Olympia, Washington
Encyclopedia
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state
of Washington and the county seat
of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census. Olympia is a major cultural center of the Puget Sound
region.
The site of Olympia was home to Lushootseed
-speaking peoples for thousands of years, including Squaxin
, Nisqually
, Puyallup
, Chehalis
, Suquamish
, and Duwamish. The first recorded visit by Europeans was in 1792 when Peter Puget
and a crew from the British Vancouver Expedition
charted the site.
In 1846, Edmund Sylvester and Levi Smith jointly claimed the land that now comprises downtown Olympia. In 1851, the U.S. Congress established the Customs District of Puget Sound for Washington Territory and Olympia became the home of the customs house. Its population being steadily expanded from Oregon Trail
immigrants, in 1853 the town settled on the name Olympia, at the suggestion of local resident Colonel Isaac N. Ebey
, due to its view of the Olympic Mountains
to the northwest. The area began to be served by a small fleet of steamboats known as the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet
.
In 1896, Olympia became the home of the Olympia Brewing Company
, which brewed Olympia Beer until 2003.
A 1949 earthquake damaged many historic buildings beyond repair, and they were demolished. Parts of the city also suffered damage from earthquake tremors in 1965 and the 2001 Nisqually earthquake
.
In 1967, the state legislature approved the creation of The Evergreen State College
in Olympia. Since 1984, Olympia has also been home to the South Puget Sound Community College
. Olympia has become a hub for artists and musicians, and has been named one of the best college towns in the nation for its vibrant downtown and access to outdoor activities.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 18.5 square miles (47.9 km²), of which, 16.7 square miles (43.3 km²) of it is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it (9.77%) is water.
The city of Olympia is located at the southern end of Puget Sound
on Budd Inlet
. The Deschutes River
estuary
was dammed in 1951 to create Capitol Lake
. Much of the lower area of downtown Olympia sits on reclaimed land. The cities of Lacey
and Tumwater
border Olympia.
The climate of Olympia is a Marine West Coast
climate (Koppen
Csb), though sometimes characterized as Mediterranean
. Most of western Washington's weather is brought in by weather systems that form near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska
. It contains cold moist air, which brings western Washington cold rain, cloudiness, and fog. November and December are Olympia's rainiest months. City streets, creeks, and rivers often flood during the months of November through February. Olympia averages 50.8 inches (1,290.3 mm) of precipitation per year and has a year-round average of 75% cloud cover. According to one MSNBC study, Olympia had more rainy days per year on average over the past 30 years than any city in the lower 48 states.
Snow for the 1971-2000 period averaged 14.7 inches (37.3 cm), but the median was much lower, at 4.3 inches (10.9 cm).
includes 0.9 miles (1.4 km) of boardwalk
along Budd Inlet, as well as a playground, picnic areas and a large open space. Percival Landing closed in 2010 for an extensive remodel after saltwater degradation and opened again to the public in the summer of 2011. The Watershed Park
is the site of the former water works for the city, and today features a loop trail with a large second-growth forest. Other parks include Priest Point Park
, Burfoot Park, Sunrise Park
and Yauger Park, which is home to one of Olympia's public skate parks including Friendly Grove which is nestled in a small Eastside Community, and Trillium Park, which was created by the efforts of adjoining neighborhood associations with the easement of private property. The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
is located just outside of Olympia, as is the Capitol State Forest
.
. The northeast end of Capitol Lake was the location of an artesian well until the construction of a new park that included changes to the shoreline. McAllister Springs, the main water source for Olympia, is fed by artesian wells, and the former Olympia Brewery
is supplied by 26 artesian wells.
In downtown Olympia, current efforts to preserve the use of artesian water at the one remaining public well has been the mission of H2Olympia
: Artesian Well Advocates. In 2011, the city of Olympia committed $50,000 towards improvements of an artesian well, located in a parking lot that was recently purchased by the city.
of 2000, there were 42,514 people, 18,670 households, and 9,968 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,544.4 people per square mile (982.3/km²). There were 19,738 housing units at an average density of 1,181.3 per square mile (456.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.3% White, 1.9% African American, 1.3% Native American, 5.8% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino
of any race were 4.4% of the population. 15.0% were of German
, 11.3% Irish
, 10.0% English
, 6.0% Norwegian
and 5.3% American
ancestry according to Census 2000. 91.6% spoke English
, 2.9% Spanish
and 1.7% Vietnamese
as their first language.
There were 18,670 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.6% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,846, and the median income for a family was $54,136. Males had a median income of $41,267 versus $31,515 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $22,590. About 6.9% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
. Olympia School District enrolled 9,231 students in K-12, based on the 2005-06 school year enrollment report. The school district has a total of 18 schools: 11 elementary schools, 4 middle schools and 3 high schools. Its high schools are Olympia High School
(originally known as William Winlock Miller High School), Capital High School
, and Avanti High School.
In the 2007-2008 school year, Olympia began the new Parent Partnership Program, which provides more opportunities to homeschooling families. Olympia's online high school, Olympia Regional Learning Academy (ORLA), is also part of the same program. Private elementary schools include Olympia Waldorf School, Olympia Community School, St. Michael School, Holy Family, and Evergreen Christian. Private middle schools include NOVA Middle School.
