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"Seattle" redirects here. For other uses, see Seattle (disambiguation).
Seattle (pronounced /siˈætl ̩/) is a coastal port city and the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located in the state of Washington between an arm of the Pacific Ocean called Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about 96 miles (154 km) south of the Canada – United States border in King County, of which it is the county seat.
The Seattle area has been inhabited for at least 4,000 years,Doree Armstrong. "Feel the beat of history in the park and concert hall at two family-friendly events", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2007-10-04. Retrieved on 2007-11-01. but European settlement began only in the mid-19th century. The first permanent white settlers—Arthur A. Denny and those subsequently known as the Denny party—arrived November 13, 1851. Early settlements in the area were called "New York-Alki" ("Alki" meaning "bye and bye" in the local Chinook Jargon) and "Duwamps". In 1853, Doc Maynard suggested that the main settlement be renamed "Seattle," an anglicized rendition of the name of Sealth, the chief of the two local tribes. As of 2006, the city had an estimated population of 582,174 and an estimated metropolitan area population of approximately 3.2 million. Seattle is the hub and largest city of the Seattle metropolitan area, often called Puget Sound, which also includes Tacoma, Bellevue, and Everett. From 1869 until 1982, Seattle was known as the "Queen City".Greg Lange (1998-11-04). Seattle receives epithet Queen City in 1869. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-26. Seattle\'s current official nickname is the "Emerald City," the result of a contest held in the early 1980s;We\'re not in Washington Anymore. Seattlest (2005-10-27). Retrieved on 2007-09-27. the reference is to the lush evergreen trees in the surrounding area. Seattle is also referred to informally as the "Gateway to Alaska," and "Jet City," the latter from the local influence of Boeing. Seattle residents are known as Seattleites.
Seattle is often regarded as the birthplace of grunge music,Heylin, Clinton (2007). Babylon\'s Burning: From Punk to Grunge. Conongate, 606. ISBN 1-84195-879-4. and has a reputation for heavy coffee consumption;Catharine Reynolds. "The List; Seattle: An Insider\'s Address Book", New York Times, 2002-09-29. Retrieved on 2001-10-21. "…Seattle\'s coffee culture has become America\'s…" coffee companies founded or based in Seattle include Starbucks,Starbucks Company Profile (PDF). Starbucks. Retrieved on 2007-10-21. Seattle\'s Best Coffee,(1) Braiden Rex-Johnson; Tom Douglas (contributor) (2003). Pike Place Market Cookbook. Sasquatch Books, 195. ISBN 1570613192.
(2) Starbucks Corporation Completes Acquisition of Seattle Coffee Company. Starbucks (2003-07-14). Retrieved on 2007-10-21. and Tully\'s.Craig Harris. "Markets prompt Tully\'s to delay IPO", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2007-08-15. Retrieved on 2007-10-21. There are also many successful independent artisanal espresso roasters and cafes. Researchers at Central Connecticut State University ranked Seattle the most literate city of America\'s sixty-nine largest cities in 2005 and 2006 and second most literate in 2007.Sandi Doughton (2007-12-28). Minneapolis ousts Seattle as most literate city. The Seattle Times. Retrieved on 2007-12-28. Moreover, analysis conducted in 2004 by the United States Census Bureau of 2002 survey data indicated that Seattle was the most educated large city in the U.S. with 48.8 percent of residents 25 and older having at least bachelor degrees.Stephen Buckner (2004-03-10). Seattle Residents Among Nation’s Most Educated. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-10-06. Based on per capita income, in 2006 the Seattle metropolitan area ranked 17th out of 363 metropolitan areas in a study by the Census Bureau."Personal income per capita grows", The Seattle Times, 2007-08-08. Retrieved on 2007-10-06.
