SeaTac is a city in southern
King County,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, United States. The city is an inner-ring
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
of
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
and part of the
Seattle metropolitan area
The Seattle metropolitan area is an urban conglomeration in the U.S. state of Washington that comprises Seattle, its surrounding satellites and suburbs. It contains the three most populous counties in the state—King, Snohomish, and Pierce ...
. The name "SeaTac" is derived from the
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport , branded as SEA Airport and also referred to as Sea–Tac (), is the primary commercial airport serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is in the city of SeaTac, which ...
, itself a portmanteau of Seattle and
Tacoma.
The city of SeaTac is in area and has a population of 31,454 according to the
2020 census.
The city boundaries surround the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (approximately in area), which is owned and operated by the
Port of Seattle. The city includes the communities of
Angle Lake, Bow Lake, McMicken Heights and Riverton Heights, which were established before the city's incorporation. Residents voted for incorporation on March 14, 1989,
and the city incorporated in February 1990.
History
The Highline area, which includes modern-day SeaTac,
Burien, most of
Des Moines, and unincorporated communities such as
White Center
White Center is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. It lies between West Seattle and Burien. The population was 16,631 at the 2020 census.
White Center is sometimes referred to by the nickname "Rat City" ...
and
Boulevard Park, was settled by Americans in the mid-1850s. The federal government finished construction of a
military road
{{Use dmy dates, date=November 2019
The following is a list of military roads worldwide.
Australia
* Part of the A8 (Sydney) between Neutral Bay and Mosman
* Military Road, part of Route 39, Melbourne
* Military Road, off Wanneroo Road just nort ...
from
Fort Steilacoom
''For the adjacent park, see Fort Steilacoom Park''
Fort Steilacoom was founded by the U.S. Army in 1849 near Lake Steilacoom. It was among the first military fortifications built by the U.S. north of the Columbia River in what was to become the ...
to
Fort Bellingham Fort Bellingham (1856–1860) was a U.S. Army fort built to prevent attacks by Indians from Canada and from Russian territory, on the bayside villages of Fairhaven, Sehome and Whatcom.
The site for the new fort was on a prairie that overlooked ...
in 1860, passing through the Highline area to the east of modern-day SeaTac. One of the more prominent roads of travel from Seattle to Tacoma early in the 20th century is
Des Moines Memorial Drive Des Moines Memorial Drive, also known locally as the Living Road of Remembrance, is a road in southern King County, Washington noted for its large numbers of American Elm trees planted as a memorial to soldiers killed in World War I.
Route descript ...
(originally called the High Line road), which passes directly through the middle of the region, particularly through SeaTac and Burien especially.
Incorporating the area as a city was proposed by local residents in the 1980s, while a competing proposal sought annexation into Des Moines or another city. Local residents voted for incorporation on March 14, 1989, and the city incorporated on February 28, 1990. Des Moines amended their annexation territory following the decision. The original ballot used the name "Sea-Tac", but the incorporation petition to the county government omitted the hyphen. In 2014, Gavin Kelly of The
Resolution Foundation
The Resolution Foundation is an independent British think tank established in 2005. Its stated aim is to improve the standard of living of low- and middle-income families.
Appointments
In June 2015, the former Conservative MP David Willetts to ...
wrote that "A generation ago SeaTac was what Americans would call a middle-class town. A jet-fueller or baggage handler could earn a decent living."
[Kelly, Gavin.]
SeaTac: the small US town that sparked a new movement against low wages
" ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' (''The Observer''). Saturday February 22, 2014. Retrieved on February 24, 2014.
Government and infrastructure
Local government
SeaTac is governed by a city council which consists of seven elected councilpersons. The city "has contracted with the
King County Sheriff's Office
The King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) is a local police agency in King County, Washington, United States. It is the primary law enforcement agency for all unincorporated areas of King County, as well as 12 cities and two transit agencies which ...
for law enforcement since incorporation in 1990." Deputies assigned to SeaTac wear city uniforms and drive patrol cars marked with the city logo. There are currently 51 patrol officers, detectives, and support staff assigned full-time to the city.