In addition to primary & secondary schools, Olympia has a number of institutions of higher learning, including The Evergreen State College
and South Puget Sound Community College
. The Evergreen State College (TESC) offers bachelor's degrees in Liberal Arts and/or Science, and master's degrees in Environmental Studies, Public Administration, Masters of Education, and Masters in Teaching. The South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) offers associate degrees in Arts, Science, Biology, Elementary Education, Pre-Nursing, Applied Science, General Studies, and Business.
Olympia is a regional center for fine arts. A number of theatrical
experiences are available with companies such as Capital Playhouse, Olympia Family Theater, Theater Artists Olympia (TAO), Olympia Little Theater, and Harlequin Productions at the historic State Theater. The Olympia Symphony Orchestra performs five regular season concerts at the Washington Center and two pop concerts.
Visual art venues include some of the local coffeehouses, such as Batdorf & Bronson, Burial Grounds, and Caffe Vita in downtown. A gallery called Art House Designs presents works of sculpture, painting, and printmaking and hosts a jazz performance space. Murals and public art installations of sculpture
are prevalent in Olympia, and are especially featured on the State Capitol Campus and along Percival Landing on the urban waterfront. The Washington Center for the Performing Arts also presents visual art exhibitions throughout the season in the spacious lobby areas.
Notable art venues near Olympia include Art In Ecology, housed in Washington Department of Ecology's 322,000 square foot, three story building on the campus of Saint Martin's University. Art In Ecology is a long-established art-in-the-workplace venue that features works by numerous northwest artists. Permanent installations by Alfredo Arreguin, commissioned by the Washington State Arts Commission, are accompanied by changing solo and group exhibitions throughout the year. Just off I-5. Appointments to view the works are needed; tours take about an hour.
South Puget Sound Community College
in Tumwater has a gallery in its Minnaert Center with rotating exhibitions. The Evergreen State College, northwest of Olympia, has a professionally curated gallery with rotating shows in the Dan Evans Library building. To the south of Olympia, Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park
offers an 80-acre sculpture garden
and art gallery
.
Each year the Olympia Film Society
(OFS) produces a film festival and fosters film and video education in Olympia. It also shows independent, classic and international films year-round at the art-deco Capitol Theater. A mostly volunteer-powered organization, OFS supports and presents a variety of culture events, including All Freakin' Night, an all-night horror film screening with a cult following.
On the fourth Saturday in April, in honor of Earth Day
, Olympia is host to one of the region's largest community celebrations - the Procession of the Species
celebration. Held in conjunction with the city's biannual Arts Walk, the Procession is organized by the community-based non-profit organization, Earthbound Productions. Structured around an annual Community Art Studio that is free and open to the public, organizers provide art, music and dance workshops during the preceding seven weeks leading up to the Procession weekend. In its July 2009 Best of America feature, Reader's Digest
magazine honored the Procession of the Species with the top spot in its “can’t resist” parades and processions list. Open to all, the Procession of the Species attracts up to 30,000 viewers, while its costumed participants of all ages frequently number nearly 3,000. On the Friday evening before the Procession of Species, a Luminary
Procession is held.
who would later win a gold medal
at the first women's Olympic marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympic games
in Los Angeles
.
Olympia is the home of the Oly Rollers
, the local women's flat track roller derby league whose travel team (the Cosa Nostra Donnas) became the 2009 national champions of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association
(WFTDA) by winning the national "Declaration of Derby" tournament in Philadelphia, PA on November 15, 2009.
Olympia is also home to some of the Pacific Northwests greatest running talents such as the Guerilla Running Racing Club.
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Olympia-Lacey at Centennial Station
. Amtrak train 11, the southbound Coast Starlight
, departs Olympia at 11:21am with service to Centralia; Portland
; Sacramento
; Emeryville, California
(with bus connection to San Francisco); and Los Angeles. Amtrak train 14, the northbound Coast Starlight, departs Olympia at 6:22pm daily with service to Tacoma and Seattle
. Amtrak Cascades
trains, operating as far north as Vancouver and as far south as Eugene, Oregon
, serve Olympia-Lacey several times daily in both directions.
. Routes from other transit services such as Grays Harbor Transit, Mason Transit, and the Tacoma/Lakewood Express with Pierce Transit
. Intercity Transit maintains a free shuttle route called "Dash". Dash runs from the Capitol Campus to the Farmers Market at the far edge of downtown. In 2009 Intercity Transit won an award for Americas best Public Transportation System in the mid size category by the American Public Transportation Association.
has covered Olympia entertainment since 2001. The statewide public access channel TVW is based in Olympia.
was born in Olympia. He now plays for the Seattle Sounders
after having had a long career playing in Europe.
The 90s riot grrrl
feminist punk movement, (including bands like Bikini Kill
and Bratmobile
), is from Olympia.
The band Sleater-Kinney
, which has its origins in the riot grrrl scene is from Olympia and took its name from Sleater Kinney Road, which briefly passes through the eastern part of the city. Kurt Cobain
wrote most of Nirvana's Nevermind
album while living in Olympia.
Kimya Dawson
is also a resident of Olympia.
Novelist Caitlin Kittredge
resides in Olympia.
The Fleetwoods were a very popular group in the 50's and all three of them were from Olympia.
Gary Troxel & Gretchen Christopher went to Olympia High and Barbara Ellis went to North Thurston High. Their very famous Mr. Blue
was on the charts for a goodly time.
Black metal band Wolves In The Throne Room is based in Olympia.
