Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located in the U.S. state of Washington between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about 108 miles (180 km) south of the United States-Canadian border in King County, of which it is the county seat.

Geography and climate

Geography

Seattle is located between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. West beyond the Sound, Seattle faces the Olympic Mountains; across Lake Washington beyond the Eastside suburbs are the Issaquah Alps and the Cascade Range.

Related Topics:
Olympic Mountains - Eastside - Issaquah Alps - Cascade Range

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The city itself is hilly, though not uniformly so. Some of the hilliest areas are quite near the center, and Downtown rises rather dramatically away from the water. The geography of Downtown and its immediate environs has been significantly altered by regrading projects, a seawall, and the construction of an artificial island, Harbor Island, at the mouth of the city's industrial Duwamish Waterway.

Related Topics:
Hill - Downtown - Seawall - Artificial island - Harbor Island - Duwamish Waterway

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The rivers, forests, lakes, and fields were once rich enough to support one of the world's few sedentary hunter-gatherer societies. Today, a ship canal passes through the city, incorporating Lake Union near the heart of the city and several other natural bodies of water, and connecting Puget Sound to Lake Washington. Opportunities for sailing, skiing, bicycling, camping, and hiking are close by and accessible almost all of the year.

Related Topics:
River - Forest - Field - Ship canal - Lake Union - Sailing - Skiing - Bicycling - Camping - Hiking

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An active geological fault, the Seattle Fault, runs under the city. It has not been the source of an earthquake during Seattle's existence; however, the city has been hit by four major earthquakes since its founding: December 14, 1872 (magnitude 7.3); April 13, 1949 (7.1); April 29, 1965 (6.5); and February 28, 2001 (6.8). See also Nisqually Earthquake.

Related Topics:
Geological fault - Seattle Fault - Earthquake - December 14 - 1872 - Magnitude - April 13 - 1949 - April 29 - 1965 - February 28 - 2001 - Nisqually Earthquake

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Seattle is located at 47°37'35" North, 122°19'59" West (47.626353, −122.333144)¹.

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 369.2 km² (142.5 mi²){{GR|1}}. 217.2 km² (83.9 mi²) of it is land and 152.0 km² (58.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 41.16% water.

Related Topics:
United States Census Bureau - Km² - Mi²

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See also: Seattle neighborhoods, List of Seattle parks, Bodies of water of Seattle

Related Topics:
Seattle neighborhoods - List of Seattle parks - Bodies of water of Seattle

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Climate

Seattle's climate is mild, with the temperature moderated by the sea and protected from winds and storms by the mountains. The "rainy city" receives an unremarkable 35–38 inches (890–970 mm) of precipitation a year, less than most major Eastern Seaboard cities, e.g., New York City averages 47.3 inches (1200 mm), but Seattle is cloudy an average of 226 days per year vs. 132 in New York City. Most of the precipitation falls as drizzle or light rain because Seattle is in the rain shadow of the Olympic mountains. The temperature and weather are similar to that of Vancouver, BC, Seattle's major Canadian neighbor. Average temperatures range from the low 30s at night in winter to the mid-70s for summer highs. Seattle's hotest temperature ever recorded was 100 °F (37 °C) on July 20, 1994 and the coldest temperature ever recorded was 0 °F (-17 °C) on January 31, 1950.

Related Topics:
Climate - Temperature - Sea - Wind - Storm - Mountain - City - Inch - Precipitation - Eastern Seaboard - New York City - Vancouver - Canadian - July 20 - 1994 - January 31 - 1950

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80 miles (130 km) to the west, the Hoh Rain Forest, in the Olympic National Park, records an annual average rainfall of 142 inches (3600 mm), and the Washington state capital, Olympia, south of the rain shadow, receives 52 inches (1320 mm). Snow falls on occasion, but rarely sticks very long. Sunnier "California weather" typically dominates from mid-July through mid-September, arriving later and leaving earlier than in Portland, Oregon, to the south.

Related Topics:
Hoh Rain Forest - Olympic National Park - Portland, Oregon

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Serious exceptions to Seattle's raininess can occur during El Niño years, when the marine weather systems track to the south, affecting California instead. Since the region depends on water stored in its mountain snow packs during the dryer summer months, El Niño winters are not only hard on the ski areas, but can result in water rationing in the summer and a shortage of hydro-electric generated power.

Related Topics:
El Niño - Hydro-electric generated power

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