In January 2014 the SeaTac Fire Department entered a 20-year contract with Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority (RFA) to form the
Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority
The Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, operating as Puget Sound Fire provides fire protection and emergency medical services to communities south of Seattle and east of Puget Sound in King County, Washington. The department is responsible for ...
. SeaTac's three fire stations, Station 45, 46, and 47, joined Kent's Station 73 to make up RFA's West Battalion.
The Seatac Municipal Court, located in the City Hall, is a court of limited
jurisdiction
Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels.
Jur ...
. The judge is authorized by the
Revised Code of Washington The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is the compilation of all permanent laws currently in force in the U.S. state of Washington. Temporary laws such as appropriations acts are excluded. It is published by the Washington State Statute Law Committ ...
to preside over civil infractions, traffic infractions, criminal
misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor violations, and civil orders for protection.
Public Works is responsible for planning, design, construction and maintenance of streets, transportation improvements, surface water utility, and solid waste and recycling programs.
In 2013, voters in the city narrowly passed a minimum wage of $15 per hour for employees of airport-related businesses, such as hotels, parking lots and car rental agencies. In a later appeals court decision, the $15 minimum wage was reversed for employees working entirely on Port of Seattle property within the city limits but still applies to employees of airport-related businesses in the city proper.
[ Union workshops are exempt from the $15 minimum wage. However, the Washington Supreme Court in August 2015 reversed the King County Superior Court ruling, which said that SeaTac did not have authority to set a minimum wage at the airport. The Supreme Court rejected the argument that the wage did not apply because the airport is owned by the Port of Seattle. The Court stated that Proposition 1 can be enforced at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport because there is no indication that it will interfere with airport operations and that federal labor law does not preempt the provision protecting workers from retaliation.
]
Federal government presence
The Riverton Heights Post Office is located in the city.
The National Transportation Safety Board operates the Seattle Aviation Field Office in the city.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...
operates the Federal Detention Center, SeaTac
The Federal Detention Center, SeaTac (FDC SeaTac) is a prison operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is located in SeaTac, Washington, near the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, south of downtown Seattle and north of Tacoma, west ...
in SeaTac.
Economy
The city is home to over 900 licensed businesses, nearly 80 of which are Fortune 1000 companies. They employ nearly 40,000 employees in the city of SeaTac and generate local sales of approximately $3.7 billion.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest airline in North America when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and the num ...
and Horizon Air
Horizon Air Industries, Inc., operating as Horizon Air, is an American regional airline based in SeaTac, Washington, United States. Horizon Air and its sister carrier Alaska Airlines are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, and all Horizon-opera ...
are headquartered in the city. Four airlines have operations at 18000 Pacific Highway South (also known as 18000 International Boulevard) in the city, including Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines Inc. ( ) is a South Korean airline headquartered in Seoul.[Home]
." Asiana Airlines. Retrieved 13 September 2 ...
, EVA Air
EVA Airways Corporation (pronounced as three letters: ; ) (), of which "EVA" stands for Evergreen Airways, is a Taiwanese international airline based at Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan, operating passenger and dedicated ca ...
, Hainan Airlines
Hainan Airlines Co., Ltd. (HNA, ) is an airline headquartered in Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China. The airline is rated as a 5-star airline by Skytrax. It is the largest civilian-run and majority state-owned air transport company, ...
, and China Airlines
China Airlines (CAL; ) is the state-owned flag carrier of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and one of its two major airlines along with EVA Air. It is headquartered in Taoyuan International Airport and operates over 1,400 flights weekly (in ...
.
Economic development
SeaTac's Department of Community and Economic Development was formed in early 2011 to create a one-stop permitting center, increase the level of service and assist in the facilitation of economic development by creating a more cohesive approach to real estate development and job creation. The new department has four divisions: Economic Development, Planning, Engineering Review, and Building Services.[
In 2013, the City of SeaTac Proposition No. 1 passed with 50.64% of the vote to raise the ]minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...
to $15 per hour.
Geography and climate
SeaTac is located at (47.441406, -122.293077).
