Redmond, Washington
Encyclopedia
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington
, United States
, located 16 miles (25.7 km) east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,
up from 45,256 in 2000.
Redmond is best known as the home of Microsoft
(for which Redmond has become a metonym) and Nintendo of America.
With an annual bike race on city streets and the state's only velodrome
, Redmond is also known as "the bicycle capital of the Northwest". However, its main form of transportation is the automobile (2000 Census). The city is predominantly suburban in character.
Redmond has a historic downtown with many individually owned businesses, adjacent to the modern downtown Redmond.
Due to its large population of highly paid technology workers, especially those of Microsoft
, Redmond is an affluent community. Based on per capita income
, Redmond ranks 20th of the 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
had settled in the Redmond area 400 years ago, and the first European settlers arrived in the 1870s. Luke McRedmond filed a Homestead Act
claim for land next to the Sammamish Slough on September 9, 1870, and the following year Warren Perrigo took up land adjacent to him. The rivers and streams had so many salmon that the settlement was initially named Salmonberg. More settlers came, and with the establishment of the first post office in 1881, the name of the community was changed to Melrose. The new name was taken from the Perrigos' successful inn, Melrose House, which upset McRedmond. After becoming postmaster, he successfully petitioned to have the name changed to Redmond in 1883.
The abundant forests and fish of Redmond provided jobs for loggers and fishermen and with those jobs came demand for goods and services, bringing in merchants. The logging
industry expanded significantly in 1889 when Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Railway built a station in the center of town. The first plat
for Redmond was filed on May 11, 1891, encompassing much of the area now known as downtown. After reaching the necessary population of 300, Redmond was incorporated on December 31, 1912.
Redmond faced an economic downturn in the 1920s. Prohibition
forced saloons to close, cutting off a large portion of the city's tax base. The forests were dwindling after heavy logging, causing lumber mills
to shut down. Fortunately, the deforested land was suitable for farming. Agriculture became Redmond's primary business, keeping residents fed during the Great Depression
. When the U.S. entered World War II
, shipyard
jobs and other wartime work came to Redmond.
After the war, Redmond's growth began in earnest. The city grew over thirty times larger in area through annexation
s between 1951 and 1967. The completion of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge
across Lake Washington
in 1963 allowed Redmond to flourish as a suburb of Seattle. In 1978, the U.S. Census Bureau proclaimed Redmond the fastest growing city in the state. Many technology companies made the city their home, and the increasing population demanded more retail shops. Redmond underwent a commercial boom during the 1990s, culminating in 1997 with the opening of Redmond Town Center
, a major regional shopping center on the site of a long-defunct golf course. In recent years the city has been experiencing growing pains as a result of its strong growth, mostly in the areas of urban sprawl and traffic congestion. During rush hour it can take upwards of 2 hours to travel from the beginning of SR-520 at Avondale Road to Downtown Seattle
, a mere 18 miles (29 km) away. These problems are being mitigated by the expansion of SR-520 and the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge
, as well as the planned light rail service via East Link
from Seattle to Redmond during the second phase of Sound Transit
.
to the west, Bellevue
to the southwest, and Sammamish
to the southeast. Unincorporated King County lies to the north and east. The city's downtown lies just north of Lake Sammamish
; residential areas lie north and west of the lake. The Sammamish River
runs north from the lake along the west edge of the city's downtown.
Redmond is located at 47.669414°N 122.123875°W.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 16.6 square miles (43 km²), of which, 15.9 square miles (41.2 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (4.05%) is water.
The highest recorded temperature was 96°F in 1994.
On average, the coolest month is January.
The lowest recorded temperature was 10°F in 1990.
The maximum average precipitation occurs in December.
form of government, with the mayor and seven council members elected at large for staggered four-year terms. The last mayor, Rosemarie Ives
, had been in office since 1992. The city council and Mayor Ives clashed over the years and, though the parties involved deny any connection, the city council authorized a ballot measure in March 2003 that would have changed Redmond to a council-manager government
. However, it was rejected by the electorate, receiving less than 30% of the vote.
All election results are from King County Election web site
, which also encompasses Kirkland
and parts of Sammamish
and Woodinville. The public schools in Redmond include ten elementary schools (Alcott, Audubon, Dickinson, Einstein, Mann, Redmond, Rockwell, Rosa Parks, and Rush), three junior high schools (Redmond Jr High, Evergreen Jr. High, Rose Hill Jr. High), and Redmond High School. Three private school
s offer secondary education: The Overlake School
(secular), The Bear Creek School
(Christian – primary and secondary), and the Conservatory High School (for performing arts
students).