Seattle was the site of the 1999 meeting of the World Trade Organization, and the attendant demonstrations by anti-globalization activists. The city is also home to the Pride Foundation, which became the most-funded gay rights organisation in the US when former Microsoft co-founder Ric Weiland bequeathed $65 million to the foundation as well as ten other organisations."Seattle man who helped launch Microsoft left $65M for gay rights", The Seattle Times, 2008-02-24. Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
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What is now Seattle has been inhabited since the end of the last ice age. Archaeological excavations at West Point in Discovery Park, Magnolia, confirm that the Seattle area has been inhabited by humans for at least 4,000 years. tohl-AHL-too ("herring house") and later hah-AH-poos ("where there are horse clams") at the mouth of the Duwamish River in what is now the Industrial District has been inhabited since the 6th century BC.Delridge Neighborhood Plan (PDF). City of Seattle (1999-03-01). Retrieved on 2007-11-01. By the time the first European settlers arrived in the area, the Dkhw\'Duw\'Absh and Xachua\'Bsh people (now called the Duwamish Tribe) occupied at least seventeen villages in the areas around Elliott Bay.(1) Greg Lange (2000-10-15). Seattle and King County\'s First White Settlers. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
(2)
"The people and their land". Puget Sound Native Art and Culture. Seattle Art Museum (c. 2003-07-04 per "Native Art of the Northwest Coast: Collection Insight"). Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
(3) Crowley, Walt (2003-03-13). "Native American tribes sign Point Elliott Treaty at Mukilteo on January 22, 1855.". HistoryLink.org Essay 5402. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
The first Europeans to attempt settlement in the area were the Collins Party, who filed legal claim to land at the mouth of the Duwamish River on September 14, 1851.Greg Lange (2003-03-08). Luther Collins Party, first King County settlers, arrive at mouth of Duwamish River on September 14, 1851.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. Thirteen days later, members of the Collins Party were on the way to their claim when they passed the scouts of the group of settlers that would eventually found Seattle, the Denny Party.Greg Lange (2000-12-16). Collins party encounters Denny party scouts at Duwamish Head near future site of Seattle on September 27, 1851.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. The scouts for the Denny Party, Terry Lee, David Denny, and John Low, would lay claim to land on Alki Point on September 28, 1851, with Terry Low returning to Portland, Oregon carrying a message from David Denny telling his brother, Arthur Denny, to "Come at once."Crowley, Walt (1998-08-31). "Seattle – a Snapshot History of Its Founding". HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. Following the instructions of David Denny, the rest of the Denny Party set sail from Portland and landed on Alki during a rainstorm on November 13, 1851. The landing party\'s first sight of their new homestead was the roofless cabin that David had been unable to complete because of a fever.
After spending a winter of frequent rainstorms and high winds on Alki Point, most of the Denny Party moved across Elliott Bay and settled on land where present day Pioneer Square is located and established the village of "Dewamps" or "Duwamps." The only members of the party that did not migrate to the eastern shore of Elliott Bay were Charles Terry and John Low, who remained at the original landing location and established a village they initially called "New York," after Terry\'s hometown, until April 1853 when they renamed it "Alki," a Chinook word meaning, roughly, by and by or someday.James R. Warren. "Seattle at 150: Charles Terry\'s unlimited energy influenced a city", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2001-10-23. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. The villages of New York-Alki and Duwamps would compete for dominance in the area for the next few years, but in time Alki was abandoned and its residents moved across the bay to join the rest of the settlers.Greg Lange (2001-03-28). Charles Terry homesteads site of Alki business district on May 1, 1852.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
David Swinson ("Doc") Maynard, one of the village\'s founders, was the primary advocate for renaming the village to "Seattle" after Chief Sealth (si\'áb Si\'ahl) of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes.(1)
Thomas R. Speer, editor:"Chief Si\'ahl" (DOC). "Chief Si\'ahl". Duwamish Tribe (2004-07-22). Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
Includes bibliography.
(2)
Kenneth G. Watson (2003-01-18). "Seattle, Chief Noah". HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. (3) Morgan (1951, 1982), p.20 Doc Maynard\'s advocacy bore fruit, because when the first plats for village were filed on May 23, 1853, it was for the Town of Seattle. In 1855, nominal legal land settlement were established and the city was incorporated in 1865 and again in 1869, after having existed as an unincorporated town from 1867 to 1869.Greg Lange; Cassandra Tate (1998-11-04). Legislature incorporates the Town of Seattle for the first time on January 14, 1865.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
The Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition had just over 3.7 million visitors during its 138-day runGreg Lange (1999-01-14). Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition\'s final day is on October 16, 1909.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-11-06.