Adam Conley, the 2011 second round pick of the MLB's Florida Marlins was born and raised in Olympia
Youtube make-up artist guru and singer/songwriter Dustin Hunter
was born and still resides in Olympia.
USA Rugby player Scott LaValla was born and raised in Olympia and graduated from North Thurston High School. He now plays for Stade Français in Paris, France.
, Japan
. There were previous agreements with Olympia, Greece
and Samarkand
, Uzbekistan
but these are no longer in effect.
once sent his pre-Philip Marlowe
sleuth Carmady to Olympia, in the short story "Goldfish", which is set in 1936. A Great Depression
-era town with government buildings is sketchily described. The yarn ends violently on the extreme tip of the Olympic Peninsula, in a smugglers' nest in Westport.
is legendary in indie music circles. Olympia was the heart of the '90s punk
riot grrrl
movement, and to the band Sleater-Kinney
which hailed from that scene.
The band Hole
wrote and recorded a song called "Olympia" (aka "Rock Star") on their album Live Through This
(1994).
Olympia was also the heart of the '90s queercore scene, with bands such as the Mukilteo Fairies and Team Dresch
calling it home.
The band Rancid
wrote and recorded a song called "Olympia, WA" on their album ...And Out Come the Wolves
(1995); this song was later covered by the bands NOFX
(2003) and Rentokill (2004).
Nirvana
lived in Olympia; Kurt Cobain
wrote most of the songs released on Nevermind
while living in an apartment on Pear Street in Olympia.
Modest Mouse
recorded their first full-length album This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About
in Olympia.
Bert Wilson, legendary multi-reedist lives and plays in Olympia. He has taught Jeff Coffin
of the Dave Matthews Band, and Lenny Pickett of Tower of Power
among others.
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 and the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census. Olympia is a major cultural center of the 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...
region.
History
Lushootseed
Lushootseed is the language or dialect continuum of several SalishNative American groups of modern-day Washington state...
-speaking peoples for thousands of years, including Squaxin
Squaxin Island Tribe
The Squaxin Island Tribe is a Native American tribal government in western Washington state in the United States. The Squaxin Island Tribe is made up of several Lushootseed clans: the Noo-Seh-Chatl, Steh-Chass, Squi-Aitl, T'Peeksin, Sa-Heh-Wa-Mish, Squawksin, and S'Hotle-Ma-Mish...
, Nisqually
Nisqually (tribe)
Nisqually is a Lushootseed Native American tribe in western Washington state in the United States. The tribe lives on a reservation in the Nisqually River valley near the river delta. The Nisqually Indian Reservation, at , comprises 20.602 km² of land area on both sides of the river, in...
, Puyallup
Puyallup (tribe)
The Puyallup are a Coast Salish Native American tribe from western Washington state, U.S.A. They were forcibly relocated onto reservation lands in what is today Tacoma, Washington, in late 1854, after signing the Treaty of Medicine Creek. The Puyallup Indian Reservation today is one of the most...
, Chehalis
Chehalis (tribe)
The Chehalis people are a native people of westernWashington state in the United States. They should not be confused with the similarly named Chehalis First Nation of the Harrison River in the Fraser Valley area of British Columbia....
, Suquamish
Suquamish
The Suquamish are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American Tribe, located in present-day Washington in the United States.The Suquamish are a southern Coast Salish people; they spoke a dialect of Lushootseed, which belongs to the Salishan language family. Like many Northwest Coast natives, the...
, and Duwamish. The first recorded visit by Europeans was in 1792 when Peter Puget
Peter Puget
Peter Puget was an officer in the Royal Navy, best known for his exploration of Puget Sound.-Mr. Midshipman Puget:Puget's ancestors had fled France for Britain during Louis XIV's persecution of the Huguenots. His father, John, was a successful merchant and banker, but died in 1767, leaving Puget's...
and a crew from the British Vancouver Expedition
Vancouver Expedition
The Vancouver Expedition was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver. The expedition circumnavigated the globe, touched five continents and changed the course of history for the indigenous nations and several European empires and their...
charted the site.
In 1846, Edmund Sylvester and Levi Smith jointly claimed the land that now comprises downtown Olympia. In 1851, the U.S. Congress established the Customs District of Puget Sound for Washington Territory and Olympia became the home of the customs house. Its population being steadily expanded from Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
immigrants, in 1853 the town settled on the name Olympia, at the suggestion of local resident Colonel Isaac N. Ebey
Isaac N. Ebey
Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey was the first permanent white resident of Whidbey Island, Washington.Ebey was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1818. During his childhood Ebey's father, Jacob, moved the family to Adair County, Missouri where as a young man, the young Ebey was trained in the law...
, due to its view of the Olympic Mountains
Olympic Mountains
The Olympic Mountains is a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high - Mount Olympus is the highest at - but the western slopes of the Olympics rise directly out of the Pacific...
to the northwest. The area began to be served by a small fleet of steamboats known as the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet
Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet
The Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet was a large number of private transportation companies running smaller passenger and freight boats on Puget Sound and nearby waterways and rivers. This large group of steamers and sternwheelers plied the waters of Puget Sound, stopping at every waterfront dock...
.
In 1896, Olympia became the home of the Olympia Brewing Company
Olympia Brewing Company
The Olympia Brewing Company was a brewery in Tumwater, Washington which existed from 1896 until 2003.-History:Leopold Schmidt, a German immigrant from Montana founded The Capital Brewing Company at Tumwater Falls on the Deschutes River in the town of Tumwater, near the south end of Puget Sound...
