
  
  
• Enumclaw
  Enumclaw, Washington
  Enumclaw is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,669 at the 2010 census.The Enumclaw Plateau, on which the city resides, was formed by a volcanic mudflow from Mount Rainier approximately 5,700 years ago....
  
  

• Federal Way
  Federal Way, Washington
  Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south...
  
  
• Hunts Point
  Hunts Point, Washington
  Hunts Point is a town located in the Eastside, a region of King County, Washington, United States, and part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The town is located on a small peninsula surrounded by Lake Washington, and is near the suburbs of Medina , Clyde Hill , Yarrow Point , and Kirkland , as...
  
  
• Issaquah
  Issaquah, Washington
  Issaquah is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 30,434 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, Issaquah ranks 25th of 522 areas in the State of Washington to be ranked....
  
  
• Kenmore
  Kenmore, Washington
  Kenmore is a city in King County, Washington, United States, along the northernmost shores of Lake Washington...
  
  
• Kent
  Kent, Washington
  Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...
  
  
• Kirkland
  Kirkland, Washington
  Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle on the Eastside . The population was 48,787 at the 2010 census makes it the 9th largest city in King County and the 20th largest city in the state...
  
  
• Lake Forest Park
  Lake Forest Park, Washington
  Lake Forest Park is a city in King County, Washington, United States, just north of Seattle. A bedroom community by design, most of the city consists of single-family housing on medium to large-sized lots, with an emphasis on retaining the natural features of the landscape...
  
  
• Maple Valley
  Maple Valley, Washington
  Maple Valley is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 22,684 at the 2010 census.-History:The area was first settled in 1879 by three men who were improving a trail and brought their families in. When a name for a future community was proposed, the names Vine Maple...
  
  
• Medina
  Medina, Washington
  Medina is a city located in the Eastside, a region of King County, Washington, United States. Surrounded on the north, west, and south by Lake Washington, opposite Seattle, Medina is bordered by Clyde Hill and Hunts Point, as well as the satellite city of Bellevue. The city's population was 2,969...
  
  
• Mercer Island
  Mercer Island, Washington
  Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States and the name of the island in Lake Washington on which the city sits. The population was 22,699 at the 2010 census....
  
  
• Milton
  Milton, Washington
  Milton is a city in King and Pierce counties in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 6,968 at the 2010 census. Milton borders the larger but younger town of Edgewood...
  
   (partial)
• Newcastle
  Newcastle, Washington
  Newcastle is an Eastside city in King County, Washington, United States. Its population was 10,380 at the 2010 census.Although Newcastle was not incorporated until 1994, it has been an important settlement and town since the late 19th century and played a major role in the development of Seattle...
  
  
• Normandy Park
  Normandy Park, Washington
  Normandy Park is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,335 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, Normandy Park ranks 26th of 522 areas in the state of Washington.-History:...
  
  

• North Bend
  North Bend, Washington
  North Bend is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The town was made famous by David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks Since the Weyerhaeuser sawmill closed, North Bend has become an upscale bedroom community for the Eastside of Seattle, Washington, with property values more than...
  
  
• Pacific
  Pacific, Washington
  Pacific is a city in King and Pierce counties in the U.S. state of Washington. Located primarily in King County, the population was 6,606 at the 2010 census. Like its northern neighbor Algona, Pacific is sometimes mistaken for a part of Auburn.- History :...
  
   (partial)
• Redmond
  Redmond, Washington
  Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
  
  
• Renton
  Renton, Washington
  Renton is an Eastside edge city in King County, Washington, United States. Situated 11 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington. Founded in the 1860s, Renton became a supply town for the Newcastle coal fields...
  
  
• Sammamish
  Sammamish, Washington
  -Surrounding cities and communities:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,104 people, 11,131 households, and 9,650 families residing in the city. In 2007, the population is expected to pass 40,000....
  
  
• SeaTac
  SeaTac, Washington
  SeaTac is an American city in southern King County, Washington, and an outlying suburb of Seattle, Washington. Incorporated in February 1990, the City of SeaTac is ten square miles in area and has a population of 26,909 according to the 2010 census...
  
