104-566: Shoreline is a city in King County, Washington , United States. It is located between the city limits of Seattle and the Snohomish County border, approximately 9 miles (14 km) north of Downtown Seattle . As of the 2020 census , the population of Shoreline was 58,608, making it the 22nd largest city in the state. Based on per capita income , one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Shoreline ranks 91st of 522 areas in
208-563: A bay with numerous channels and branches; more specifically, it is a fjord system of flooded glacial valleys. Puget Sound is part of a larger physiographic structure termed the Puget Trough, which is a physiographic section of the larger Pacific Border province , which in turn is part of the larger Pacific Mountain System . Puget Sound is a large salt water estuary , or system of many estuaries, fed by highly seasonal freshwater from
312-666: A combined 1,000 stalls and will become termini for bus rapid transit lines. The county's King County Metro provides local and commuter bus service within Shoreline, which includes the RapidRide E Line on Aurora Avenue. It debuted one of its first paratransit vans in the then-unincorporated area in 1979 to address a need for east–west connections. Shoreline began a bicycle-sharing and scooter-sharing pilot in August 2024 with Lime . King County, Washington King County
416-565: A larger margin for the Democrats than that seen in any previous election up to that point in time. Slightly more than 29% of Washington state's population reside in King County, making it a significant factor for the Democrats in a few recent close statewide elections. In the 2000 Senate election , King County's margin of victory pushed Maria Cantwell 's total over that of incumbent Republican Slade Gorton , defeating and unseating him in
520-513: A peninsular independence movement; King County lost what is now Kitsap County but preserved its entertainment industry. Coal was discovered in 1853 by M. Bigelow along the Black River , and in subsequent decades several companies formed to mine coal around Lake Washington and deliver it to Seattle. The Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad started servicing the Renton coal fields in 1877, and
624-540: A prominent activist and leader during the civil rights movement . The change was approved by the state government in 2005. It is one of three Washington counties that are included in the Seattle – Tacoma – Bellevue metropolitan statistical area along with Snohomish County to the north and Pierce County to the south. About two-thirds of King County's population lives in Seattle's suburbs , which largely developed in
728-418: A total of $ 123 million was spent on homelessness services by local governments in King County, including cities and the regional authority. The regional authority's five-year plan, released in 2023, estimates that $ 8 billion in capital costs would be required to build and staff 18,205 new units of temporary and transitional housing to address the homelessness crisis. The King County Executive heads
832-416: A total of 330 acres (130 ha) of park land. Boeing Creek and Shoreview Park , which abuts Shoreline Community College , contains Boeing Creek , flowing on its way to Hidden Lake and Puget Sound . Echo Lake is located within city limits, and contains Echo Lake Park. As of the 2010 census , there were 53,007 people, 21,561 households, and 13,168 families living in the city. The population density
936-507: A total volume of 26.5 cubic miles (110 km ) at mean high water. The average volume of water flowing in and out of Puget Sound during each tide is 1.26 cubic miles (5.3 km ). The maximum tidal currents, in the range of 9 to 10 knots , occurs at Deception Pass. Water flow through Deception Pass is approximately equal to 2% of the total tidal exchange between Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The size of Puget Sound's watershed
1040-602: Is 12,138 sq mi (31,440 km ). "Northern Puget Sound" is frequently considered part of the Puget Sound watershed, which enlarges its size to 13,700 sq mi (35,000 km ). The USGS uses the name "Puget Sound" for its hydrologic unit subregion 1711, which includes areas draining to Puget Sound proper as well as the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Strait of Georgia, and the Fraser River . Significant rivers that drain to "Northern Puget Sound" include
1144-668: Is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington . The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census , making it the most populous county in Washington , and the 12th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle , also the state's most populous city . Originally named after US representative, senator, and then vice president-elect William R. King in 1852, the county government amended its designation in 1986 to honor Martin Luther King Jr. ,
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#17327799935111248-621: Is attributed to a variety of issues, including human population growth, pollution, and climate change. Because of this population decline, there have been changes to the fishery practices, and an increase in petitioning to add species to the Endangered Species Act . There has also been an increase in recovery and management plans for many different area species. The causes of these environmental issues are toxic contamination, eutrophication (low oxygen due to excess nutrients), and near shore habitat changes. On May 22, 1978,
1352-546: Is connected to West Seattle at Fauntleroy and also has service to Southworth in Kitsap County. The county government's Marine Division operates the King County Water Taxi , a passenger ferry service that connects Downtown Seattle to West Seattle and Vashon Island . The passenger-only Kitsap Fast Ferries system operated by Kitsap Transit connects a terminal near Colman Dock to communities on