, which brewed Olympia Beer until 2003.
A 1949 earthquake damaged many historic buildings beyond repair, and they were demolished. Parts of the city also suffered damage from earthquake tremors in 1965 and the 2001 Nisqually earthquake
Nisqually earthquake
The Nisqually earthquake was an intraslab earthquake, occurring at 10:54 a.m. PST . on February 28, 2001, and was one of the largest recorded earthquakes in Washington state history. The quake measured 6.8 on the MMS and lasted approximately 45 seconds. The epicenter of the earthquake was Anderson...
.
In 1967, the state legislature approved the creation of The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College is an accredited public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. It is located in Olympia, Washington, USA. Founded in 1967, Evergreen was formed to be an experimental and non-traditional college...
in Olympia. Since 1984, Olympia has also been home to the South Puget Sound Community College
South Puget Sound Community College
South Puget Sound Community College is a community college located in southwest Olympia, Washington, USA. It is located in a residential area just off the junction between US Route 101 and Interstate 5...
. Olympia has become a hub for artists and musicians, and has been named one of the best college towns in the nation for its vibrant downtown and access to outdoor activities.
Geography and climate
Olympia is located at 47°2′33"N 122°53′35"W (47.042418, -122.893077).According to the United States 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 city has a total area of 18.5 square miles (47.9 km²), of which, 16.7 square miles (43.3 km²) of it is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it (9.77%) is water.
The city of Olympia is located at the southern end of 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...
on Budd Inlet
Budd Inlet
Budd Inlet is the southernmost arm of Puget Sound. The city of Olympia, Washington is located at the southern end of Budd Inlet. A deepwater shipping channel has been dredged providing deep water access to the Port of Olympia which is from Tacoma and from Seattle.Budd Inlet was named by Charles...
. The Deschutes River
Deschutes River (Washington)
The Deschutes River is a -long river in Washington, United States. Its source is in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Lewis County, and it empties into Budd Inlet of Puget Sound at Olympia in Thurston County...
estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
was dammed in 1951 to create Capitol Lake
Capitol Lake
Capitol Lake is a 3 kilometer long, artificial lake at the mouth of Deschutes River in Tumwater/Olympia, Washington. The Olympia Brewery sits on Capitol Lake in Tumwater, just downstream from where the Tumwater Falls meet the lake...
. Much of the lower area of downtown Olympia sits on reclaimed land. The cities of Lacey
Lacey, Washington
Lacey is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Established as a suburb of Olympia, its population was 42,393 at the 2010 census out of a county population of 252,264.-History:...
and Tumwater
Tumwater, Washington
Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It lies near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound. The population was 17,371 at the 2010 census...
border Olympia.
The climate of Olympia is a Marine West Coast
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
climate (Koppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Csb), though sometimes characterized as Mediterranean
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
. Most of western Washington's weather is brought in by weather systems that form near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. It contains cold moist air, which brings western Washington cold rain, cloudiness, and fog. November and December are Olympia's rainiest months. City streets, creeks, and rivers often flood during the months of November through February. Olympia averages 50.8 inches (1,290.3 mm) of precipitation per year and has a year-round average of 75% cloud cover. According to one MSNBC study, Olympia had more rainy days per year on average over the past 30 years than any city in the lower 48 states.
Snow for the 1971-2000 period averaged 14.7 inches (37.3 cm), but the median was much lower, at 4.3 inches (10.9 cm).
Parks
Olympia has a wide array of public parks and nature conservation areas. The Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area is a 600 acres (2.4 km²) parcel that preserves more than 5 miles (8 km) of Puget Sound waterfront along the Woodard and Chapman bays of the Henderson Inlet. Percival Landing ParkPercival Landing Park
- History :Named after a former commercial steamship wharf, the park is a well-known maritime landmark in the Pacific Northwest. Built by Sam Percival in 1860, the wharf operated for several decades, and was torn down and replaced several times during that period....
includes 0.9 miles (1.4 km) of boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
along Budd Inlet, as well as a playground, picnic areas and a large open space. Percival Landing closed in 2010 for an extensive remodel after saltwater degradation and opened again to the public in the summer of 2011. The Watershed Park
Watershed Park
The Watershed Park is a public park located in Olympia, Washington. The site of the city's first water works, recently the park has been infested with gypsy moths.- History :...
is the site of the former water works for the city, and today features a loop trail with a large second-growth forest. Other parks include Priest Point Park
Priest Point Park
Priest Point Park is a public park located in Olympia, Washington. Established in 1905, it was the city's first waterfront park, providing access to the Budd Inlet of Puget Sound.- History :...
, Burfoot Park, Sunrise Park
Sunrise Park
Sunrise Park is a popular urban park in East Vancouver. It is located south of 1st Ave E and north of East Broadway, between Windermere Street and Rupert Street.Sunrise Park has a community centre, a baseball field and a children's playground....
and Yauger Park, which is home to one of Olympia's public skate parks including Friendly Grove which is nestled in a small Eastside Community, and Trillium Park, which was created by the efforts of adjoining neighborhood associations with the easement of private property. The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service on the Nisqually River Delta near Puget Sound in northeastern Thurston County, Washington and northwestern Pierce County, Washington...
is located just outside of Olympia, as is the Capitol State Forest
Capitol State Forest
The Capitol State Forest is a state forest in Thurston and Grays Harbor counties of the U.S. state of Washington. It includes part of the unusual Mima Mounds geologic feature.The Capitol State Forest is managed by Washington Department of Natural Resources...