  
• Seattle
• Shoreline
  Shoreline, Washington
  Shoreline is a city in King County, Washington, United States, north of Downtown Seattle bordering the northern Seattle city limits. As of the 2010 census, the population was 53,007, making it the 19th largest city in the state of Washington....
  
  
• Skykomish
  Skykomish, Washington
  As of the census of 2000, there were 214 people, 104 households, and 58 families residing in the town. The population density was 623.2 people per square mile . There were 162 housing units at an average density of 471.8 per square mile...
  
  
• Snoqualmie
  Snoqualmie, Washington
  Snoqualmie is a city next to Snoqualmie Falls in King County, Washington. The city is home to the Northwest Railway Museum. The population was of 10,670 at the 2010 census...
  
  
• Tukwila
  Tukwila, Washington
  Tukwila is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The northern edge of Tukwila borders the city of Seattle. The population was 19,107 at the 2010 census.-History:...
  
  
• Woodinville
  Woodinville, Washington
  Woodinville is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,938 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. There is also a much larger population with Woodinville mailing addresses in adjacent unincorporated areas of King and Snohomish counties...
  
  
• Yarrow Point
  Yarrow Point, Washington
  Yarrow Point is a town in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,001 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Yarrow Point ranks fifth of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-Geography:Yarrow Point is located...
  
  

Census-designated places (CDPs)

• Ames Lake
  Ames Lake, Washington
  Ames Lake is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,486 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Ames Lake ranks 10th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-Geography:Ames Lake...
  
  
• Baring
  Baring, Washington
  Baring is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 220 at the 2010 census. It is located on U.S. Highway 2 about 22 miles west of Stevens Pass, along a very flat and straight three-mile section of highway that's been dubbed the Baring Straight since U.S...
  
  
• Bryn Mawr-Skyway
  Bryn Mawr-Skyway, Washington
  Bryn Mawr-Skyway is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 15,645 at the 2010 census.Bryn Mawr-Skyway is the only census-designated place in the Seattle metro area to report a majority-minority population in the 2000 Census...
  
  
• Cascade-Fairwood
  Cascade-Fairwood, Washington
  Cascade-Fairwood is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 34,580 at the 2000 census. Based on per capita income Cascade-Fairwood ranks 77th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked....
  
  
• Cottage Lake
  Cottage Lake, Washington
  Cottage Lake is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 22,494 at the 2010 census. The lake itself falls within the 98072 zip code, while the developments east of the lake fall under the 98077 zip code....
  
  
• East Hill-Meridian
  East Hill-Meridian, Washington
  East Hill-Meridian is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 29,878 at the 2010 census.-Geography:East Hill-Meridian is located at ....
  
  
• East Renton Highlands
  East Renton Highlands, Washington
  East Renton Highlands is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States, located between Issaquah and Renton. The population was 11,140 at the 2010 census....
  
  
• Eastgate
  Eastgate, Washington
  Eastgate is a census-designated place in unincorporated King County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,958 at the 2010 census....
  
  
• Fall City
  Fall City, Washington
  Fall City is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. Located 26 miles east of Seattle, the community lies along the Snoqualmie River. The population was 1,993 at the 2010 census...
  
  

• Hobart
  Hobart, Washington
  Hobart is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,221 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Hobart ranks 31st of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-Geography:Hobart is located...
  
  
• Inglewood-Finn Hill
  Inglewood-Finn Hill, Washington
  Inglewood-Finn Hill is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 22,707 at the 2010 census. The community was largely annexed into neighboring Kirkland in 2011....
  
  
• Kingsgate
  Kingsgate, Washington
  Kingsgate is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 13,065 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Kingsgate ranks 70th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.Neighboring city...
  
  
• Lake Marcel-Stillwater
  Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Washington
  Lake Marcel-Stillwater is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,277 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lake Marcel-Stillwater is located at ....
  
  
• Lake Morton-Berrydale
  Lake Morton-Berrydale, Washington
  Lake Morton-Berrydale is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,160 at the 2010 census....
  