1456-441: Is divided into 14 neighborhoods , according to the city government's designation. The neighborhood boundaries have been laid out more-or-less rectangularly according to street maps, rather than following socioeconomic or natural boundaries. The city maintains a council of neighborhoods, with the intent of bringing together community leaders from each of the neighborhoods for discussions and coordination of city programs that affect
1560-511: Is home to numerous species of marine invertebrates, including sponges , sea anemones , chitons , clams , sea snails , limpets , crabs , barnacles , starfish , sea urchins , and sand dollars . Dungeness crabs ( Metacarcinus magister ) occur throughout Washington waters, including Puget Sound. Many bivalves occur in Puget Sound, such as Pacific oysters ( Crassostrea gigas ) and geoduck clams ( Panopea generosa ). The Olympia oyster ( Ostreola conchaphila ), once common in Puget Sound,
1664-538: Is home two federally-recognized tribes, the Muckleshoot tribe and the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe tribe, and other unrecognized groups. The Muckleshoot Indian Reservation is located southeast of Auburn and is home to a resident population of 3,606 as of the 2000 census. The Snoqualmie tribe's casino property was federally recognized as their reservation in 2006, however few tribe members live near
1768-567: Is used in the flag. Martin Luther King Jr. had visited King County once, for three days in November 1961. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 2,307 square miles (5,980 km ), of which 2,116 square miles (5,480 km ) is land and 191 square miles (490 km ) (8.3%) is water. King County has nearly twice the land area of the state of Rhode Island . The highest point in
1872-770: Is vested in the King County Superior Court and the King County District Court . Seattle houses the King County Courthouse . The county government manages elections, records, licensing, parks, wastewater treatment, and public health, among other duties. It also handles the criminal legal and incarceration system for all cities and unincorporated areas within King County. It has a sheriff's department that also provides basic policing to unincorporated areas. The Department of Local Services, established in 2019, serves as
1976-458: The 8th district includes areas east of Lake Sammamish and the immediate Green River Valley; and the 9th district comprises the southern areas of the county from Federal Way to Seattle, Mercer Island, and part of Bellevue. In the state legislature , the county has 17 districts that each elect two House members and one senator . The majority of state legislators from King County are Democrats; only four House members and two senators are from
2080-684: The Kitsap Peninsula , Whidbey Basin, east of Whidbey Island, South Sound , south of the Tacoma Narrows , and the Main Basin , which is further subdivided into Admiralty Inlet and the Central Basin. Puget Sound's sills, a kind of submarine terminal moraine , separate the basins from one another, and Puget Sound from the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Three sills are particularly significant—the one at Admiralty Inlet which checks
2184-558: The Kitsap Peninsula . The center of population of the state of Washington in 2010 was located in eastern King County ( 47°19′51″N 121°37′12″W / 47.330750°N 121.619994°W / 47.330750; -121.619994 ( Washington center of population, 2010 ) ). King County's own center of population was located on Mercer Island ( 47°32′54″N 122°13′48″W / 47.548320°N 122.229983°W / 47.548320; -122.229983 ( King County center of population, 2010 ) ). As of
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#17327799935112288-648: The Muckleshoot tribal groups. In the first winter after the Denny Party landed at Alki Point , the settlement at the point consisted of a few dozen settlers and over a thousand Native Americans. The local tribes provided the settlers with construction labor, domestic service, and help with subsistence activities. On December 22, 1852, the Oregon Territory legislature formed King County out of territory from within Thurston County . The county
2392-725: The Newcastle fields in 1878. By 1880, King County produced 22% of the coal mined on the West Coast, most of that coal being found within the Renton Formation 's Muldoon coal seam. On February 24, 1986, the King County Council approved a motion to rename the county to honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (no relation to William R. King), preserving the name "King County" while changing its namesake. The motion stated, among other reasons for
2496-714: The Nooksack , Dungeness , and Elwha Rivers . The Nooksack empties into Bellingham Bay, the Dungeness and Elwha into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Chilliwack River flows north to the Fraser River in Canada. Tides in Puget Sound are of the mixed type with two high and two low tides each tidal day. These are called Higher High Water (HHW), Lower Low Water (LLW), Lower High Water (LHW), and Higher Low Water (HLW). The configuration of basins, sills, and interconnections cause
2600-636: The Pierce Transit of Pierce County also operate routes that serve portions of King County. Most transit modes in the county use the ORCA card , a smart fare card system introduced in 2009. The county is home to three major ferry terminals that are served by Washington State Ferries , a state-run passenger and automobile ferry system. Colman Dock in Downtown Seattle is served by routes from Bainbridge Island and Bremerton ; Vashon Island
2704-623: The United States Senate . In 2004, King County gave a lead to Democrat Christine Gregoire in her 2004 victory gubernatorial election , pushing her ahead of Republican Dino Rossi , who led by 261 votes after the initial count. Rossi resided in the county at the time of the election, in Sammamish . In the 2020 presidential election , Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by earning 75% of King County votes. Governor Jay Inslee also defeated Republican challenger Loren Culp with 74% of