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Surrounding cities
Demographics
As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $41,202, and the median income for a family was $47,630. Males had a median income of $34,396 versus $28,984 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $19,717. About 9.8% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
SeaTac's population has grown steadily since the 2000 Census, and is projected to grow 5.06% by 2022, a rate higher than the US rate of 3.77%, but lower than King County's 7.46%. SeaTac has considerable ethnic diversity. Only 51.76% of the age 5+ population reportedly spoke only English at home; some 13.90% spoke Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
at home, considerably higher than King County's 6.82%, but only somewhat higher than the US's overall 13.16%. Languages spoken at home also include those from Asia-Pacific at 10.74%, Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutc ...
at 10.06%, and other languages at 13.54%.
2010 census
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 26,909 people, 9,533 households, and 5,913 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 10,360 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 45.9% White (39.5% Non-Hispanic White), 16.8% African American, 1.5% Native American, 14.5% Asian, 3.6% Pacific Islander, 11.6% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.3% of the population.
There were 9,533 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.0% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.38.
The median age in the city was 34.5 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 9.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.4% male and 47.6% female.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Highline Public Schools
Highline Public Schools (HPS) is a public school district in King County, headquartered in Burien, Washington. As of October 2007, it served 17,331 students and had 997 teachers, and served the cities of Burien, much of Des Moines, Normandy Park ...
is the school district with the majority of the city in its boundaries. Elementary schools serving the Highline sections of the city include Bow Lake Elementary School in SeaTac, Madrona Elementary School in SeaTac, McMicken Heights Elementary School in SeaTac, and Cedarhurst Elementary School in Burien. Most residents are zoned to Chinook Middle School and Tyee Educational Complex
Tyee High School, formerly Tyee Educational Complex, is a public high school campus located in SeaTac, Washington, United States. It was founded as Tyee High School, a single public high school, in 1962. It is operated by the Highline School Distr ...
in the city, while some are zoned to Sylvester Middle School and Highline High School
Highline High School is a public high school in Burien, Washington, United States, located about 3.5 miles from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. Highline High School, the flagship high school of the Highline Public Schools district, opene ...
in Burien. With the opening of Glacier Middle School in north SeaTac, residents north of the airport are generally zoned there and subsequently to Highline High School given the proximity of that area to Burien.
Tyee Educational Complex housing three independent schools: The Academy of Citizenship and Empowerment, and Odyssey: The Essential School. It then has been transformed back to Tyee High School - a single school in the 2017–18 school year.
In 2004, Highline Public Schools reorganized some of its high schools, including Tyee, into having smaller programs on larger campuses.
Small portions of SeaTac are in the Kent School District
The Kent School District #415 is a public school district in the State of Washington, headquartered in Kent.
Covering , the Kent School District has 40 schools (28 elementary schools, six middle schools, two academy schools, and four high school ...
and the Renton School District Renton School District 403 is a public school district headquartered in Renton, Washington, USA
The district boundaries include the vast majority of Renton, all of Bryn Mawr-Skyway, and portions of the adjacent cities and communities of Bellevue ...
.[
]
Public libraries
The King County Library System
The King County Library System (KCLS) is a library system serving the residents of King County, Washington, United States. Headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, KCLS was the busiest library system in the United States as of 2010, circulating 22.4 ...
operates the Valley View Library in SeaTac.
Parks and recreation
The city operates seven city parks and operates two community center facilities.
Angle Lake Park, a park at Angle Lake, has a barbecue area, a boat launch, a fishing pier, playground equipment, an open recreation area, swimming facilities, a stage, toilet facilities, and a spray park. In the swimming area lifeguards are on duty during the summer months.[
Bow Lake Park, a ] park, consists of open space.[
Des Moines Creek Trail Park, consisting of ,] has a paved trail for bicyclists and pedestrians; off-street parking spaces are located at the trail head.[
The ] Grandview Park, an off leash dog area, has open areas, benches, fencing, a kiosk, waste receptacles, "sani-cans," and trails.[
The ] McMicken Heights Park has an open area, playground equipment, and tennis courts.[
The Neighborhood Park at SeaTac Community Center has a half court basketball court a skate park, playground equipment, a picnic area, a climbing boulder, and parking.][
The ] North SeaTac Park has the SeaTac Community Center, baseball, soccer (football), and softball fields, a disk golf course, an outdoor basketball court, an open area, playground equipment, a picnic shelter, toilet facilities, BMX track and paved walking trails.[
The ] Sunset Park has baseball/softball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts, toilet facilities, and paved walking trails.[
The ] Valley Ridge Park has baseball/softball fields with synthetic turf, outdoor basketball courts, a community center, a hockey court, playground equipment, a skate park, soccer fields with synthetic turf, tennis courts, toilet facilities.[
The Tyee Valley Golf Course is an 18-hole golf course and also served as the 1988 and 1989 ]USA Cross Country Championships
The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, a ...