  
• Lakeland North
  Lakeland North, Washington
  Lakeland North is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 12,942 at the 2010 census. Part of the community was annexed into neighboring Auburn in 2008.-Geography:...
  
  
• Lakeland South
  Lakeland South, Washington
  Lakeland South is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 11,574 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Lakeland South ranks 65th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be...
  
  
• Maple Heights-Lake Desire
  Maple Heights-Lake Desire, Washington
  Maple Heights-Lake Desire is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,152 at the 2010 census....
  
  

• Mirrormont
  Mirrormont, Washington
  Mirrormont is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States, directly south of Issaquah. The population was 3,659 at the 2010 census...
  
  
• Ravensdale
  Ravensdale, Washington
  Ravensdale is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,101 at the 2010 census. It is in the Pacific Standard Time Zone...
  
  
• Riverbend
  Riverbend, Washington
  Riverbend is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,132 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Riverbend ranks 87th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-Geography:Riverbend...
  
  
• Riverton-Boulevard Park
  Riverton-Boulevard Park, Washington
  Riverton-Boulevard Park is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 11,188 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Riverton-Boulevard Park is located at ....
  
  
• Tanner
  Tanner, Washington
  Tanner is a Census-Designated Place in east King County, Washington.Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Tanner ranks 46th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.-Geography:...
  
  
• Union Hill-Novelty Hill
  Union Hill-Novelty Hill, Washington
  Union Hill-Novelty Hill is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 18,805 at the 2010 census....
  
  
• Vashon
• West Lake Sammamish
• White Center
  White Center, Washington
  White Center is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. It lies between Seattle and Burien part of which was annexed by Burien on 1 April 2010. The population was 13,495 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
  
  

Other communities

This list may contain communities located entirely within incorporated cities

City

A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

, town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

s, or CDPs

Census-designated place

A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

, which should be removed.

• Avondale
• Bayne
• Bitter Lake
• Burton
  Burton, King County, Washington
  Burton is an unincorporated community in King County, Washington. It is a historic waterfront residential area on Vashon Island. The town of Burton sits at the isthmus between Inner and Outer Quartermaster Harbor. The town was named in 1892 by Mrs. Miles Hatch after her home town in Illinois, and...
  
  
• Cedar Falls
• Cumberland
  Cumberland, Washington
  Cumberland is an unincorporated community in King County, Washington. Originally a mining camp, Cumberland was named by F.X. Schreiner in 1893 after the Cumberland coal region of the Appalachian Mountains. Cumberland gained a post office on October 13, 1894. Today, the Enumclaw post office serves...
  
  
• Denny Creek
• Dockton
  Dockton, Washington
  Dockton is an unincorporated community in King County, Washington. It is located on Maury Island, along Quartermaster Harbor. Although once an industrial center, Dockton today is a primarily residential area, with many commuters taking the ferry to nearby Tacoma.-History:Dockton, one of the first...
  
  
• Duwamish
• Earlmount
• East Union
• Ernie's Grove
  Ernie's Grove, Washington
  Ernie's Grove is a small unincorporated community in King County, Washington, United States, near the North Fork of the Snoqualmie River outside of the city of Snoqualmie.- History :...
  
  
• Fairwood
  Cascade-Fairwood, Washington
  Cascade-Fairwood is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 34,580 at the 2000 census. Based on per capita income Cascade-Fairwood ranks 77th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked....
  
  
• Four Corners
• Garcia

• Grotto
  Grotto, Washington
  Grotto is a small unincorporated community in King County, Washington, United States. It is located on Highway 2 west of Stevens Pass in the Cascade Mountains, near the town of Skykomish. Grotto is known for its scenic mountain environment....
  
  
• Hazelwood
• Houghton
  Houghton, Washington
  Houghton is one of the lakeside neighborhoods of the city of Kirkland, Washington. Consisting mostly of upscale, single-family homes, Houghton overlooks Lake Washington and is one of the wealthier districts of the Eastside suburbs of Seattle. The village was named for Willard Houghton, a local...
  