.
Artesian water
Olympia was historically dependent on artesian waters. Early settlers in Swantown and Tumwater used artesian springs for their main water supply. The artesian spring at Fourth Avenue and Main Street (now called Capitol Way) was the main community well where settlers gathered to socialize. The artesian well in the Diamond Parking lot at Fourth Avenue and Jefferson Street is active, located in the parking lot 421 4th Street. The City of Olympia is purchasing the lot, in part to maintain the well. Another still flows at the corner of Olympia Avenue and Washington Street in the Bigelow NeighborhoodBigelow Neighborhood
Bigelow Neighborhood, also called the Bigelow Historic District, is a historic district located on the eastside of Olympia, Washington. It is located along Olympia Avenue, between East Bay Drive and Tullis Street.-About:...
. The northeast end of Capitol Lake was the location of an artesian well until the construction of a new park that included changes to the shoreline. McAllister Springs, the main water source for Olympia, is fed by artesian wells, and the former Olympia Brewery
Olympia Brewery
The Olympia Brewery brewhouse is at the base of the Tumwater Falls in Tumwater, Washington. The original buildings, constructed in 1896 and reconstructed in 1906, were once the manufacturing site for Olympia Beer. They have long served as a landmark for local residents and drivers along Interstate...
is supplied by 26 artesian wells.
In downtown Olympia, current efforts to preserve the use of artesian water at the one remaining public well has been the mission of H2Olympia
H2Olympia
H2Olympia stands for the group "H2Olympia: Artesian Well Advocates", a non-profit organization in Olympia, Washington. The name of the group was revised in July, 2009 from "H2Oly: Artesian Well Advocates." The group was formed to advocate for permanent public access to the artesian water system.The...
: Artesian Well Advocates. In 2011, the city of Olympia committed $50,000 towards improvements of an artesian well, located in a parking lot that was recently purchased by the city.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 2000, there were 42,514 people, 18,670 households, and 9,968 families residing in the city. 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 2,544.4 people per square mile (982.3/km²). There were 19,738 housing units at an average density of 1,181.3 per square mile (456.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.3% White, 1.9% African American, 1.3% Native American, 5.8% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race were 4.4% of the population. 15.0% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 11.3% 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...
, 10.0% 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...
, 6.0% Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
and 5.3% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 91.6% 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...
, 2.9% 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...
and 1.7% 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...
as their first language.
There were 18,670 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% 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, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.6% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,846, and the median income for a family was $54,136. Males had a median income of $41,267 versus $31,515 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 city was $22,590. About 6.9% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Schools and universities
Olympia's main public school district is the Olympia School DistrictOlympia School District
Olympia School District is a school district serving approximately 9400 students in the city of Olympia in Thurston County, Washington...
. Olympia School District enrolled 9,231 students in K-12, based on the 2005-06 school year enrollment report. The school district has a total of 18 schools: 11 elementary schools, 4 middle schools and 3 high schools. Its high schools are Olympia High School
Olympia High School (Washington)
"'Olympia High School'" is ranked by the Newsweek article "Our Schools and Their Dilemma" as top 5% of all high schools nationally, due to the significant number of students taking AP Tests, as well as notable music, drama, and sports programs....
(originally known as William Winlock Miller High School), Capital High School
Capital High School (Washington)
Capital High School , commonly referred to as Capital, is a public high school in Olympia, Washington, USA. It is one of two comprehensive high schools in the Olympia School District. Capital is located on Olympia's Westside, and serves the entire northwest corner of Thurston County...
, and Avanti High School.
In the 2007-2008 school year, Olympia began the new Parent Partnership Program, which provides more opportunities to homeschooling families. Olympia's online high school, Olympia Regional Learning Academy (ORLA), is also part of the same program. Private elementary schools include Olympia Waldorf School, Olympia Community School, St. Michael School, Holy Family, and Evergreen Christian. Private middle schools include NOVA Middle School.
In addition to primary & secondary schools, Olympia has a number of institutions of higher learning, including The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College is an accredited public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. It is located in Olympia, Washington, USA. Founded in 1967, Evergreen was formed to be an experimental and non-traditional college...
and South Puget Sound Community College
South Puget Sound Community College
South Puget Sound Community College is a community college located in southwest Olympia, Washington, USA. It is located in a residential area just off the junction between US Route 101 and Interstate 5...
. The Evergreen State College (TESC) offers bachelor's degrees in Liberal Arts and/or Science, and master's degrees in Environmental Studies, Public Administration, Masters of Education, and Masters in Teaching. The South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) offers associate degrees in Arts, Science, Biology, Elementary Education, Pre-Nursing, Applied Science, General Studies, and Business.
Arts
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
experiences are available with companies such as Capital Playhouse, Olympia Family Theater, Theater Artists Olympia (TAO), Olympia Little Theater, and Harlequin Productions at the historic State Theater. The Olympia Symphony Orchestra performs five regular season concerts at the Washington Center and two pop concerts.
Visual art venues include some of the local coffeehouses, such as Batdorf & Bronson, Burial Grounds, and Caffe Vita in downtown. A gallery called Art House Designs presents works of sculpture, painting, and printmaking and hosts a jazz performance space. Murals and public art installations of sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
are prevalent in Olympia, and are especially featured on the State Capitol Campus and along Percival Landing on the urban waterfront. The Washington Center for the Performing Arts also presents visual art exhibitions throughout the season in the spacious lobby areas.