Major events in Seattle\'s history include the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, which destroyed the central business district (but took no lives);Walt Crowley (2003-01-25). Seattle burns down in the Great Fire on June 6, 1889.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. the anti-Chinese riots of 1885–1886;George Kinnear (1911-01-01). Anti-Chinese Riots At Seattle, Wn.. February 8th, 1876. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. Kinnear\'s article originally appeared in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and was later privately published in a small volume. the Klondike gold rush, which made Seattle a major transportation center; the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition of 1909, which is largely responsible for the layout of the University of Washington campus;Greg Lange (2003-05-05). Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition opens for a 138-day run on June 1, 1909.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. the Seattle General Strike of 1919, the first general strike in the country;Patrick McRoberts (1999-02-04). Seattle General Strike, 1919, Part I. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. the 1962 Century 21 Exposition, a World\'s Fair;Alan J. Stein (2000-04-18). Century 21 – The 1962 Seattle World\'s Fair, Part I. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. the 1990 Goodwill Games;David Wilma (2004-02-25). Ted Turner\'s Goodwill Games open in Seattle on July 20, 1990.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. the APEC leaders conference in 1993, and the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, marked by street protests and a series of riots.David Wilma (2000-03-01). Protests against the World Trade Organization (WTO) continue on December 1, 1999.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
Seattle has a history of boom and bust cycles, common in cities of its size. Seattle has several times risen as a company town or through economic specialization, then gone into precipitous decline, but it has typically used those periods to successfully rebuild infrastructure.Emmett Shear (Spring 2002). Seattle: Booms and Busts. Yale University. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. Author has granted blanket permission for material from that paper to be reused in Wikipedia. This article is no longer available. Now available at wikisource:Seattle: Booms and Busts.
The Seattle Central Library, designed by OMA
The first such boom, covering the early years of the city, was fueled by the lumber industry. (During this period the road now known as Yesler Way was nicknamed "Skid Road"Junius Rochester (1998-10-07). Yesler, Henry L.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. after the timber skidding down the hill to Henry Yesler\'s sawmill. The term later entered the wider American vocabulary as Skid Row.) This boom was followed by the construction of an Olmsted-designed park system.
The second and most dramatic boom was the direct result of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896, which ended the national depression that had begun with the Panic of 1893. On July 14, 1897, the S.S. Portland docked with its famed "ton of gold", and Seattle became the main transport and supply point for those heading north.Greg Lange (1999-01-14). Klondike Gold Rush. HistoryLink.org. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. The boom lasted well into the early part of the 20th century and funded many new Seattle companies and products. Finance company Washington Mutual was founded in 1889, in an attempt to save Seattle\'s economy after the Great Seattle fire. In 1907, 19-year-old James E. Casey borrowed $100 from a friend and founded the American Messenger Company (later UPS). Other Seattle companies founded during this period include Nordstrom and Eddie Bauer.Hard Drive to the Klondike: Promoting Seattle During the Gold Rush. National Park Service (2003-02-18). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
Next came the shipbuilding boom in the early part of the 20th century, followed by the unused city development plan of Virgil Bogue. Seattle was the major point of departure during World War II for troops heading to the North Pacific, and Boeing manufactured many of the war\'s bombers.