  
• Juanita
  Juanita, Washington
  Juanita, Washington is an unincorporated area of King County located between the cities of Kirkland, Bothell, and Kenmore along the northeast edge of Lake Washington. In December 2009, its annexation to Kirkland was approved by voters.-History:...
  
  
• Kanaskat
• Kangley
  Kangley, Washington
  Kangley is an unincorporated community in King County, Washington, United States. It is located east of Maple Valley, Washington and north of Kanaskat-Palmer State Park....
  
  
• Lake Alice
• Lake Joy
• Lake Sawyer
• McMicken Heights
• Morganville
• Naco
• Newport Hills

• North City
  North City, Washington
  North City is a neighborhood in Washington State, United States, located north of Seattle....
  
  
• Palmer
  Palmer, Washington
  Palmer is an unincorporated community in King County, Washington, United States. It is located along the Green River next to the Kanaskat-Palmer State Park....
  
  
• Portage
  Portage, Washington
  Portage is an unincorporated community in King County, Washington, United States. It is located on a man-made isthmus between Maury Island and Vashon Island....
  
  
• Preston
• Queensgate
• Richmond Beach
• Richmond Highlands
• Selleck
  Selleck, Washington
  Selleck is a former company town in Washington, located at . As the sole surviving company mill town in King County, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a King County landmark....
  
  
• Shorewood
• Spring Glen
• Sylvan Beach
  Sylvan Beach, Washington
  Sylvan Beach, is a community located in King County, Washington, on the west side of Vashon Island on Colvos Passage. It is known as one of Vashon's walk-in communities, since most of the homes can only be reached by walking in from the road on the community's boardwalk...
  
  
• Tahlequah
  Tahlequah, Washington
  Tahlequah is an unincorporated community on the southern end of Vashon Island in Puget Sound, Washington state. It is best known for being the north end of the short Point Defiance-Tahlequah ferry route.-References:...
  
  
• Totem Lake
• Wabash
• Wilderness Village
• Woodmont Beach
  Woodmont Beach, Washington
  Woodmont Beach, a now private beach, is located in Des Moines, Washington at 47 21'36.94"N 122 19'26.75"W elev 10' . It is located in South King County along the shore of Puget Sound....
  
  

Ghost towns

• Franklin
  Franklin, Washington
  Franklin was a coal mining town located in east King County, Washington, near the current Hanging Gardens State Park.-History:The community was established in the 1880s, with a post office established by 1886. In May 1891, labor recruiters brought African-Americans to Franklin from Missouri,...
  
  
• Hot Springs
  Hot Springs, Washington
  Hot Springs is a ghost town in King County, Washington, United States. Also known as Green River Hot Springs, the town was first settled under the name Kendon by the Northern Pacific Railway in 1886. Hot Springs was at one time home to a large sanatorium built around the natural hot springs in the...
  
  

• Krain
  Krain, Washington
  Krain was an unincorporated community in south King County, Washington, just north of Enumclaw. The area now centers on the intersection of SR 169 and SE 400th St. An inn and restaurant has been located at the corner since 1916, and the nearby Holy Family Krain Cemetery dates back to at least...
  
  
• Lester
  Lester, Washington
  Lester was a small town near Stampede Pass, just south of Snoqualmie Pass in King County, founded in 1892 by the Northern Pacific Railway ....
  
  
• Nagrom
  Nagrom, Washington
  Nagrom was a town in King County . A logging company town, Nagrom was located in the Green River watershed between Enumclaw and Lester. The town was built by the Morgan Lumber Company and named after E. G. Morgan, the company founder and owner...
  
  

• Osceola
  Osceola, Washington
  Osceola was an unincorporated community that existed in King County, Washington, around the turn of the 20th century, about two miles southeast of Enumclaw. Today not much remains except the last surviving one-room schoolhouse on the Enumclaw plateau; it is now the Osceola Community Club, a...
  
  
• Wellington
  Wellington, Washington
  Wellington was a small unincorporated railroad community on the Great Northern Railway in northeastern King County, Washington. Founded in 1893, it was located at the west portal of the original Cascade Tunnel under Stevens Pass...
  