running course.
Transportation
SeaTac is served by three major highways: State Route 99 (International Boulevard), State Route 518, and the Airport Expressway. Portions of Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
and State Route 509 also lie within the city limit
City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. Similarly, corporate lim ...
s.
Airports
The city is served by the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport , branded as SEA Airport and also referred to as Sea–Tac (), is the primary commercial airport serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is in the city of SeaTac, which ...
, located within city limits.
Public transportation
The city is also served by several public transportation
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
services: Link light rail
Link light rail is a light rail rapid transit system serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is managed by Sound Transit in partnership with local transit providers, and consists of two non-connected lines: ...
stops at two stations in the city, at SeaTac/Airport station and Angle Lake station; King County Metro
King County Metro, officially the King County Metro Transit Department and often shortened to Metro, is the public transit authority of King County, Washington, which includes the city of Seattle. It is the eighth-largest transit bus agency in t ...
operates several bus routes in the area, including the RapidRide A Line
The A Line is one of six RapidRide lines (routes with some bus rapid transit features) operated by King County Metro in King County, Washington. The A Line began service on October 2, 2010, running from Tukwila to Federal Way, mostly along Pac ...
on International Boulevard and RapidRide F Line
The F Line is one of seven RapidRide lines (routes with some bus rapid transit features) operated by King County Metro in King County, Washington. The F Line began service on June 7, 2014, running between the Burien Transit Center and "The Land ...
on Southcenter Boulevard; some Sound Transit Express
Sound Transit Express (ST Express) is a network of regional express buses, operated by the multi-county transit agency, Sound Transit. The routes connect major regional hubs throughout 53 cities in three counties (King, Pierce, and Snohomish) i ...
regional bus routes terminate or serve the SeaTac area, primarily the airport and other transit hubs.
Notable people
* Mark Driscoll
Mark A. Driscoll (born 1970) is an American evangelical pastor and author who founded the now defunct Mars Hill Church. He is the senior and founding pastor of the Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, which was founded in 2016.
In 1996, D ...
, evangelical pastor
* Mia Gregerson
Mia Su-Ling Gregerson-Dahle (born December 19, 1972) is an American politician. A Democrat, Gregerson has served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 33rd Legislative District since 2013. Prior to this, she served on ...
, member of the Washington House of Representatives
The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, and along with the Washington State Senate makes up the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 ...
* Tally Hall
Tally Hall is an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in December 2002. The band is known for upbeat melodies and whimsical lyrics. The members originally described their musical style as "wonky rock," later redefining their soun ...
, soccer player
* Julia Patterson, former member of the Washington State Legislature and King County Council
The Metropolitan King County Council, the legislative body of King County, Washington, consists of nine members elected by district. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget. Its current name and structure i ...
* Adam Smith
Adam Smith (baptized 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the thinking of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by some as "The Father of Economics"——— ...
, member of the U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
* Doug Sutherland, former mayor of Tacoma and Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages over of forest, range, agricultural, and commercial lands in the U.S. state of Washington. The DNR also manages of aquatic areas which include shorelines, tidelands, lands un ...
See also
* List of cities in Washington
Washington is a state located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Washington is the 13th most populous state, with inhabitants, and the 18th largest by land area, spanning of land. Washington is ...
* Highline Botanical Garden
* Robert Morris Earthwork
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seatac, Washington
Cities in Washington (state)
Cities in King County, Washington
Cities in the Seattle metropolitan area
Former census-designated places in Washington (state)
Populated places established in 1990
1990 establishments in Washington (state)