The English Hill neighborhood in North Redmond (unincorporated King County) is served by the Northshore School District
and Sunrise Elementary. The far east side of Redmond is known as Redmond Ridge. Redmond Ridge and Redmond Ridge East communities are part of the Lake Washington school district. East of 248th to West Snoqualmie Valley Road is served by the Riverview School District.
DigiPen Institute of Technology
(the top college for students in the field of video game development and production animation) and the secondary campus of Lake Washington Technical College
are also located in Redmond.
The city is home to Redmond Regional Library, the second-largest library in the King County Library System
.
A number of companies in the high-tech
industry are based in Redmond. The largest employer in the city by far is Microsoft Corporation
, which moved its headquarters to Redmond in 1986. Currently Microsoft has over 93,000 full-time workers and more than 8 million square feet (750,000 square meters) of office space in the Seattle area Eastside region
, primarily in Redmond, with additional offices in Bellevue and Issaquah. Further signs of growth include:
This is very optimistic news for Redmond and the Eastside
, which will gain many new residents as a direct result. This also shows that while the general technology industry slows, Redmond's economy, alongside that of Puget Sound
, continues to expand rapidly.
Other companies with headquarters in Redmond include Nintendo of America, Concur Technologies
, Visible.net, Wild Tangent, Solstice
and Data I/O Corporation
.
Unlike Bellevue
and other neighboring cities, the City of Redmond does not have a Business & Occupation tax on income. However, to help offset the costs of road improvements for businesses, a business license fee of $55 per employee was approved in 1996. As of 2007, the fee is $85 per employee.
According to the city's website, Redmond has 23 developed public parks, totaling over a thousand acres (4 km²). Many of these are neighborhood parks with picnic tables and sports fields or courts. The largest park within the city is not owned by the city—it is King County's 560 acres (2.3 km²) Marymoor Park
, one of the most popular in King County. It features a climbing
rock, a model airplane
flying field, a large off-leash dog park
, an outdoor theater, various sports fields such as baseball and soccer, a playground, tennis courts, and a velodrome
.
The city also offers over 17 miles (27 km) of developed trails for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. The Sammamish River Trail
connects to the Puget Power trail (Redmond)
, the Burke-Gilman Trail
(in Bothell
), and the East Lake Sammamish Trail.
60 Acres Park is famous for its soccer in the spring through fall and RC electric airplanes and gliders in the winter time.
In 2004, Redmond North Little League
won the Northwest region and participated in the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, PA. With Redmond North claiming the Northwest, it is the third team from Washington to claim the Northwest since its inception in 2001. Previous Washington champions were Bainbridge Island
(2001), Richland
(2003).
called the Redmond Bicycle Derby in 1939, and since then has become a multi-day event including a bicycle criterium
, parade, and entertainment stages. It also includes a carnival with rides and attractions, located at Redmond Elmentary School.
Performing arts
in Redmond include the Eastside Symphony and the Second Story Repertory theater company. Redmond has an extensive collection of high quality outdoor sculptures throughout its streets and parks, many of which are part of a rotating sculpture exhibition.
The Old Redmond Firehouse is a center for local teens. It has become a hub in the thriving Eastside independent music scene. Local bands perform here with concert style speakers.
The Concerts at Marymoor is an annual summer series of concerts held at the amphitheater in Marymoor Park. The venue has been host to artists as diverse as Norah Jones, Peter, Paul & Mary, Rob Thomas and Duran Duran. When visiting the Seattle area, Cirque du Soleil
has set up in Marymoor, as well, since the 2004 tour of Varekai
when a concrete base was built for them to set up on. Since then, tours of Corteo
(2006) and Kooza
(2010) have also played in this spot.
, and 3.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.61% of the population.
There were 19,102 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $66,735, and the median income for a family was $78,430 (these figures had risen to $82,349 and $94,863 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $58,112 versus $37,200 for females. The per capita income for the city was $36,233. About 3.3% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
At the end of 2005, the average home value was $474,000 while at the end of 2009 this had dropped to $424,000 a drop of 11%
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state 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....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located 16 miles (25.7 km) east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,
up from 45,256 in 2000.
