The majority of Washington State citizens have chosen the Puget Sound region as their home in cities and suburbs that extend north to Stanwood and south to Olympia. Most communities lay either side of the north-south Interstate Highway 5 corridor that serves as the state’s the major traffic thoroughfare.
Puget Sound itself is a body of water lying east of Admiralty Inlet, through which ocean waters reach inland some 50 miles from the Pacific Coast to provide all-weather ports for ocean-going ships at Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia. The waterway is a complex and intricate system of channels, inlets, estuaries, embayments and islands.
To the north, passing through Admiralty Inlet, beyond Whidbey Island lie the San Juan Islands between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia. This small group of islands serves as a favorite weekend get-away destination for not only residents of the region but their northern neighbors in British Columbia, Canada.
Seattle, which is the state's largest city, lies in the center of the Puget Sound region and sits between Elliot Bay and Lake Washington. Across the Sound are Bainbridge Island, the Kitsap Peninsula and Olympic Peninsula. To the east, and across Lake Washington, is the neighboring city of Bellevue.
The Puget Sound includes the surrounding lowlands extending east to the Cascade Mountains, and the various cities and towns lying therein, including Whidbey, Camano, the Fidalgo islands, and the Kitsap Peninsula.
Seattle is a city offering many amenities in town and many adventures in the nearby mountains, lakes, rivers, and Puget Sound. It is a place where you will encounter friendly faces while wandering through Pike Place Market or while enjoying a hot cup of coffee at one of the inviting local coffeehouses. The Seattle area offers many activities for both the outdoor enthusiast and the urban connoisseur.
The nearby mountain ranges of the Olympics and the Cascades mean opportunities for camping, hiking, backpacking, bicycling, and rock climbing in the summer, and snowshoeing, skiing, and snowboarding in the winter. The many waterways allow for adventurous canoeing, kayaking, and boating.
Seattle is filled with unique neighborhoods, parks, museums and shops. The city offers a wide variety of restaurants ranging from a casual meal at a cafe to formal dining at a luxurious restaurant overlooking the skyline and Puget Sound. After a delicious meal, you can see a show at the 5th Avenue, Intiman, and numerous other theatres, drop by a local clubs like the Triple Door, Jazz Alley, and Tractor Tavern to hear some incredible music, or attend one of the Mariners or Seahawks sporting events.
Take a virtual tour (Source: City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development)