2808-407: The city streetcar system . Metro was the seventh-largest transit bus agency in the United States by ridership in 2019, with 121.3 million annual passenger trips and 400,000 per weekday. Sound Transit manages Link light rail , Sounder commuter rail , and Sound Transit Express buses in King County that provide connections to adjacent counties. The Community Transit of Snohomish County and
2912-628: The double-crested cormorant ( Phalacrocorax auritus ). Puget Sound is home to a non-migratory and marine-oriented subspecies of great blue herons ( Ardea herodias fannini ). Bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) occur in relative high densities in the Puget Sound region. Puget Sound has been home to many Indigenous peoples, such as the Lushootseed-speaking peoples , as well as the Twana , Chimakum , and Klallam , for millennia. The earliest known presence of Indigenous inhabitants in
3016-639: The point-in-time count system, estimates 14,149 people in the county have experienced homelessness; the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) adopted a different methodology based on the number of people seeking services and estimated that 53,532 people in the county had been homeless at some point in 2022. According to a survey collected by service providers for the county government, 68.5 percent of respondents said they last had stable housing in King County and 10.8 percent had lived elsewhere in
3120-579: The spiny dogfish ( Squalus acanthias ). There are about 28 species of Sebastidae (rockfish), of many types, found in Puget Sound. Among those of special interest are copper rockfish ( Sebastes caurinus ), quillback rockfish ( S. maliger ), black rockfish ( S. melanops ), yelloweye rockfish ( S. ruberrimus ), bocaccio rockfish ( S. paucispinis ), canary rockfish ( S. pinniger ), and Puget Sound rockfish ( S. emphaeus ). Many other fish species occur in Puget Sound, such as sturgeons , lampreys , various sharks , rays , and skates . Puget Sound
3224-810: The tidal range to increase within Puget Sound. The difference in height between the Higher High Water and the Lower Low Water averages about 8.3 feet (2.5 m) at Port Townsend on Admiralty Inlet, but increases to about 14.4 feet (4.4 m) at Olympia, the southern end of Puget Sound. Puget Sound is generally accepted as the start of the Inside Passage . Important marine flora of Puget Sound include eelgrass ( Zostera marina ) and various kelp , important kelps include canopy forming bull kelp ( Nereocystis luetkeana ). and edible kelps like kombu ( Saccharina latissima ) Among
Shoreline, Washington - Misplaced Pages Continue
3328-515: The western grebe ( Aechmophorus occidentalis ); loons such as the common loon ( Gavia immer ); auks such as the pigeon guillemot ( Cepphus columba ), rhinoceros auklet ( Cerorhinca monocerata ), common murre ( Uria aalge ), and marbled murrelet ( Brachyramphus marmoratus ); the brant goose ( Branta bernicla ); seaducks such as the long-tailed duck ( Clangula hyemalis ), harlequin duck ( Histrionicus histrionicus ), and surf scoter ( Melanitta perspicillata ); and cormorants such as
3432-630: The 2009 decision of the United States Board on Geographic Names to use the term Salish Sea to refer to the greater maritime environment. Continental ice sheets have repeatedly advanced and retreated from the Puget Sound region. The most recent glacial period , called the Fraser Glaciation , had three phases, or stades . During the third, or Vashon Glaciation , a lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet , called
3536-508: The 2010s and 17.2 in 2022 with the COVID-19 pandemic . It is the largest ferry operator in the United States. Over the past 30 years, as the human population of the region has increased, there has been a correlating decrease in various plant and animal species which inhabit Puget Sound. The decline has been seen in numerous populations including forage fish , salmonids, bottom fish, marine birds , harbor porpoise , and orcas . The decline
3640-647: The HBC's subsidy operation, the Puget Sound Agricultural Company was established in part to procure resources and trade, as well as to further establish British claim to the region. Missionaries J.P. Richmond and W.H. Wilson were attending Fort Nisqually for two years by 1840. British ships, such as the Beaver , exported foodstuffs and provisions from Fort Nisqually, and would eventually export Puget Sound lumber, an industry that would soon outpace
3744-528: The King County vote in the concurrent gubernatorial election . These were the largest margins by any candidate in a presidential race and a gubernatorial race since the county's creation. In 2004, voters passed a referendum reducing the size of the County Council from 13 members to 9. This resulted in all council seats ending up on the 2005 ballot. Some residents of eastern King County have long desired to secede and form their own county. This movement
3848-587: The Lawton Clay. The second major recessional lake was Glacial Lake Bretz . It also drained to the Chehalis River until the Chimacum Valley [ ceb ] , in the northeast Olympic Peninsula , melted, allowing the lake's water to rapidly drain north into the marine waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which was rising as the ice sheet retreated. As icebergs calved off the toe of
3952-519: The North Pacific fishing fleet and the largest homeport for fishermen in the U.S. West Coast; four container ship terminals; two cruise ship terminals; the largest grain export terminal in the U.S. Pacific Northwest; three public marinas ; 22 public parks; and nearly 5,000 acres of industrial lands in the Ballard - Interbay and Lower Duwamish industrial centers . The King County Council