Redmond is best known as the home of Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
(for which Redmond has become a metonym) and Nintendo of America.
With an annual bike race on city streets and the state's only velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
, Redmond is also known as "the bicycle capital of the Northwest". However, its main form of transportation is the automobile (2000 Census). The city is predominantly suburban in character.
Redmond has a historic downtown with many individually owned businesses, adjacent to the modern downtown Redmond.
Due to its large population of highly paid technology workers, especially those of Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Redmond is an affluent community. Based on per capita income
Washington locations by per capita income
Washington is the twelfth richest state in the United States of America, with a per capita income of $22,973 and a personal per capita income of $33,332 .-Washington counties ranked by per capita income:...
, Redmond ranks 20th of the 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
History
Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
had settled in the Redmond area 400 years ago, and the first European settlers arrived in the 1870s. Luke McRedmond filed a Homestead Act
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
claim for land next to the Sammamish Slough on September 9, 1870, and the following year Warren Perrigo took up land adjacent to him. The rivers and streams had so many salmon that the settlement was initially named Salmonberg. More settlers came, and with the establishment of the first post office in 1881, the name of the community was changed to Melrose. The new name was taken from the Perrigos' successful inn, Melrose House, which upset McRedmond. After becoming postmaster, he successfully petitioned to have the name changed to Redmond in 1883.
The abundant forests and fish of Redmond provided jobs for loggers and fishermen and with those jobs came demand for goods and services, bringing in merchants. The logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
industry expanded significantly in 1889 when Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Railway built a station in the center of town. The first plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
for Redmond was filed on May 11, 1891, encompassing much of the area now known as downtown. After reaching the necessary population of 300, Redmond was incorporated on December 31, 1912.
Redmond faced an economic downturn in the 1920s. Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
forced saloons to close, cutting off a large portion of the city's tax base. The forests were dwindling after heavy logging, causing lumber mills
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
to shut down. Fortunately, the deforested land was suitable for farming. Agriculture became Redmond's primary business, keeping residents fed during the 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...
. When the U.S. entered World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
jobs and other wartime work came to Redmond.
After the war, Redmond's growth began in earnest. The city grew over thirty times larger in area through annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
s between 1951 and 1967. The completion of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge
Evergreen Point Floating Bridge
The Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge—Evergreen Point is the longest floating bridge on Earth at and carries State Route 520 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Medina.The Evergreen Point of the bridge's original name is the westernmost of the three small Eastside...
across 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...
in 1963 allowed Redmond to flourish as a suburb of Seattle. In 1978, the U.S. Census Bureau proclaimed Redmond the fastest growing city in the state. Many technology companies made the city their home, and the increasing population demanded more retail shops. Redmond underwent a commercial boom during the 1990s, culminating in 1997 with the opening of Redmond Town Center
Redmond Town Center
Redmond Town Center is a mixed-use development located in downtown Redmond, Washington. Owned by Macerich, Redmond Town Center has more than 110 shops, restaurants, lodging, and entertainment venues in an outdoor environment...
, a major regional shopping center on the site of a long-defunct golf course. In recent years the city has been experiencing growing pains as a result of its strong growth, mostly in the areas of urban sprawl and traffic congestion. During rush hour it can take upwards of 2 hours to travel from the beginning of SR-520 at Avondale Road to Downtown Seattle
Downtown Seattle
Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared to other city centers on the West Coast because of its geographical situation: hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by the Elliott Bay, and on the south by reclaimed land that was once...
, a mere 18 miles (29 km) away. These problems are being mitigated by the expansion of SR-520 and the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge
Evergreen Point Floating Bridge
The Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge—Evergreen Point is the longest floating bridge on Earth at and carries State Route 520 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Medina.The Evergreen Point of the bridge's original name is the westernmost of the three small Eastside...
, as well as the planned light rail service via East Link
East Link
East Link is a planned eastern extension of the Sound Transit Link Light Rail system, spanning about 22 miles from Downtown Seattle to the city of Redmond...
from Seattle to Redmond during the second phase of Sound Transit
Sound Transit
Sound Transit has been the popular name of Washington state's Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority since September 19, 1999. It was formed in 1996 by the Snohomish, King, and Pierce County Councils...
.
Geography
Redmond is bordered by KirklandKirkland, 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...
to the west, 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...
to the southwest, and 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....
to the southeast. Unincorporated King County lies to the north and east. The city's downtown lies just north of 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...