Notable art venues near Olympia include Art In Ecology, housed in Washington Department of Ecology's 322,000 square foot, three story building on the campus of Saint Martin's University. Art In Ecology is a long-established art-in-the-workplace venue that features works by numerous northwest artists. Permanent installations by Alfredo Arreguin, commissioned by the Washington State Arts Commission, are accompanied by changing solo and group exhibitions throughout the year. Just off I-5. Appointments to view the works are needed; tours take about an hour.
South Puget Sound Community College
South Puget Sound Community College
South Puget Sound Community College is a community college located in southwest Olympia, Washington, USA. It is located in a residential area just off the junction between US Route 101 and Interstate 5...
in Tumwater has a gallery in its Minnaert Center with rotating exhibitions. The Evergreen State College, northwest of Olympia, has a professionally curated gallery with rotating shows in the Dan Evans Library building. To the south of Olympia, Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park
Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park
Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park is a free-admission, outdoor art gallery located along the Chehalis Western Trail near Tenino, in Olympia, Washington...
offers an 80-acre sculpture garden
Sculpture garden
A sculpture garden is an outdoor garden dedicated to the presentation of sculpture, usually several permanently sited works in durable materials in landscaped surroundings....
and art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
.
Each year the Olympia Film Society
Olympia Film Society
Olympia Film Society is a nonprofit arts organization in Olympia, Washington that shows independent, international and classic film year-round, offers special live performances, and produces the Olympia Film Festival...
(OFS) produces a film festival and fosters film and video education in Olympia. It also shows independent, classic and international films year-round at the art-deco Capitol Theater. A mostly volunteer-powered organization, OFS supports and presents a variety of culture events, including All Freakin' Night, an all-night horror film screening with a cult following.
On the fourth Saturday in April, in honor of Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
, Olympia is host to one of the region's largest community celebrations - the Procession of the Species
Procession of the Species
The Procession of the Species Celebration is an annual, community arts-based Earth Day celebration in Olympia, Washington. It is the largest annual Earth Day celebration in the Puget Sound area and Cascadia bioregion.-History:...
celebration. Held in conjunction with the city's biannual Arts Walk, the Procession is organized by the community-based non-profit organization, Earthbound Productions. Structured around an annual Community Art Studio that is free and open to the public, organizers provide art, music and dance workshops during the preceding seven weeks leading up to the Procession weekend. In its July 2009 Best of America feature, Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
magazine honored the Procession of the Species with the top spot in its “can’t resist” parades and processions list. Open to all, the Procession of the Species attracts up to 30,000 viewers, while its costumed participants of all ages frequently number nearly 3,000. On the Friday evening before the Procession of Species, a Luminary
Luminary
The luminaries were what traditional astrologers called the two astrological "planets" which were the brightest and most important objects in the heavens, that is, the Sun and the Moon.- Origins :...
Procession is held.
Sports
In 1984, Olympia hosted the U.S. Olympic women's marathon trial. The winner of the event was Joan BenoitJoan Benoit
Joan Benoit Samuelson is an American marathon runner, who won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the year that the women's marathon was introduced. As a result she was the first ever women's Olympic marathon champion. Benoit Samuelson still holds the fastest times for an American...
who would later win a gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the first women's Olympic marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympic games
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Olympia is the home of the Oly Rollers
Oly Rollers
The Oly Rollers are a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Olympia, Washington. The league was founded in February of 2006. The Oly Rollers are a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association .-Teams:...
, the local women's flat track roller derby league whose travel team (the Cosa Nostra Donnas) became the 2009 national champions of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association
Women's Flat Track Derby Association
The Women's Flat Track Derby Association is an association of women's flat track roller derby leagues in the United States. The organization was founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Coalition but was renamed in November 2005. It is registered in Raleigh, North Carolina as a 501 business...
(WFTDA) by winning the national "Declaration of Derby" tournament in Philadelphia, PA on November 15, 2009.
Olympia is also home to some of the Pacific Northwests greatest running talents such as the Guerilla Running Racing Club.
Transportation
Rail
AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Olympia-Lacey at Centennial Station
Centennial Station
Centennial Station is an Amtrak station for the Coast Starlight and Amtrak Cascades passenger trains serving Lacey and Olympia, Washington.Local transit connections are provided by Intercity Transit...
. Amtrak train 11, the southbound Coast Starlight
Coast Starlight
The Coast Starlight is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States. It runs from King Street Station in Seattle, Washington, to Union Station in Los Angeles, California. The train's name was formed as a merging of two of Southern Pacific's train names, the Coast...
, departs Olympia at 11:21am with service to Centralia; Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
; Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
; Emeryville, California
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
(with bus connection to San Francisco); and Los Angeles. Amtrak train 14, the northbound Coast Starlight, departs Olympia at 6:22pm daily with service to Tacoma and Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. Amtrak Cascades
Amtrak Cascades
The Amtrak Cascades is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in partnership with the states of Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and the province of British Columbia in Canada...
trains, operating as far north as Vancouver and as far south as Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, serve Olympia-Lacey several times daily in both directions.
Bus
Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and the surrounding area are primarily served by Intercity TransitIntercity Transit
Intercity Transit is a public transportation service organized as a municipal corporation that services Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, and Yelm, Washington, an area of approximately...