4056-487: The Olympic and Cascade Mountain watersheds. The mean annual river discharge into Puget Sound is 41,000 cubic feet per second (1,200 m /s), with a monthly average maximum of about 367,000 cubic feet per second (10,400 m /s) and minimum of about 14,000 cubic feet per second (400 m /s). Puget Sound's shoreline is 1,332 miles (2,144 km) long, encompassing a water area of 1,020 square miles (2,600 km ) and
4160-474: The Puget Lobe, spread south about 15,000 years ago, covering the Puget Sound region with an ice sheet about 3,000 feet (910 m) thick near Seattle, and nearly 6,000 feet (1,800 m) at the present Canada-U.S. border. Since each new advance and retreat of ice erodes away much of the evidence of previous ice ages, the most recent Vashon phase has left the clearest imprint on the land. At its maximum extent
4264-538: The Puget Sound region is between 14,000 BCE to 6,000 BCE. Dispatched in an attempt to locate the fabled Northwest Passage , British Royal Navy captain George Vancouver anchored on May 19, 1792, on the shores of Seattle , explored Puget Sound, and claimed it for Great Britain on June 4 the same year, naming it for one of his officers, Lieutenant Peter Puget . He further named the entire region; New Georgia , after King George III . After 1818 Britain and
Shoreline, Washington - Misplaced Pages Continue
4368-749: The Republican Party. The people of King County voted on September 5, 1911, to create a Port District. King County's Port of Seattle was established as the first Port District in Washington State. The Port of Seattle is King County's only Port District. It is governed by five Port Commissioners, who are elected countywide and serve four-year terms. The Port of Seattle owns and operates many properties on behalf of King County's citizens, including Sea-Tac International Airport ; many seaport facilities around Elliott Bay , including its original property, publicly owned Fishermen's Terminal , home to
4472-656: The Sound being part of the Cascadia subduction zone , where the terranes accreted at the edge of the Juan de Fuca Plate are being subducted under the North American Plate . There has not been a major subduction zone earthquake here since the magnitude nine Cascadia earthquake ; according to Japanese records, it occurred on January 26, 1700. Lesser Puget Sound earthquakes with shallow epicenters , caused by
4576-645: The Spartan Campus, which includes a public gymnasium, theater, and stadium. Shoreline is bisected by two major north–south highways: Interstate 5 , the main inter-city freeway in Western Washington ; and State Route 99 (Aurora Avenue), which travels south to Seattle and north to Everett . State Route 523 (145th Street) forms the southern boundary of the city and connects Interstate 5, State Route 99, and State Route 522 (Lake City Way). The Interurban Trail runs along State Route 99 and follows
4680-650: The USGS definition, but the fifth, called "Northern Puget Sound" includes a large additional region. It is defined as bounded to the north by the international boundary with Canada, and to the west by a line running north from the mouth of the Sekiu River on the Olympic Peninsula. Under this definition, significant parts of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia are included in Puget Sound, with
4784-539: The United States, which both claimed the Oregon Country , agreed to "joint occupancy", deferring resolution of the Oregon boundary dispute until the 1846 Oregon Treaty . Puget Sound was part of the disputed region until 1846, after which it became US territory. American maritime fur traders visited Puget Sound in the early 19th century. An Hudson's Bay Company expedition led by James McMillan in late 1824
4888-588: The Vashon glacier receded a series of proglacial lakes formed, filling the main trough of Puget Sound and inundating the southern lowlands. Glacial Lake Russell was the first such large recessional lake. From the vicinity of Seattle in the north the lake extended south to the Black Hills , where it drained south into the Chehalis River . Sediments from Lake Russell form the blue-gray clay identified as
4992-592: The Vashon ice sheet extended south of Olympia to near Tenino , and covered the lowlands between the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. About 14,000 years ago the ice began to retreat. By 11,000 years ago it survived only north of the Canada–US border. The melting retreat of the Vashon Glaciation eroded the land, creating a drumlin field of hundreds of aligned drumlin hills. Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish (which are ribbon lakes ), Hood Canal , and
5096-428: The age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.9% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in
5200-420: The age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under
5304-460: The age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 51,658, and the median income for a family was $ 61,450. Males had a median income of $ 40,955 versus $ 33,165 for females. The per capita income for
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#17327799935115408-469: The change, that " William Rufus DeVane King was a slaveowner " who "earned income and maintained his lifestyle by oppressing and exploiting other human beings," while Martin Luther King's "contributions are well-documented and celebrated by millions throughout this nation and the world, and embody the attributes for which the citizens of King County can be proud, and claim as their own." Because only
5512-529: The city has a total area of 11.70 square miles (30.30 km), of which, 11.67 square miles (30.23 km) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km) is water. The city of Shoreline also contains a gated community , The Highlands , which manages its utilities separately from Shoreline. The Richmond Beach neighborhood occupies the northwest corner of the city, around 47°46′10″N 122°23′24″W / 47.7695415°N 122.3901313°W / 47.7695415; -122.3901313 . Shoreline's 25 parks hold