; residential areas lie north and west of the lake. The Sammamish River
Sammamish River
The Sammamish River flows through north King County, Washington for about , draining Lake Sammamish into Lake Washington...
runs north from the lake along the west edge of the city's downtown.
Redmond is located at 47.669414°N 122.123875°W.
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 16.6 square miles (43 km²), of which, 15.9 square miles (41.2 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (4.05%) is water.
Climate
The average warmest month is August.The highest recorded temperature was 96°F in 1994.
On average, the coolest month is January.
The lowest recorded temperature was 10°F in 1990.
The maximum average precipitation occurs in December.
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean Avg | Precip | Record High | Record Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 35°F | 41°F | 4.49 in. | 64°F (2005) | 18°F (1996) |
| Feb | 50°F | 36°F | 43°F | 3.67 in. | 66°F (1992) | 19°F (2006) |
| Mar | 54°F | 38°F | 46°F | 3.84 in. | 78°F (2004) | 28°F (2006) |
| Apr | 58°F | 42°F | 50°F | 2.84 in. | 83°F (1987) | 32°F (1991) |
| May | 65°F | 47°F | 56°F | 2.10 in. | 89°F (2005) | 35°F (2002) |
| Jun | 69°F | 52°F | 61°F | 1.68 in. | 92°F (2002) | 42°F (1991) |
| Jul | 75°F | 55°F | 65°F | 0.97 in. | 104°F (2009) | 48°F (2002) |
| Aug | 76°F | 57°F | 66°F | 0.97 in. | 93°F (1990) | 47°F (2000) |
| Sep | 71°F | 52°F | 62°F | 1.71 in. | 93°F (1988) | 42°F (2000) |
| Oct | 60°F | 46°F | 53°F | 3.32 in. | 87°F (1987) | 29°F (1991) |
| Nov | 52°F | 40°F | 46°F | 4.92 in. | 66°F (1997) | 20°F (2006) |
| Dec | 46°F | 35°F | 41°F | 5.45 in. | 62°F (1993) | 10°F (1990) |
Surrounding cities
Government and politics
Redmond has a non-partisan mayor-councilMayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
form of government, with the mayor and seven council members elected at large for staggered four-year terms. The last mayor, Rosemarie Ives
Rosemarie Ives
Rosemarie Ives is the former mayor of Redmond, Washington.Ives was born Rosemarie Moccia to Italian immigrants to the United States. She is married to Jonathan Ives and has a son named Gregory. She earned a History degree and was a social studies teacher before moving to Redmond in 1980...
, had been in office since 1992. The city council and Mayor Ives clashed over the years and, though the parties involved deny any connection, the city council authorized a ballot measure in March 2003 that would have changed Redmond to a council-manager government
Council-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
. However, it was rejected by the electorate, receiving less than 30% of the vote.
Current mayor
John Marchione is Redmond's 10th mayor. He started his first term as mayor on January 1, 2008 after previously serving on Redmond's city council for a full 4-year term.Current City Council members
Council members are elected to four-year terms in odd years, with seats 1, 3, 5, and 7 standing last in 2007 and next in 2011, and seats 2, 4, and 6 standing in 2009 and next in 2013. All council seats are at large, but officeholders hold a numbered seat and each numbered seat is elected independently. Election candidates must declare for a particular position.- Hank Myers (first full term – served temporarily in 2007 in the open seat filled by Dayle "Hank" Margeson's election) of the Viewpoint neighborhood.
- John P. "Pat" Vaché (third non-consecutive term, Vice President of the Council) of Education Hill.
- Dayle "Hank" Margeson (first full term – served out the end of John Resha's term) of Education Hill.
- Kimberly Allen (second term) of Downtown Redmond.
- Richard Cole (sixth consecutive term, President of the Council) of Downtown Redmond.
- John Stilin (first term) of Education Hill and Viewpoint.
- David Carson (first term) of the Overlake neighborhood.