  
• Weston
  Weston, Washington
  Weston, Washington, began life sometime in 1887. Not much is known about this tiny railway town other than at some point it was home to some railway facilities for the Northern Pacific Railway, including a possible turntable, a roundhouse for extra steam engines to help trains to get up the steep...
  
  

Schools

• Auburn School District
  Auburn School District
  Auburn School District No. 408 is a public school district in King County, Washington, seated in Auburn. The district encompasses a 62-mile area bridging King County, Washington and Pierce County, Washington, and serves approximately 70,500 residents in Auburn, Algona, Pacific, Lake Tapps, and a...
  
  
• Bellevue School District
  Bellevue School District
  Bellevue School District No. 405 is a public school district in King County, Washington, USA that serves the communities of Bellevue, Clyde Hill, Medina, Hunts Point, Yarrow Point, Beaux Arts Village, and portions of Newcastle, Kirkland and Redmond. As of October 1, 2010, the district has an...
  
  
• Enumclaw School District
  Enumclaw School District
  Enumclaw School District has its headquarters in Enumclaw, Washington, U.S.-Schools:*Enumclaw High School*Enumclaw Middle School*Thunder Mountain Middle School*Black Diamond Elementary School*Byron Kibler Elementary School*Southwood Elementary School...
  
  
• Federal Way School District
  Federal Way School District
  Federal Way Public Schools is a school district covering all of Federal Way, Washington and portions of Kent, Des Moines, and unincorporated county land between the city and Auburn, totaling 35 square miles . There are 37 schools in the district...
  
  
• Highline School District
  Highline School District
  Highline Public Schools is a public school system in Washington, headquartered in Burien. As of October 2007, it serves 17,331 students and has 997 teachers...
  
  
• Issaquah School District
  Issaquah School District
  Issaquah School District No. 411 is a public school district in King County, Washington, USA, serving the city of Issaquah as well as portions of Sammamish, Renton, Bellevue, and Newcastle....
  
  

• Kent School District
  Kent School District
  The Kent School District #415 includes the cities of Kent, Covington, Maple Valley, parts of the cities of Renton and Black Diamond, and neighboring unincorporated areas in King County, Washington. Covering 73 square miles , the Kent School District has 40 schools...
  
  
• Lake Washington School District
  Lake Washington School District
  The Lake Washington School District #414 is a public school district in King County, Washington. it is the fifth-largest school district in Washington. It serves the region to the east of Lake Washington, one of the wealthiest in the Puget Sound area...
  
  
• Mercer Island School District
  Mercer Island School District
  The Mercer Island School District is a public U.S. school district in Washington. Located in an affluent bedroom community of Seattle, Mercer Island, it has a strong academic reputation...
  
  
• Northshore School District
  Northshore School District
  Northshore School District is a public school district covering portions of both King County and Snohomish County, Washington. The district's service area covers the cities of Bothell , Woodinville,and Kenmore as well as portions of unincorporated King County....
  
  
• Renton School District
  Renton School District
  Renton School District 403 is a public school district serving Renton, Washington, USA and southern portions of the adjacent cities of Seattle and Newcastle...
  
  
• Riverview School District

• Seattle Public Schools
  Seattle Public Schools
  Seattle Public Schools is the school district serving Seattle, Washington, USA. Its headquarters are in the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence.-List of schools:...
  
  
• Shoreline School District
  Shoreline School District
  The Shoreline School District 412 is the school district in an established residential community north of Seattle and includes the cities of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park in the U.S. state of Washington...
  
  
• Snoqualmie Valley School District
• Tahoma School District
  Tahoma School District
  Tahoma School District is an educational organisation in Maple Valley, Washington, USA.There is one high school, two middle schools, four elementary schools and a parent-partnered school...
  
  
• Tukwila School District

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in King County, Washington

External links

• King County website
• King country Sheriff
• King County Property Parcel Viewer
• King County Snapshots presents King County, Washington, through 12,000 historical images carefully chosen from twelve cultural heritage organizations' collections. These catalogued 19th and 20th century images portray people, places, and events in the county's urban, suburban, and rural communities.