5616-505: The city logo. As of 2012, there are 52 full-time employees assigned to the Shoreline Police Department. The Shoreline Police Department has a burglary/larceny unit, traffic unit, and a street crimes unit. Shoreline is located at 47°45′23″N 122°20′23″W / 47.75639°N 122.33972°W / 47.75639; -122.33972 (47.756519, -122.339657). According to the United States Census Bureau ,
5720-480: The city of Seattle. According to data from the KCRHA, since late 2022 over 90 percent of shelter beds have been occupied on a consistent basis. Additional shelters, parking lots, and encampment sites are operated by charity organizations and churches in the area; during severe weather events such as heat waves and cold snaps, local governments open additional shelter spaces, but these often reach capacity. In 2021,
5824-451: The city was $ 24,959. About 4.4% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over. As a close-in suburb of Seattle, Shoreline's politics lean to the left. In recent years, its voting habits - as well as those of neighboring Lake Forest Park - have become even more similar to those of Seattle, overwhelmingly in support of Democratic politicians. Shoreline
5928-402: The city was 42.1 years. 19.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 30.9% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 53,025 people, 20,716 households, and 13,486 families living in the city. The population density
6032-537: The collective waters of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia . Sometimes the terms "Puget Sound" and "Puget Sound and adjacent waters" are used for not only Puget Sound proper but also for waters to the north, such as Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands region. The term "Puget Sound" is used not just for the body of water but also the Puget Sound region centered on
6136-559: The county is Mount Daniel at 7,959 feet (2,426 meters) above sea level. King County borders Snohomish County to the north, Kitsap County to the west, Kittitas County to the east, and Pierce County to the south. It also shares a small border with Chelan County to the northeast. King County includes Vashon Island and Maury Island in Puget Sound . The county has 760 lakes and 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of streams and rivers. King County has been identified as vulnerable to higher risks of flooding caused by climate change due to
6240-476: The county was 56.1% White (54.2% Non-Hispanic White ), 6.7% African American (6.5% Non-Hispanic Black), 19.9% Asian (19.8% Non-Hispanic Asian), 0.9% Pacific Islander (0.8% Non-Hispanic Pacific Islander), 0.5% Native American , 5.2% from other races, and 10.4% from two or more races . Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.7% of the population. As of the 2010 census , there were 1,931,249 people, 789,232 households, and 461,510 families residing in
6344-544: The county's executive branch; the position has been held by Dow Constantine since 2009. The King County Prosecuting Attorney ( Leesa Manion since 2023), Elections Director, and the King County Assessor are elected executive positions. The King County Sheriff is appointed by the county executive and approved by the county council. It was previously an elected position from 1996 until 2020 and has been held by Patti Cole-Tindall since 2022. Judicial power
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#17327799935116448-521: The county's logo from an imperial crown to an image of Martin Luther King Jr. On March 12, 2007, the new logo was unveiled. The new logo design was developed by the Gable Design Group and the specific image was selected by a committee consisting of King County Executive Ron Sims , Council Chair Larry Gossett, Prosecutor Norm Maleng , Sheriff Sue Rahr, District Court Judge Corrina Harn, and Superior Court Judge Michael Trickey. The same logo
6552-460: The county. The population density was 912.9 inhabitants per square mile (352.5/km ). There were 851,261 housing units at an average density of 402.4 per square mile (155.4/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 68.7% White (64.8% Non-Hispanic White ), 6.2% African American , 14.6% Asian , 0.8% Pacific Islander , 0.8% Native American , 3.9% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races . Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.9% of
6656-538: The dominant fur trading market and drive the early Puget Sound economy. The first organized American expedition took place under the helm of Commander Charles Wilkes , whose exploring party sailed up Puget Sound in 1841. The first permanent American settlement on Puget Sound was Tumwater , founded in 1845 by Americans who had come via the Oregon Trail . The decision to settle north of the Columbia River
6760-519: The exception of Seattle, Hunts Point , and Yarrow Point . The city of Seattle is served by the Seattle Public Library system, which has 27 branches compared to King County's 49 locations. Puget Sound Puget Sound ( / ˈ p juː dʒ ɪ t / PEW -jit ; Lushootseed : x̌ʷəlč IPA: [ˈχʷəlt͡ʃ] WHULCH ) is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins located on
6864-402: The flow of water between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, the one at the entrance to Hood Canal (about 175 ft or 53 m below the surface), and the one at the Tacoma Narrows (about 145 ft or 44 m). Other sills that present less of a barrier include the ones at Blake Island , Agate Pass , Rich Passage , and Hammersley Inlet . The depth of the basins is a result of
6968-433: The following landmarks: In addition, the city designates the following "community landmark": Companies and organizations based in Shoreline include Crista Ministries . A third high school, Shoreline High School , closed in June 1986 due to a decline in enrollment; its 1,000 students were divided between Shorecrest and Shorewood. The campus was retained by the school district for use as their headquarters and later became