The local economy dipped after the war, but rose again with the expansion of Boeing, fueled by the growth of the commercial aviation industry.History of Seattle: The "Jet City" Takes Off. Seattle\'s Convention and Visitors Bureau. Archived from the original on 2006-10-02. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. When this particular cycle went into a major downturn in the late 1960s and early 1970s, many left the area to look for work elsewhere, and two local real estate agents put up a billboard reading "Will the last person leaving Seattle – Turn out the lights."Greg Lange (1999-06-08). Billboard appears on April 16, 1971, near Sea–Tac, reading: Will the Last Person Leaving Seattle—Turn Out the Lights.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
The real estate agents were Bob McDonald and Jim Youngren, as cited at Don Duncan, Washington: the First One Hundred Years, 1889–1989 (Seattle: The Seattle Times, 1989), 108, 109–110; The Seattle Times, February 25, 1986, p. A3; Ronald R. Boyce, Seattle–Tacoma and the Southern Sound (Bozeman, Montana: Northwest Panorama Publishing, 1986), 99; Walt Crowley, Rites of Passage: A Memoir of the Sixties in Seattle (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1995), 297.
Seattle remained the corporate headquarters of Boeing until 2001, when the company announced a desire to separate its headquarters from its major production facilities. Following a bidding war among a number of major cities, Boeing moved its corporate headquarters to Chicago.Kristi Heim. "Chicago\'s got the headquarters, but Seattle\'s still Jet City, USA", The Seattle Times, 2006-03-21. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. The Seattle area is still home to Boeing\'s Renton narrow-body plant (where the 707, 720, 727, and 757 were assembled, and the 737 is assembled today) and Everett wide-body plant (assembly plant for the 747, 767, 777 and the upcoming 787 Dreamliner), as well as BECU, formerly the Boeing Employees Credit Union.
Next, technology companies, including Microsoft, Amazon.com, RealNetworks, McCaw Cellular (now part of AT&T Mobility), VoiceStream (now T-Mobile USA), and biomedical corporations such as HeartStream (later purchased by Philips), Heart Technologies (later purchased by Boston Scientific), Physio-Control (later purchased by Medtronic), ZymoGenetics, ICOS (later purchased by Eli Lilly & Co.) and Immunex (later purchased by Amgen), found homes in Seattle and its suburbs. This success brought an influx of new citizens with a population increase within city limits of almost 50,000 between the 1990 and 2000 CensusStrategic Planning Office (2001-04-12). Decennial Population (PDF). City of Seattle. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. and saw Seattle\'s real estate become some of the most expensive in the country.Jane Hodges. "Seattle area "sticker shock" is a matter of perception", The Seattle Times, 2005-08-20. Retrieved on 2007-09-29. Many of these companies remain relatively strong, but the frenzied dot-com boom years ended in early 2001.Lee Gomes. "The Dot-Com Bubble Is Reconsidered – And Maybe Relived", Wall Street Journal, 2006-11-08. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. Gomes considers the bubble to have ended with the peak of the March 2000 peak of NASDAQ.David M. Ewalt. "The Bubble Bowl", Forbes, 2005-01-27. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. Ewalt refers to the advertising on Super Bowl XXXIV (January 2000) as "the dot-com bubble\'s Waterloo".
Downtown Seattle is bounded by Elliott Bay (lower left), lower Broadway (from upper left to lower right), Royal Brougham Way (lower right), and Denny Way (obscured by clouds)
.Seattle is located between an inlet of the Pacific Ocean to the west called Puget Sound and Lake Washington to the east at the mouth of the Duwamish River, which empties into the city\'s chief harbor, Elliott Bay, an inlet of the Sound. West beyond the Sound are the Kitsap Peninsula and Olympic Mountains, on the Olympic Peninsula; east beyond Lake Washington and the eastside suburbs are Lake Sammamish and the Cascade Range. The sea, rivers, forests, lakes, and fields were once rich enough to support one of the world\'s few sedentary hunter-gatherer societies.Chapter Three – Native American Cultures. The First Americans. Four Directions. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.Howard Morphy (1999). "Traditional and modern visual art of hunting and gathering peoples", in Richard B. Lee: The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gatherers. Cambridge University Press, 443. ISBN 052157109X. Opportunities for sailing, skiing, bicycling, camping, and hiking are nearby and accessible almost year-round.
