Auburn is a city in 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 (with a small portion crossing into neighboring Pierce County). The population was 87,256 at the 2020 Census. Auburn is a suburb in 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 ...

, and is currently ranked as the 14th largest city in the state of Washington. Auburn is bordered by the cities of

Federal Way Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. One of the most recently incorporated cities in the county, its population was 101,030 at the 2020 census. Federal Way is the tenth-largest city in Washington and the fifth-larges ...

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, and Algona to the west, Sumner to the south,

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

to the north, and unincorporated King County to the east. The Muckleshoot Indian Reservation lies to the south and southeast.

History

Before the first non-indigenous settlers arrived in the Green River Valley in the 1850s, the area was home to the

Muckleshoot The Muckleshoot ( lut, bəqəlšuł ) are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American tribe, part of the Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest. They are descendants of the Duwamish and Puyallup peoples whose traditional territory was located a ...

people, who were temporarily driven out by

Indian wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

later that decade. Several settler families arrived in the 1860s, including Levi Ballard, who set up a

homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres *Homestead principle, a legal concept t ...

between the Green and White rivers. Ballard filed for a

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

to establish a town in February 1886, naming it Slaughter for an officer slain during the Indian wars in 1855. Slaughter was incorporated on June 13, 1891, but its name was changed two years later to Auburn on February 21, 1893, by an action of the state legislature. Newer residents had disliked the name and its connection to the word "", especially after the town's hotel was named the Slaughter House. The name Auburn was chosen in honor of

Auburn, New York Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States. Located at the north end of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in Central New York, the city had a population of 26,866 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city of Cayuga County, the ...

, for the area's shared reliance on

hops Hops are the flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant ''Humulus lupulus'', a member of the Cannabaceae family of flowering plants. They are used primarily as a bittering, flavouring, and stability agent in beer, to whi ...

farming. The White and Green Rivers have been a major part of the history and culture of Auburn since the area was settled with multiple locations in the city being named after either of the two rivers. Frequent flooding from the rivers caused numerous problems for the people living in the community with one outcome being the creation of Mountain View Cemetery over on one of the hills overlooking the valley. It was not until the completion of the Mud Mountain Dam and the Howard A. Hanson Dam, along the White River and Green River respectively, that the flooding would cease and allow the city to grow without the aforementioned hurdle impeding the growth. In 1917 the city, in response to the growing of the Japanese community, donated some of the land in Pioneer Cemetery to the White River Buddhist Church. A little over ten years later, Rev. Giryo Takemura, minister of the church at the time, and his future son-in-law, Chiyokichi Natsuhara, raised money to replace the old wooden sticks and columns that had been in use as gravestones at the Cemetery with more durable concrete markers. The interwar period saw several Japanese-American baseball teams from the area compete in the courier league with the White River All-Stars enjoying particularly large success winning four of the July 4th tournaments. In 1930 a Japanese bath house was constructed outside of Neely Mansion by the then current tenants. The onset of the Second World War saw the Japanese-American community of Auburn become seen with largely unwarranted distrust by many of the white residents of Auburn. This, combined with a larger countrywide Japanese focused xenophobia, led to the city's Japanese-American population being relocated to internment camps. After the war, of about 300 Japanese families living in Auburn only around twenty five returned. In 2008, Auburn annexed the West Hill and Lea Hill neighborhoods of unincorporated King County, adding 15,000 residents and expanding its land area by 26 percent.

Geography

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. Two rivers, the White River and, to a greater extent, the

Green River Green River may refer to: Rivers Canada * Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River *Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte *Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...

flow through Auburn. Historically, the Stuck River ran through the settlement of Stuck, which is now a small pocket of unincorporated King County within southern Auburn. In 1906, the flow of the White River was diverted into the Stuck's channel near today's Game Farm Park. References to the Stuck River still appear in some property legal descriptions and place names, e.g. Stuck River Drive, within Auburn, but today it is essentially indistinguishable from the southern White River.

Neighborhoods

* Downtown—Historic buildings with a traditional main street and also many Craftsman-style houses from the 1920s. * North Auburn—A mix of commercial and single-family housing separated by Auburn Way North. * River's Bend—A small residential neighborhood nestled along the Green River, located at the bottom of Lea Hill in North Auburn. * Christopher/Thomas—An area in North Auburn roughly bordered by the Valley Drive Inn and 227th Street. Both are former farming towns annexed into the city in the 1960s. * Lea Hill—A mainly residential neighborhood east of the valley, annexed into the city in 2007. Green River College is located here. * Hazelwood—The area on Lea Hill between Green River Community College, and

Auburn Mountainview High School Auburn Mountainview High School is located in Lea Hill on the east hill of Auburn, a city in King County, Washington, United States. It was named after the scenic views from the school, including the Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, and the Oly ...

. Once a town in the late nineteenth century. * West Valley—A commercial and industrial area on the west side of SR 167, located on the bottom of West Hill. * West Hill—Located on the West Hill, bordered by the city of Federal Way to the west. * South Auburn—A general area located south of downtown, once a low-income area but becoming a commercial zone. * Terminal Park—An area of middle class housing near the end of the rail yard named for the railroad workers who lived there. * Forest Villa—Mainly residential area located in the Game Farm Park area. * Lakeland Hills—A master-planned community sprawling on a large hillside at the southern end of the city on both sides of King and Pierce counties. * Hidden Valley—A planned development located East of Lakeland Hills overlooking North Lake Tapps.