7072-452: The fourth quarter of 2021, the median home value in King County was $ 817,547, an increase of 19.6% from the prior year. In 2021 King County experienced its first population decline in 50 years. As of the 2020 census , there were 2,269,675 people, 917,764 households, and 537,466 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,073.0 inhabitants per square mile (414.3/km ) There were 969,234 housing units. The racial makeup of
7176-629: The fracturing of stressed oceanic rocks as they are subducted, still cause great damage. The Seattle Fault cuts across Puget Sound, crossing the southern tip of Bainbridge Island and under Elliott Bay . To the south, the existence of a second fault, the Tacoma Fault , has buckled the intervening strata in the Seattle Uplift. Typical Puget Sound profiles of dense glacial till overlying permeable glacial outwash of gravels above an impermeable bed of silty clay may become unstable after periods of unusually wet weather and slump in landslides. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) defines Puget Sound as
7280-459: The glacier, their embedded gravels and boulders were deposited in the chaotic mix of unsorted till geologists call glaciomarine drift. Many beaches about the Sound display glacial erratics , rendered more prominent than those in coastal woodland solely by their exposed position; submerged glacial erratics sometimes cause hazards to navigation. The sheer weight of glacial-age ice depressed the landforms, which experienced post-glacial rebound after
7384-433: The ice sheets had retreated. Because the rate of rebound was not synchronous with the post-ice age rise in sea levels, the bed of what is now Puget Sound filled alternately with fresh and with sea water. The upper level of the lake-sediment Lawton Clay now lies about 120 feet (37 m) above sea level. The Puget Sound system consists of four deep basins connected by shallower sills. The four basins are Hood Canal , west of
7488-557: The international boundary marking an abrupt and hydrologically arbitrary limit. According to Arthur Kruckeberg, the term "Puget Sound" is sometimes used for waters north of Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass, especially for areas along the north coast of Washington and the San Juan Islands, essentially equivalent to NOAA's "Northern Puget Sound" subdivision described above. Kruckeberg uses the term "Puget Sound and adjacent waters". Kruckeberg's 1991 text, however, does not reflect
7592-544: The late 20th century and early 21st century as bedroom communities before becoming job centers for the technology industry . When Europeans arrived in the region that would become King County, it was inhabited by several Coast Salish groups. Villages around the site that would become Seattle were primarily populated by the Duwamish people . The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe occupied the area that would become eastern King County. The Green River and White River were home for
7696-574: The local government for populated unincorporated areas. King County is part of four congressional districts that each elect a member of the United States House of Representatives ; the boundaries are redrawn every 10 years based on the results of the decennial census. The 1st district comprises the Eastside cities north of Bellevue ; the 7th district includes northern Seattle, West Seattle, Burien, Normandy Park, and Vashon Island;
7800-547: The main Puget Sound basin were altered by glacial forces. These glacial forces are not specifically "carving", as in cutting into the landscape via the mechanics of ice/glaciers, but rather eroding the landscape from melt water of the Vashon Glacier creating the drumlin field. As the ice retreated, vast amounts of glacial till were deposited throughout the Puget Sound region. The soils of the region, less than ten thousand years old, are still characterized as immature. As
7904-1265: The marine mammals species found in Puget Sound are harbor seals ( Phoca vitulina ). Orca ( Orcinus orca ), or "killer whales" are famous throughout the Sound, and are a large tourist attraction. Although orca are sometimes seen in Puget Sound proper they are far more prevalent around the San Juan Islands north of Puget Sound. Many fish species occur in Puget Sound. The various salmonid species, including salmon , trout , and char are particularly well-known and studied. Salmonid species of Puget Sound include chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ), chum salmon ( O. keta ), coho salmon ( O. kisutch ), pink salmon ( O. gorbuscha ), sockeye salmon ( O. nerka ), sea-run coastal cutthroat trout ( O. clarki clarki ), steelhead ( O. mykiss irideus ), sea-run bull trout ( Salvelinus confluentus ), and Dolly Varden trout ( Salvelinus malma malma ). Common forage fishes found in Puget Sound include Pacific herring ( Clupea pallasii ), surf smelt ( Hypomesus pretiosus ), and Pacific sand lance ( Ammodytes hexapterus ). Important benthopelagic fish of Puget Sound include North Pacific hake ( Merluccius productus ), Pacific cod ( Gadus macrocelhalus ), walleye pollock ( Theragra chalcogramma ), and
8008-588: The name. The City of Seattle began studying an annexation of the area in 1988, causing local residents to organize an incorporation measure to retain their separate school system. A half-century after it had been named, on August 31, 1995, Shoreline was officially incorporated as a code city, and it adopted the council–manager form of government. Shoreline contracts with the King County Sheriff's Office for police services. Deputies assigned to Shoreline wear city uniforms and drive patrol cars marked with
8112-509: The neighborhoods. If its offer to annex Point Wells is accepted by the developer, Shoreline will extend into south Snohomish County . As of 2020, The Shoreline city government and Woodway government have discussed plans for subarea policies and development regulations in the event of annexation of Point Wells by either Shoreline or Woodway. The governments of both of the urban areas have taken steps to update their plans in accordance to their joint committee. The City of Shoreline has designated