The city itself is hilly, though not uniformly so.Department of Transportation. Highest Elevations in Seattle and The Twenty Steepest Streets in Seattle. City of Seattle. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. Like Rome, the city is said to lie on seven hills; the lists vary, but typically include Capitol Hill, First Hill, West Seattle, Beacon Hill, Queen Anne, Magnolia, and the former Denny Hill. The Wallingford and Mount Baker neighbourhoods are technically located on hills as well. Many of the hilliest areas are near the city center, with Capitol Hill, First Hill, and Beacon Hill collectively constituting something of a ridge along an isthmus between Elliott Bay and Lake Washington. The topography of Downtown has been reshaped by regrading projects, a seawall, and the construction of an artificial island, Harbor Island (completed 1909), at the mouth of the city\'s industrial Duwamish Waterway.
The man-made Lake Washington Ship Canal incorporates four natural bodies of water: Lake Union, Salmon Bay, Portage Bay, and Union Bay, connecting Puget Sound to Lake Washington.
Seattle is in an earthquake zone and has experienced a number of significant quakes, most recently (as of 2007) the magnitude 6.8 Nisqually Earthquake, February 28, 2001, which did significant architectural damage, especially in the Pioneer Square area (built on reclaimed land, as are the Industrial District and part of Downtown), but caused no fatalities.Walt Crowley (2001-03-02). Earthquake registering 6.8 on Richter Scale jolts Seattle and Puget Sound on February 28, 2001. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. Other strong quakes occurred on December 14, 1872 (estimated at 7.3 or 7.4 magnitude),Greg Lange (1999-02-01). Earthquake hits Washington Territory on December 14, 1872. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-05. April 13, 1949 (7.1),Greg Lange (2000-01-01). Earthquake hits Puget Sound area on April 13, 1949. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-05. and April 29, 1965 (6.5).Greg Lange (2000-03-02). Earthquake rattles Western Washington on April 29, 1965. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. The 1949 quake caused eight known deaths, all in Seattle; the 1965 quake caused three deaths in Seattle directly, and one more by heart failure. Although the Seattle Fault passes just south of Downtown, neither itSeattle Fault Zone – implications for earthquake hazards. United States Geological Survey (2007-06-15). Retrieved on 2007-10-04. nor the Cascadia subduction zone has caused an earthquake since the city\'s founding. The Cascadia subduction zone poses the threat of an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 or greater, capable of seriously damaging the city and collapsing many buildings, especially in zones built on fill.Ray Flynn; Kyle Fletcher (2002-07-02). The Cascadia Subduction Zone – What is it? How big are the quakes? How Often?. University of Washington Department of Earth and Space Sciences. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 369.2 km² (142.5 mi²),US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 217.2 km² (83.9 mi²) of which is land and 152.0 km² (58.7 mi²) water. The total area is 41.16% water.
Seattle\'s mild climate is usually classified as Marine west coast (Cfb).World Climates after Köppen-Geiger. Shasta College. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. However, its wet-winter/dry-summer pattern shows some characteristics of a Mediterranean climate (Csb), and it is sometimes classified this way.M. Kottek; J. Grieser, C. Beck, B. Rudolf, and F. Rubel. "World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated". Meteorol. Z. 15: 259–263. doi:10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. Temperature extremes are moderated by adjacent Puget Sound, the greater Pacific Ocean, and Lake Washington. The region is partially protected from Pacific storms by the Olympic Mountains and from Arctic air by the Cascade Range. Despite being on the margin of the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, the city has a reputation for frequent rain.What Is The Olympic Rain Shadow?. KOMOTV.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. Despite its relatively frequent rainfall, the so-called "rainy city" receives a smaller quantity of actual precipitation annually, at 37.1 inches (94 cm), than New York City, Atlanta, Houston, and most cities of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Seattle\'s reputation for rain derives from this frequency of precipitation as well as the fact that it is cloudy an average of 226 days per year (cf. 132 in New York City). Most of the precipitation falls as drizzle or light rain, with only occasional downpours. Spring, late fall, and winter are filled with days when it does not rain but looks as if it might because of cloudy, overcast skies. As for temperature, winters are cool and wet with average lows around 35–40 °F (2–4 °C) on winter nights. Colder weather can occur, but seldom lasts more than a few days. Summers are dry and warm, with average daytime highs around 73–80 °F (22.2–26.7 °C). Hotter weather usually occurs only during a few summer days. Seattle\'s hottest official recorded temperature was 100 °F (37.8 °C) on July 20, 1994; the coldest recorded temperature was 0 °F (-18 °C) on January 31, 1950.Monthly Averages for Seattle, WA. The Weather Channel. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