Current Planning Commission members
Redmond Planning Commission- Vibhas Chandorkar of Viewpoint
- Franz Wiechers-Gregory of Viewpoint
- Tom Hinman of Overlake
- Charlie McCarthy (Chair) of Viewpoint
- Scott Biethan of Education Hill
- Robert O'Hara of Viewpoint
- Passion Julinsey of Viewpoint
- Thom Youngblood of Education Hill
- Phil Miller of Education Hill
2007 election
- The 2007 Redmond mayoral election was held on November 6, 2007 when Redmond, Washington, United States elected John Marchione as the mayor of Redmond starting in January 2008. The incumbent mayor, Rosemarie Ives opted not to run for re-election after four terms. The two candidates, John Marchione and Jim Robinson advanced to general election. John Marchione defeated Jim Robinson 5769 (58%) to 4165 (42%) in the general election.
- Council seats
- Celine McKeon – position one (withdrawn)
- Hank Myers – position one – 98.34%
- Brian Conlin – position three – 33.05%
- Dayle "Hank" Margeson – position three – 66.71%
- Michallea Schuelke – position five – 32.79%
- Richard Cole (incumbent) – position five – 66.93%
- Brian Seitz – position seven – 48.60%
- David Carson – position seven – 51.22%
All election results are from King County Election web site
2009 election
On March 12, 2009, Nancy McCormick (Position 6) announced that she would not seek re-election after 24 years in office. Results of the November 3, 2009 election are:- Position 2
- John P. "Pat" Vaché (incumbent), 98.4%
- Position 4
- Kimberly Allen, 60.8%
- Sally J. Chen, 38.9%
- Position 6
- John Stilin, 98.5%
Education
Redmond is part of the Lake Washington School DistrictLake 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...
, which also encompasses 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...
and parts of 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....
and Woodinville. The public schools in Redmond include ten elementary schools (Alcott, Audubon, Dickinson, Einstein, Mann, Redmond, Rockwell, Rosa Parks, and Rush), three junior high schools (Redmond Jr High, Evergreen Jr. High, Rose Hill Jr. High), and Redmond High School. Three private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s offer secondary education: The Overlake School
The Overlake School
The Overlake School is a private, non-sectarian, co-ed, college preparatory school located in Redmond, Washington. It serves 500 students in grades 5 through 12. The school was founded in 1967 by Charlie Clarke. It was recently featured in the Seattle Times for its work in Cambodia.- Academics...
(secular), The Bear Creek School
The Bear Creek School
The Bear Creek School is a preschool through grade twelve private school in Redmond, Washington. Educating around 750 students, the school is a Christian religious school. Established in 1988, it lies within the Lake Washington School District...
(Christian – primary and secondary), and the Conservatory High School (for performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
students).
The English Hill neighborhood in North Redmond (unincorporated King County) is served by the 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....
and Sunrise Elementary. The far east side of Redmond is known as Redmond Ridge. Redmond Ridge and Redmond Ridge East communities are part of the Lake Washington school district. East of 248th to West Snoqualmie Valley Road is served by the Riverview School District.
DigiPen Institute of Technology
DigiPen Institute of Technology
DigiPen Institute of Technology is a college located in Redmond, Washington which has a focus on computer science, computer engineering, and art with emphasis in creating video games.- History :...
(the top college for students in the field of video game development and production animation) and the secondary campus of Lake Washington Technical College
Lake Washington Technical College
Lake Washington Institute of Technology , formerly Lake Washington Technical College, located in Kirkland, Washington near the Totem Lake neighborhood, is a workforce college offering professional and technical training for today’s ever-changing job market...
are also located in Redmond.
The city is home to Redmond Regional Library, the second-largest library in the King County Library System
King County Library System
The King County Library System is a library system serving the residents of King County, Washington, United States. Headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, KCLS is currently the busiest library in the United States, circulating 22.4 million items in 2010. It consists of 48 libraries, a Traveling...
.
Economy
High tech
High tech is technology that is at the cutting edge: the most advanced technology currently available. It is often used in reference to micro-electronics, rather than other technologies. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech or high-technology...
industry are based in Redmond. The largest employer in the city by far is Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, which moved its headquarters to Redmond in 1986. Currently Microsoft has over 93,000 full-time workers and more than 8 million square feet (750,000 square meters) of office space in the Seattle area Eastside region
Eastside (King County, Washington)
File:Seattle-lakewashington-lakesammamish.PNG|250px|right|The Eastside is to the right of Seattle.# rough city boundariespoly 137 256 148 256 158 194 172 179 172 237 212 266 133 266Renton...