8216-415: The north to Olympia in the south. Its average depth is 450 feet (140 m) and its maximum depth, off Jefferson Point between Indianola and Kingston , is 930 feet (280 m). The depth of the main basin, between the southern tip of Whidbey Island and Tacoma , is approximately 600 feet (180 m). In 2009, the term Salish Sea was established by the United States Board on Geographic Names as
8320-543: The northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington . As a part of the Salish Sea , the sound has one major and two minor connections to the Strait of Juan de Fuca , which in turn connects to the open Pacific Ocean. The major connection is Admiralty Inlet ; the minor connections are Deception Pass and the Swinomish Channel . Puget Sound extends approximately 100 miles (160 km) from Deception Pass in
8424-548: The number of waterways in the area. The county's oceanic ecosystems are predicted to face harmful chemical changes, while the mountainous ecosystems could experience a decrease in ice and snow. Since the mid-2000s, the county government has adopted policies to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the region. The King County Metro serves the county with local routes, paratransit , vanpools , and rideshare in select areas. It also operates an electric trolleybus network in Seattle as well as
8528-498: The population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information. In 2014, King County had 944 religious organizations, the 8th most out of all US counties. King County has the third largest population of homeless or unsheltered people in the United States according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The agency's January 2023 report, based on
8632-445: The population. In terms of ancestry, 17.1% were German , 11.6% were English , 11.1% were Irish , 5.5% were Norwegian , and 2.9% were American . Of the 789,232 households, 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 41.5% were non-families, and 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size
8736-715: The reservation. In 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in King County was the Archdiocese of Seattle , with 278,340 Catholics worshipping at 71 parishes, followed by 95,218 non-denominational adherents with 159 congregations, 56,985 LDS Mormons with 110 congregations, 25,937 AoG Pentecostals with 63 congregations, 25,789 ELCA Lutherans with 68 congregations, 24,909 PC-USA Presbyterians with 54 congregations, 18,185 Mahayana Buddhists with 39 congregations, 18,161 UMC Methodists with 50 congregations, 14,971 TEC Episcopalians with 35 congregations, and 12,531 ABCUSA Baptists with 42 congregations. Altogether, 37.6% of
8840-583: The route of the former Seattle–Everett interurban railway. It was constructed in the 2000s to connect Seattle with Everett and was completed within Shoreline in September 2007. The city has two Link light rail stations near Interstate 5 that are served by Sound Transit 's 1 Line : Shoreline South/148th station near the State Route 523 interchange; and Shoreline North/185th station near North City. Both stations have park-and-ride garages with
8944-582: The sound. Major cities on the sound include Seattle , Tacoma , Olympia , and Everett . Puget Sound is also the second-largest estuary in the United States, after Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia . In 1792, George Vancouver gave the name "Puget's Sound" to the waters south of the Tacoma Narrows , in honor of Peter Puget , a Huguenot lieutenant accompanying him on the Vancouver Expedition . This name later came to be used for
9048-509: The south end of the Swinomish Channel , which connects Skagit Bay and Padilla Bay . Under this definition, Puget Sound includes the waters of Hood Canal , Admiralty Inlet, Possession Sound , Saratoga Passage , and others. It does not include Bellingham Bay , Padilla Bay, the waters of the San Juan Islands or anything farther north. Another definition, given by NOAA , subdivides Puget Sound into five basins or regions. Four of these (including South Puget Sound ) correspond to areas within
9152-497: The state can charter counties, the change was not made official until April 19, 2005, when Governor Christine Gregoire signed into law Senate Bill 5332, which provided that "King county is renamed in honor of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr." effective July 24, 2005. The County Council voted on February 27, 2006, to adopt the proposal sponsored by Councilmember Larry Gossett to change
9256-614: The state of Washington to be ranked. Shoreline began in 1890 with the platting of the neighborhood of Richmond Beach, on Puget Sound , in anticipation of the arrival of the Great Northern Railway the next year. Over the next two decades, Shoreline was connected to Seattle via the Seattle– Everett Interurban streetcar line (1906) and North Trunk Road (now Aurora Avenue N., State Route 99 ) (1913), helping to increase its population. The name "Shoreline"
9360-472: The state. Approximately 57 percent of the homeless population counted by HUD in King County was classified as unsheltered, either living in vehicles, encampments in public spaces, or other places. The number of unsheltered individuals increased significantly in the late 2010s, leading to clearing of encampments and other structures by local governments. The county has 5,115 emergency shelter beds and tiny house villages, of which 67 percent are in
9464-596: The waters north of Tacoma Narrows as well. An alternative term for Puget Sound, used by a number of Native Americans and environmental groups, is Whulge (or Whulj), an Anglicization of the Lushootseed name for Puget Sound, x̌ʷəlč , which literally means "sea, salt water, ocean, or sound". The name for the Lushootseed language, dxʷləšucid , is derived from the root word √ləš , an alternative name for Puget Sound. The USGS defines Puget Sound as all