. Routes from other transit services such as Grays Harbor Transit, Mason Transit, and the Tacoma/Lakewood Express with Pierce Transit
Pierce Transit
Pierce Transit, in full the Pierce County Public Transportation Benefit Area Corporation, is the public transit authority of Pierce County, Washington. Based in Lakewood, Washington, it was founded in 1979...
. Intercity Transit maintains a free shuttle route called "Dash". Dash runs from the Capitol Campus to the Farmers Market at the far edge of downtown. In 2009 Intercity Transit won an award for Americas best Public Transportation System in the mid size category by the American Public Transportation Association.
Media
The Weekly VolcanoWeekly Volcano
Weekly Volcano is a weekly entertainment newspaper in the South Puget Sound, based in Tacoma, Washington. The Weekly Volcano reports on film, theater, food, art and music in the South Sound as well as providing comprehensive arts and music calendars...
has covered Olympia entertainment since 2001. The statewide public access channel TVW is based in Olympia.
Notable residents
Legendary U.S. Soccer goalkeeper Kasey KellerKasey Keller
Kasey Keller is a retired American soccer player who last played for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer....
was born in Olympia. He now plays for the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
after having had a long career playing in Europe.
The 90s riot grrrl
Riot grrrl
Riot grrrl was an underground feminist punk movement based in Washington, DC, Olympia, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and the greater Pacific Northwest which existed in the early to mid-1990s, and it is often associated with third-wave feminism...
feminist punk movement, (including bands like Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill was an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington in October 1990. The group consisted of vocalist and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band is widely considered to be the pioneer of the riot grrrl movement,...
and Bratmobile
Bratmobile
Bratmobile was an American punk band. Bratmobile was a first-generation "riot grrrl" band, which grew from the Pacific Northwest and Washington, DC underground...
), is from Olympia.
The band Sleater-Kinney
Sleater-Kinney
Sleater-Kinney was an alternative rock band from Portland, Oregon that formed in 1994. Originally formed in Olympia, Washington, the group's name is derived from Sleater-Kinney Road, Interstate 5 off ramp #108 in Lacey, Washington, the location of one of their early practice spaces. They were a...
, which has its origins in the riot grrrl scene is from Olympia and took its name from Sleater Kinney Road, which briefly passes through the eastern part of the city. Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
wrote most of Nirvana's Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
album while living in Olympia.
Kimya Dawson
Kimya Dawson
Kimya Dawson is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a solo performer and as one half of The Moldy Peaches. In Swahili, "Kimya" means "silence" or "silent".-Career:...
is also a resident of Olympia.
Novelist Caitlin Kittredge
Caitlin Kittredge
Caitlin Kittredge is an American novelist of dark fantasy and urban fantasy noir living in Olympia, Washington. She is known for her Nocturne City series of adult novels, and for The Iron Codex, a series of young-adult books....
resides in Olympia.
The Fleetwoods were a very popular group in the 50's and all three of them were from Olympia.
Gary Troxel & Gretchen Christopher went to Olympia High and Barbara Ellis went to North Thurston High. Their very famous Mr. Blue
Mr. Blue
"Mr. Blue" is a popular song written by and first recorded by DeWayne Blackwell in 1959. It became a hit for The Fleetwoods, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1959 and giving the group its second chart-topping hit of the year.-Cover versions:...
was on the charts for a goodly time.
Black metal band Wolves In The Throne Room is based in Olympia.
Adam Conley, the 2011 second round pick of the MLB's Florida Marlins was born and raised in Olympia
Youtube make-up artist guru and singer/songwriter Dustin Hunter
Dustin Hunter
Dustin Hunter is an American artist, singer-songwriter, make-up artist and internet personality.- Early life :Dustin Hunter was born in the Pacific Northwest city of Olympia, Washington...
was born and still resides in Olympia.
USA Rugby player Scott LaValla was born and raised in Olympia and graduated from North Thurston High School. He now plays for Stade Français in Paris, France.
Sister cities
Olympia has one sister city – KatōKato, Hyogo
is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on March 20, 2006 from the merger of the former towns of Takino, Tōjō and Yashiro, all from Katō District....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. There were previous agreements with Olympia, Greece
Olympia, Greece
Olympia , a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, comparable in importance to the Pythian Games held in Delphi. Both games were held every Olympiad , the Olympic Games dating back possibly further than 776 BC...
and Samarkand
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
but these are no longer in effect.
Fictional references
Master pulp fiction writer Raymond ChandlerRaymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
once sent his pre-Philip Marlowe
Philip Marlowe
Philip Marlowe is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler in a series of novels including The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye. Marlowe first appeared under that name in The Big Sleep published in 1939...
sleuth Carmady to Olympia, in the short story "Goldfish", which is set in 1936. A Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
-era town with government buildings is sketchily described. The yarn ends violently on the extreme tip of the Olympic Peninsula, in a smugglers' nest in Westport.
Influences to music
The Olympia independent record label K RecordsK Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and presently in the bands Dub Narcotic Sound System and The Hive Dwellers...
is legendary in indie music circles. Olympia was the heart of the '90s punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
riot grrrl
Riot grrrl
Riot grrrl was an underground feminist punk movement based in Washington, DC, Olympia, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and the greater Pacific Northwest which existed in the early to mid-1990s, and it is often associated with third-wave feminism...
movement, and to the band Sleater-Kinney
Sleater-Kinney
Sleater-Kinney was an alternative rock band from Portland, Oregon that formed in 1994. Originally formed in Olympia, Washington, the group's name is derived from Sleater-Kinney Road, Interstate 5 off ramp #108 in Lacey, Washington, the location of one of their early practice spaces. They were a...
which hailed from that scene.