Between October and May, it is cloudy or partly cloudy six out of every seven days
Eighty miles (130 km) to the west, the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park on the western flank of the Olympic Mountains receives an annual average rainfall of 142 inches (361 cm), and the state capital, Olympia—south of the rain shadow—receives an annual average rainfall of 52 inches (132 cm). Snowfall is very infrequent, especially at lower altitudes and near the coast, and is usually light and fleeting, lasting only a few days. Average annual snowfall, as measured at Sea–Tac Airport, is 13 inches (33 cm).Precipitation Averages for Seattle, WA. Sperling\'s Best Places. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. Seattle\'s record snowfall was 20 inches (51 cm) on January 13, 1950."Seattle Weather Records", KOMOTV.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. Sunnier and drier "California weather" typically dominates from mid-July to mid-September. An average of 0.8 inches (2.0 cm) of rain falls in July and 1.0 inch (2.5 cm) in August. Although the summer climate is considerably drier and less humid than in areas with humid continental climates, a slight dampness can be occasionally felt, usually when temperatures reach above 80 °F (26.7 °C). This dampness is typically more noticeable during the evening when the temperatures have dropped. Because of this, Seattle experiences occasional summer thunderstorms.Seattle Weather and Climate. Seattle 101 – A Guide for Travelers and Tourists. City of Seattle. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
The Puget Sound Convergence Zone is an important feature of Seattle\'s weather. In the convergence zone, air arriving from the north meets air flowing in from the south. Both streams of air originate over the Pacific Ocean; airflow is split by the Olympic Mountains to Seattle\'s west, then reunited by the Cascade Mountains to the east. When the air currents meet, they are forced upward, resulting in convection."What is the Puget Sound Convergence Zone?", KOMOTV.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
Thunderstorms caused by this activity can occur north and south of town, but Seattle itself rarely receives worse weather than occasional thunder and ice-pellet showers. Nonetheless, the Hanukkah Eve Wind Storm in December 2006 brought heavy rain and winds gusting up to 69 mph (111 km/h). One Seattleite drowned in her collapsed and flooded basement; power failures were widespread, with some left without power for up to eleven days.David Wilma (2006-12-27). Hunukkah eve wind storm ravages Western Washington on December 14 and 15, 2006.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
An exception to Seattle\'s dampness often occurs in El Niño years, when the marine weather systems track as far south as California and little precipitation falls in the Puget Sound area.Randolph E. Schmid. "El Niño could cause Northwest drought, mild winter elsewhere, forecasters say", The Seattle Times, 2006-10-10. Retrieved on 2007-11-01. Since the region\'s water comes from mountain snowpacks during the drier summer months, El Niño winters can not only produce substandard skiing but can result in water rationing and a shortage of hydroelectric power the following summer.Nick Perry. "Lack of snow may take toll", The Seattle Times, 2005-02-23. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
| Weather averages for Seattle, Washington | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) | 70 (21) | 78 (26) | 87 (31) | 93 (34) | 98 (37) | 100 (38) | 99 (37) | 98 (37) | 89 (32) | 74 (23) | 65 (18) | 100 (38) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 46 (8) | 50 (10) | 53 (12) | 58 (14) | 64 (18) | 70 (21) | 75 (24) | 76 (24) | 70 (21) | 60 (16) | 51 (11) | 46 (8) | 60 (16) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 36 (2) | 37 (3) | 39 (4) | 42 (6) | 47 (8) | 52 (11) | 55 (13) | 56 (13) | 52 (11) | 46 (8) | 40 (4) | 36 (2) | 45 (7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 0 (-18) | 1 (-17) | 11 (-12) | 29 (-2) | 16 (-9) | 38 (3) | 25 (-4) | 44 (7) | 35 (2) | 19 (-7) | 0 (-18) | 6 (-14) | 0 (-18) |
| Precipitation inch (mm) | 5.1 (129.5) | 4.2 (106.7) | 3.8 (96.5) | 2.6 (66) | 1.8 (45.7) | 1.5 (38.1) | 0.8 (20.3) | 1.0 (25.4) | 1.6 (40.6) | 3.2 (81.3) | 5.9 (149.9) | 5.6 (142.2) | 37.1 (942.3) |
| Source: Weather.com July 2007 | |||||||||||||
Downtown Seattle includes a tightly-packed financial district along with residential areas and a panoramic waterfront.