, primarily in Redmond, with additional offices in Bellevue and Issaquah. Further signs of growth include:
- In January 2006, Microsoft announced the purchase of Safeco's Redmond campus. (Formerly one of Redmond's major employers, Safeco began consolidating its offices in Seattle's University DistrictUniversity District, Seattle, WashingtonThe University District is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, so named because the main campus of the University of Washington is located there. The UW moved in two years after the area was annexed to Seattle, while much of the area was still clear cut forest or stump farmland...
in 2005.) - In February 2006, Microsoft announced that it intends to expand its Microsoft Redmond campus by another 1100000 square feet (102,193.3 m²) at a cost of $1 billion and has said that this will create space for between 7,000 and 15,000 new employees over the next three years.
This is very optimistic news for Redmond and the Eastside
Eastside (King County, Washington)
File:Seattle-lakewashington-lakesammamish.PNG|250px|right|The Eastside is to the right of Seattle.# rough city boundariespoly 137 256 148 256 158 194 172 179 172 237 212 266 133 266Renton...
, which will gain many new residents as a direct result. This also shows that while the general technology industry slows, Redmond's economy, alongside that 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...
, continues to expand rapidly.
Concur Technologies
Concur Technologies is a provider of software solutions that automate employee spending management. Its headquarters is in Redmond, Washington, U.S.A.-Current status:More than 10,000 clients in over 90 countries use Concur’s solutions...
, Visible.net, Wild Tangent, Solstice
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
and Data I/O Corporation
Data I/O Corporation
Data I/O Corporation is a manufacturer of programming and automated device handling systems for programmable integrated circuits. The company is headquartered in Redmond, Washington with sales and engineering offices worldwide.- History :...
.
Unlike 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 other neighboring cities, the City of Redmond does not have a Business & Occupation tax on income. However, to help offset the costs of road improvements for businesses, a business license fee of $55 per employee was approved in 1996. As of 2007, the fee is $85 per employee.
Parks and recreation
Marymoor Park
Marymoor Park, located on the north end of Lake Sammamish in Redmond, Washington, is King County's largest, oldest, and most popular park, with more than 3 million annual visitors coming to roam its . Among recreational activities available are various sports facilities, rock climbing, a dog park...
, one of the most popular in King County. It features a climbing
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
rock, a model airplane
Model aircraft
Model aircraft are flying or non-flying models of existing or imaginary aircraft using a variety of materials including plastic, diecast metal, polystyrene, balsa wood, foam and fibreglass...
flying field, a large off-leash dog park
Dog park
A dog park is a facility set aside for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners...
, an outdoor theater, various sports fields such as baseball and soccer, a playground, tennis courts, and a velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
.
The city also offers over 17 miles (27 km) of developed trails for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. The Sammamish River Trail
Sammamish River Trail
The Sammamish River Trail is a bike path and recreational rail trail in King County, Washington that runs along the Sammamish River from Blyth Park in Bothell to Marymoor Park in Redmond. It connects to the Burke-Gilman Trail at its western end....
connects to the Puget Power trail (Redmond)
Puget Power trail (Redmond)
The Puget Power Trail is an unpaved equestrian, pedestrian and mountain bike trail in Redmond, Washington. It links the Sammamish River Trail to Farrel-McWhirter Park....
, the Burke-Gilman Trail
Burke-Gilman Trail
The Burke-Gilman Sammamish Trail is a rail trail in King County, Washington. The multi-use recreational trail is part of the King County Regional Trail System and occupies an abandoned Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway corridor....
(in 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...
), and the East Lake Sammamish Trail.
60 Acres Park is famous for its soccer in the spring through fall and RC electric airplanes and gliders in the winter time.
In 2004, Redmond North Little League
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
won the Northwest region and participated in the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, PA. With Redmond North claiming the Northwest, it is the third team from Washington to claim the Northwest since its inception in 2001. Previous Washington champions were Bainbridge Island
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, and the name of the island in Puget Sound on which the city is situated...
(2001), Richland
Richland, Washington
Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...
(2003).
Culture
Redmond Derby Days is an annual community festival held every July. It began as a race around Lake SammamishLake 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...
called the Redmond Bicycle Derby in 1939, and since then has become a multi-day event including a bicycle criterium
Criterium
A criterium, or crit, is a bike race held on a short course , often run on closed-off city center streets....
, parade, and entertainment stages. It also includes a carnival with rides and attractions, located at Redmond Elmentary School.
Performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
in Redmond include the Eastside Symphony and the Second Story Repertory theater company. Redmond has an extensive collection of high quality outdoor sculptures throughout its streets and parks, many of which are part of a rotating sculpture exhibition.
The Old Redmond Firehouse is a center for local teens. It has become a hub in the thriving Eastside independent music scene. Local bands perform here with concert style speakers.
The Concerts at Marymoor is an annual summer series of concerts held at the amphitheater in Marymoor Park. The venue has been host to artists as diverse as Norah Jones, Peter, Paul & Mary, Rob Thomas and Duran Duran. When visiting the Seattle area, Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
has set up in Marymoor, as well, since the 2004 tour of Varekai
Varekai
Varekai is a Cirque du Soleil touring production that premiered in Montréal in April 2002. Its title means "wherever" in the Romani language, and the show is an "acrobatic tribute to the nomadic soul"....
when a concrete base was built for them to set up on. Since then, tours of Corteo
Corteo
Corteo is a Cirque du Soleil touring production that premiered in Montreal, Canada on April 21, 2005. As of May 24, 2005, Cirque du Soleil had broken its record of spectators for the première location in Montreal; more than 200,000 people had viewed the production, far outpacing the prior record...
(2006) and Kooza
Koozå
Koozå is a touring circus production by Cirque du Soleil which premiered in Montréal, Canada, in 2007. The show was written and directed by David Shiner, who had previously worked as a clown in Cirque du Soleil's production of Nouvelle Expérience...
(2010) have also played in this spot.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,256 people, 19,102 households, and 11,346 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,848.8 people per square mile (1,099.7/km²). There were 20,248 housing units at an average density of 1,274.6 per square mile (492.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.26% White, 13.02% Asian, 1.52% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 2.46% from other racesRace (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 3.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.61% of the population.
There were 19,102 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $66,735, and the median income for a family was $78,430 (these figures had risen to $82,349 and $94,863 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $58,112 versus $37,200 for females. The per capita income for the city was $36,233. About 3.3% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Real estate
In 2004 nearly 1,800 properties sold in the City of Redmond, and the following year home values went up nearly 18%.At the end of 2005, the average home value was $474,000 while at the end of 2009 this had dropped to $424,000 a drop of 11%
Notable residents
- Dennis Bounds, television news anchor for KING-TVKING-TVKING-TV, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Seattle, Washington, affiliated with the NBC network. Owned by Belo Corporation, it broadcasts on UHF digital channel 48. Its offices and broadcasting center are located just east of Seattle Center...
. - Carrie BrownsteinCarrie BrownsteinCarrie Rachel Brownstein , is an American musician, writer, and actress, best known as a guitarist and vocalist in the now-defunct Portland, Oregon-based band Sleater-Kinney...
, guitarist and vocalist for Sleater-KinneySleater-KinneySleater-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...
. - Will Chapman, creator of BrickArmsBrickArmsBrickArms is a business specializing in custom designed and produced building-toy compatible products, such as accessories and figures. BrickArms is not affiliated with LEGO and is run by Will Chapman, the owner of the company and designer of its products, from his home in Redmond, WA.- Products...
. - Jeff CirilloJeff CirilloJeffrey Howard Cirillo is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball. In a 14-season career, Cirillo was a .296 hitter with 112 home runs and 727 RBI in 1617 games. He was named an All-Star in and . He is the Brewers all-time career leader in batting average at .306...
, former third baseman for several Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
teams. - Daniel DociuDaniel DociuDaniel Dociu is a video game art director and concept artist. He is the chief art director for NCsoft North America and also works for its subsidiary ArenaNet....
, concept artist and video game art director. - Nick DowningNick DowningNick Downing is a retired American professional soccer player.- Early career :The son of Jim and Linda Downing, Nick played soccer locally for Eastlake High School. As a teenager, Downing had stints training with German clubs Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart...
, retired professional soccer player. - Grant GoodeveGrant GoodeveGrant Goodeve is an American actor and television host. He is best known for playing the role of David, the oldest son, on Eight Is Enough, from 1977 to 1981. He sang the theme song for the show as well...
, actor/singer/show host. Starred in the 1970s hit series "Eight is Enough". - Henry Hill, former mobster, lived in Redmond in the late 1980s.
- Blake LewisBlake LewisBlake Colin Lewis is an American singer-songwriter and beatboxer who was the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. His major label debut album A.D.D. was released on December 4, 2007 through 19 Recordings/Arista Records. On October 30, 2007, his first single "Break Anotha" was released....