The band Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
wrote and recorded a song called "Olympia" (aka "Rock Star") on their album Live Through This
Live Through This
Live Through This is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. It was released by Geffen Records on April 12, 1994, just four days after frontwoman Courtney Love's husband, Kurt Cobain, was found dead in their home....
(1994).
Olympia was also the heart of the '90s queercore scene, with bands such as the Mukilteo Fairies and Team Dresch
Team Dresch
Team Dresch is an American punk band from Portland, Oregon, originally formed in Olympia, Washington, which was initially active from 1993 until 1998. The band made a significant impression on the do-it-yourself movement queercore, which gave voice through zines and music to the passions and...
calling it home.
The band Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
wrote and recorded a song called "Olympia, WA" on their album ...And Out Come the Wolves
...And Out Come the Wolves
…And Out Come the Wolves is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on August 22, 1995 through Epitaph Records. Rancid's popularity and catchy songs made them the subject of a major label bidding war that ended with the band staying on Epitaph...
(1995); this song was later covered by the bands NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
(2003) and Rentokill (2004).
Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
lived in Olympia; Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
wrote most of the songs released on Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
while living in an apartment on Pear Street in Olympia.
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
recorded their first full-length album This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About
This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About
-Vinyl edition bonus tracks:-Modest Mouse:*Isaac Brock - guitar and vocals *Jeremiah Green - drums *Eric Judy - bass -Additional Musicians:...
in Olympia.
Bert Wilson, legendary multi-reedist lives and plays in Olympia. He has taught Jeff Coffin
Jeff Coffin
Jeff Coffin is an American jazz and alternative rock musician best known as the saxophonist for Dave Matthews Band and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. In addition to the saxophone, he plays clarinet, flute and oboe.-Biography:...
of the Dave Matthews Band, and Lenny Pickett of Tower of Power
Tower of Power
Tower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing for over 43 years. They are best known for their funky soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section...
among others.
See also
- Bigelow House
- Bigelow NeighborhoodBigelow NeighborhoodBigelow Neighborhood, also called the Bigelow Historic District, is a historic district located on the eastside of Olympia, Washington. It is located along Olympia Avenue, between East Bay Drive and Tullis Street.-About:...
- Capital City PrideCapital City PrideCapital City Pride in Olympia, Washington is a non-profit organization that hosts a season of events culminating with the two-day Capital City Pride festival, and a parade. The festival celebrates the region's LGBT community. The Pride festival is held at Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia...
- Community Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) Festival - Capital High School (Washington)Capital High School (Washington)Capital High School , commonly referred to as Capital, is a public high school in Olympia, Washington, USA. It is one of two comprehensive high schools in the Olympia School District. Capital is located on Olympia's Westside, and serves the entire northwest corner of Thurston County...
- CascadiaCascadiaCascadia, a term that derives from the Cascade Range, may refer to:* the Pacific Northwest* Cascadia, a former plant genus now included in Saxifraga* 1700 Cascadia earthquake...
- CommonAction - Nonprofit organization located in Olympia
- Capitol LakefairLakeFairLakefair is an annual five day fair that has existed in Olympia, Washington, United States for over fifty years.Lakefair has many events including a midway of rides and games on the shore of Capitol Lake, As well as food vendors and local booths representing many groups, organizations and companies...
- Annual festival in Olympia - Music of WashingtonMusic of WashingtonThe U.S. state of Washington includes several major hotbeds of musical innovation. The largest city in the state, Seattle, is best known for being the birthplace of grunge during the mid-1980s, while nearby Tacoma and Olympia have also proven influential....
- Olympia AirportOlympia AirportOlympia Regional Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles south of the central business district of Olympia, a city in Thurston County and the capital of the U.S. state of Washington. Formerly known as Olympia Airport, it is owned by the Port of Olympia...
- Located in Tumwater - Olympia High School (Washington)Olympia High School (Washington)"'Olympia High School'" is ranked by the Newsweek article "Our Schools and Their Dilemma" as top 5% of all high schools nationally, due to the significant number of students taking AP Tests, as well as notable music, drama, and sports programs....
- Olympia music sceneOlympia music sceneThe city of Olympia, Washington has been a center of post-hardcore, anti-folk, and other youth-oriented musical genres since at least the late 1970s. Along with Washington D.C., Olympia was a center for the riot grrrl movement in the early 1990s...
- Port Militarization ResistancePort Militarization ResistancePort Militarization Resistance is an anti-war organization in the United States. The organization began in May 2006, in Olympia, Washington, but also has chapters in Tacoma, Washington, Grays Harbor, Washington, and the Mid-Atlantic region. Port Militarization Resistance is also the name of the...
- Procession of the SpeciesProcession of the SpeciesThe Procession of the Species Celebration is an annual, community arts-based Earth Day celebration in Olympia, Washington. It is the largest annual Earth Day celebration in the Puget Sound area and Cascadia bioregion.-History:...
- The Evergreen State CollegeThe Evergreen State CollegeThe Evergreen State College is an accredited public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. It is located in Olympia, Washington, USA. Founded in 1967, Evergreen was formed to be an experimental and non-traditional college...
- Higher education institution in Olympia