Seattle has grown through a series of annexations of smaller neighboring communities. On May 3, 1891, Magnolia, Wallingford, Green Lake, and the University District were annexed.Greg Lange (1999-01-01). Seattle doubles in size by annexing north-of-downtown communities on May 3, 1891.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. The town of South Seattle was annexed on October 20 1905.Greg Lange (1999-01-17). Seattle annexes South Seattle on October 20, 1905.. HistoryLink.org. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. Between January 7 and September 12, 1907, Seattle nearly doubled its land area by annexing six incorporated towns and areas of unincorporated King County, including Southeast Seattle, Ravenna, South Park, Columbia, Ballard, and West Seattle.Greg Lange (2000-01-01). City of Seattle annexes six towns including Ballard and West Seattle in 1907.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. Three years later, after having difficulties paying a $10,000 bill from the county, the town of Georgetown merged with Seattle.David Wilma (2001-02-10). Georgetown (later a Seattle neighborhood) incorporates as a city on January 8, 1904.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. Finally, on January 4, 1954, the area between N. 85th Street and N. 145th Street was annexed.David Wilma (2005-10-12). Seattle annexes the area north of N 85th Street to N 145th Street on January 4, 1954.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.
Seattle mayor Greg Nickels is among those who have called Seattle "a city of neighborhoods,"Greg Nickels (July 2005). Nickels Newsletter – July 2005. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.Jack Broom. "New Seattle map: There goes the neighborhood", Seattle Times, 2002-10-05. Retrieved on 2007-10-11. although the boundaries (and even names) of those neighborhoods are often open to dispute. For example, a Department of Neighborhoods spokeswoman reported that her own neighborhood has gone from "the \'CD\' to \'Madrona\' to \'Greater Madison Valley\' and now \'Madrona Park.\'"
Over a dozen Seattle neighborhoods have Neighborhood Service Centers, originally known in 1972 as "Little City Halls"Walt Crowley (2001-05-07). Seattle\'s Little City Halls – A Snapshot History. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2007-10-11. and many having street fairs and parades during the summer months.Community Events. Archived from the original on 2007-06-25. Retrieved on 2007-10-20. The largest of the city\'s street fairs feature hundreds of craft and food booths and multiple stages with live entertainment, and draw more than 100,000 people over the course of a weekend.Walt Crowley (1999-05-11). University District (Seattle) Street Fair is first held May 23 and 24, 1970. HistoryLink.org. Retrieved on 2007-10-11. In addition, at least half a dozen neighborhoods have weekly farmers\' markets, some with as many as fifty vendors.For an overview of Seattle\'s neighborhood farmers markets see: Markets. Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance. Retrieved on 2007-10-11. For the scale of one of the larger markets (in the University District, see: University District Farmers Market. Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
The residents of White Center, an unincorporated neighborhood between Seattle and Burien, are in the process of deciding by which of the two cities they will be annexed.Angela Galloway. "Neighboring cities jockey to grab North Highline", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2006-05-30. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.
Queen Anne Hill (left center), Lake Union (center), the Downtown Seattle skyline (right center), and Elliott Bay (right) are important aspects of Seattle\'s cityscape