9568-470: The waters south of three entrances from the Strait of Juan de Fuca . The main entrance at Admiralty Inlet is defined as a line between Point Wilson on the Olympic Peninsula , and Point Partridge on Whidbey Island . The second entrance is at Deception Pass along a line from West Point on Whidbey Island, to Deception Island, then to Rosario Head on Fidalgo Island . The third entrance is at
9672-472: Was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age was 37.1 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 68,065 and the median income for a family was $ 87,010. Males had a median income of $ 62,373 versus $ 45,761 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 38,211. About 6.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over. King County
9776-458: Was 4,542.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,753.8/km). There were 22,787 housing units at an average density of 1,952.6 per square mile (753.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 71.4% White, 5.0% African American, 0.8% Native American, 15.2% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 2.2% from other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.6% of the population. There were 21,561 households, of which 27.9% had children under
9880-448: Was 4,546.0/sq mi (1,755.2/km). There were 21,338 housing units at an average density of 1,829.4/sq mi (706.3/km). The racial makeup of the city was 76.99% White, 2.77% African American, 0.91% Native American, 13.23% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 1.51% from other races, and 4.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.87% of the population. There were 20,716 households, out of which 30.6% had children under
9984-522: Was admitted to the union in 1889 as part of the Enabling Act , and the regions borders have since remained unchanged. The Washington State Ferries (WSF) are a state-run ferry system that connects the larger islands of Puget Sound the Washington mainland, and the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas. Its vessels carry both passengers and vehicular traffic. The system averaged 24.3 million passengers in
10088-511: Was applied to this stretch of unincorporated King County in 1944 when it was given to the school district, since the school district boundaries stretched from "Shore to Shore" ( Puget Sound to Lake Washington ) and "Line to Line" (the old Seattle city limit of 85th St to the Snohomish County Line). Though the modern borders of the city do not stretch to Lake Washington, the area has kept the "Shoreline" name. From 1950 to 1957, it
10192-510: Was depleted by human activities during the 20th century. There are ongoing efforts to restore Olympia oysters in Puget Sound. In 1967, an initial scuba survey estimated that were "about 110 million pounds of geoducks" (pronounced "gooey ducks") situated in Puget Sound's sediments. Also known as "king clam", geoducks are considered to be a delicacy in Asian countries. There are many seabird species of Puget Sound. Among these are grebes such as
10296-497: Was established in 1969 and consists of nine members elected by districts to four-year terms. King County and Seattle are strongly liberal; the area is a bastion for the Democratic Party . No Republican presidential candidate has carried the county votes since Ronald Reagan 's landslide reelection victory in 1984 . In the 2008 election , Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the county by 42 percentage points,
10400-511: Was first non-Indigenous group to enter Puget Sound since George Vancouver in 1792. The expedition went on to reach the Fraser River , first again to reach the lower Fraser since Fraser himself in 1808. The first non-Indigenous settlement in the Puget Sound area was Fort Nisqually , a fur trade post of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) built in 1833. Fort Nisqually was part of the HBC's Columbia District , headquartered at Fort Vancouver . In 1838,
10504-575: Was made in part because one of the settlers, George Washington Bush , was considered black and the Provisional Government of Oregon banned the residency of mulattoes but did not actively enforce the restriction north of the river. In 1853 Washington Territory was formed from part of Oregon Territory . In 1888 the Northern Pacific railroad line reached Puget Sound, linking the region to eastern states. Washington State
10608-566: Was most vocal in the mid-1990s (see Cedar County, Washington ). It has recently been revived as Cascade County. According to a map published by the Seattle Times , four different geographic borders were considered. Additional plans (see Skykomish County, Washington ) also exist or have existed. School districts in the county include: Most of King County is served by the King County Library System , with
10712-616: Was named after Alabamian William R. King , who had just been elected Vice President of the United States under President Franklin Pierce . Seattle was made the county seat on January 11, 1853. The area became part of the Washington Territory when it was created later that year. King County originally extended to the Olympic Peninsula . According to historian Bill Speidel , when peninsular prohibitionists threatened to shut down Seattle's saloons, Doc Maynard engineered
10816-586: Was the fastest-growing area in the Seattle metropolitan area , with a 64 percent population increase. After the incorporation of Lake Forest Park in 1961, the remainder of the Shoreline School District remained an unincorporated portion of King County. The school district remained the main identifier for the area for several decades; a set of welcome signs were installed in 1983 by the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce bearing
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