, runner-up on the sixth season of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
and music producer/performer. - Shannon O'DonnellShannon O'DonnellShannon Kay O'Donnell is a meteorologist and news anchor.O'Donnell was born in Redmond, Washington and attended Redmond High School where she was valedictorian. After graduation, she attended The University of Washington where she studied meteorology, graduating with a degree in atmospheric sciences...
, former NBC 11/Bay AreaKNTVKNTV, channel 11, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station in the Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS and CNBC's Silicon...
now KOMO 4KOMO-TVKOMO-TV, virtual channel 4, is a television station in Seattle, Washington. It is an affiliate of ABC and broadcasts on digital channel 38. KOMO-TV is the flagship station of Fisher Communications, and its studios and offices are co-located with sister radio stations KOMO , KVI , and KPLZ-FM ...
weather anchor. Later became well known weather anchor for NBC's Early TodayEarly TodayEarly Today is an American morning news programme airing on the NBC television network. The program goes out live at 4:00am Eastern Time Zone for those few stations which start their local news at 4:30am, and is transmitted in a continuous half-hour tape delay loop until 10:00am ET, when Today...
. - Lu Sheng-yenLu Sheng-yenLu Sheng-Yen , commonly referred to by followers as 師尊 is the founder and spiritual leader of the True Buddha School, a new Buddhist sect with teachings taken from Sutrayana and Vajrayana , as well as Taoism...
, founder of the True Buddha SchoolTrue Buddha SchoolThe True Buddha School is a modern Vajrayana Buddhist sect based in Taiwan and parts of East Asia with influence from Sutrayana and Taoism.Founded in the late 1980s, the founder of this sect is Lu Sheng-yen , often referred to by his followers as a tulku, a Tibetan term for a reincarnated teacher...
. - Adora SvitakAdora SvitakAdora Lily Svitak is an American child prodigy and internationally published author, known for her essays, stories, poems, blogs, and full-length books. Adora first became known to the public when, at the age of 6, she was recognized on local news in Seattle for her writing abilities...
, child prodigy, Poet, writer. - Steve WiebeSteve WiebeSteven J. "Steve" Wiebe is a two-time world champion of the video game Donkey Kong, most recently holding the title from the 20th of September, 2010 to the 10th of January, 2011 with a high score of 1,064,500 points. Wiebe was the first person to achieve over a million points in the game, with a...
, two time Donkey KongDonkey Kong (video game)is an arcade game released by Nintendo in 1981. It is an early example of the platform game genre, as the gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles. In the game, Jumpman must rescue a damsel in distress, Lady, from a...
world record holder, and was featured in The King of Kong: A Fistful of QuartersThe King of Kong: A Fistful of QuartersThe King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a 2007 American documentary film that follows Steve Wiebe as he tries to take the world high score for the arcade game Donkey Kong from reigning champion Billy Mitchell...
.
Past residents
- James DoohanJames DoohanJames Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...
, deceased actor, famous for playing Scotty in the television series Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
. - Karan BrarKaran BrarKaran Brar , is an American actor, best known for his role as Chirag Gupta in the Wimpy Kid feature film franchise, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, as well as for his co-starring role as "Ravi Ross" on the Disney Channel comedy series, Jessie.-Early life:Karan Brar was...
, famous for Chirag Gupta in Diary of a Wimpy KidDiary of a Wimpy Kid (film)Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a 2010 American comedy film directed by Thor Freudenthal and based on Jeff Kinney's book of the same name. The film was released on March 19, 2010. It was released on DVD, iTunes, and Blu-ray on August 3, 2010.-Plot:...
, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (film)Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (film)Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a 2011 comedy film based on Jeff Kinney's book of the same name. The film stars Zachary Gordon and Devon Bostick. Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, and Peyton List also have prominent roles...
and Ravi Ross in Jessie (TV series)Jessie (TV series)Jessie is an American television sitcom which premiered on September 30, 2011 on the Disney Channel. The series was created and executive produced by Pamela Eells O'Connell and stars Debby Ryan as Jessie, a small town Texas girl who moves to New York City and becomes a nanny to a high profile...
.
City landmark
The City of Redmond has designated the following landmark:| Landmark | Built | Listed | Address | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wiley House (The Stone House) | 1916 | 2007 | Cleveland Street |  |