Climate

Demographics

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 70,180 people, 26,058 households, and 17,114 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 27,834 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 70.5% White, 4.9% African American, 2.3% Native American, 8.9% Asian, 1.6% Pacific Islander, 6.3% from other races, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 12.9% of the population. There were 26,058 households, of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.3% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.22. The median age in the city was 34.4 years. 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 10.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Crime

According to the

Uniform Crime Report The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program compiles official data on crime in the United States, published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). UCR is "a nationwide, cooperative statistical effort of nearly 18,000 city, university and co ...

statistics compiled by the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

(FBI) in 2020, there were 329 violent crimes and 3,516 property crimes per 100,000 residents. Of these, the violent crimes consisted of 9 murders, 38 forcible rapes, 122 robberies and 160 aggravated assaults, while 569 burglaries, 2,248 larceny-thefts, 680 motor vehicle thefts and 19 acts of arson defined the property offenses.

Economy

Employment

As of 2020, 68.9% of the population is in the labor force with a 3.7% unemployment rate. The Auburn

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...

Plant, opened in 1966, is the largest airplane parts plant in the world, with and 1.265 million parts being manufactured each year. With over 5,000 employees, the Boeing plant is the third major employer in Auburn. Auburn is the site for the Northwest headquarters of

United States General Services Administration The General Services Administration (GSA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. G ...

. According to Auburn's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Shopping

The Outlet Collection Seattle The Outlet Collection Seattle, formerly SuperMall of the Great Northwest, is an outlet mall in Auburn, Washington, United States, that opened in August 1995. The mall is currently anchored by Burlington, Nordstrom Rack, Dave & Busters, and Fieldho ...

, formerly SuperMall of the Great Northwest, is an

outlet mall An outlet store, factory outlet or factory shop is a brick and mortar or online store in which manufacturers sell their stock directly to the public. Traditionally, a factory outlet was a store attached to a factory or warehouse, sometimes allowin ...

which opened in 1995.

Arts and culture

The White River Valley Museum's exhibits feature Auburn, from Native American history to the 1920s. They focus on the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, pioneer life, immigration from Europe and Japan, truck farming, railroading and the building of towns throughout the area. Visitors can visit a recreation of a pioneer cabin, climb aboard a

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved by Congress in 1864 and given nearly of land grants, whic ...

caboose, and investigate a recreation of the shops in 1924 downtown Auburn. The

White River Amphitheater White River Amphitheatre is a Live Nation managed concert venue, located 8 miles (13 km) east of Auburn, Washington and 7 miles (11 km) west of Enumclaw, Washington on the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation. It is 22 miles (35 km) north ...

is a 20,000-seat venue, located about southeast of the city limits. As part of 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 ...

, there is a facility built in 2000 and expanded in 2012 having replaced an earlier, nearby location. It is part of the Les Gove Park, a 20 acre community campus south of State Route 164 including the White River Valley Museum, a senior center, and other recreational services. Fourth of July and other celebrations such as Auburn Good Ol' Days are also held in Les Gove annually. Auburn is designated by the Veterans Day National Committee and the US Department of Veterans Affairs as a Regional Site for celebration of Veterans Day.

Sports

Emerald Downs Emerald Downs is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Auburn, Washington, located a half mile east of Highway 167. It is named after Seattle, the Emerald City. History Emerald Downs first opened its doors to race fans on June 20, 1996, with the inaug ...

is a six-level stadium and

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racetrack. The racetrack is operated on land purchased by the Muckleshoot in 2002.

Parks and recreation

Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails: 28 developed parks, over of trails (including Auburn's portion of the Inter-urban Trail for bikers, walkers, runners and skaters), and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.

Government

The city of Auburn is a mayor-council form of government meaning the mayor is a full-time, separately elected position. The current Mayor is Nancy Backus, who was first elected to the post in 2013 and re-elected in 2017 and 2021. She is the first woman to serve in the office since Auburn was incorporated in 1891. The Auburn Police Department is located within the Justice Building, along with the Municipal Court and jail.

Education

Public schools are administered by the

Auburn School District Auburn School District No. 408 is a public school district in King County, Washington, seated in Auburn. The district encompasses a 62 square-mile area bridging King County, Washington and Pierce County, Washington, and serves approximately 75,0 ...

. The district is larger than the city itself, serving the neighboring towns of Algona and

, as well as some unincorporated areas around Auburn and

High schools

* Auburn High School *

Auburn Riverside High School Auburn Riverside High School is located in Auburn, Washington, United States. Located next to the White River, the school takes its name from its location. The school opened in 1995 due to overcrowding at Auburn Senior High School. Academics AR o ...

* Auburn Adventist Academy * West Auburn High School

Elementary and middle schools

* Arthur Jacobsen Elementary * Bowman Creek Elementary * Cascade Middle School * Chinook Elementary * Dick Scobee Elementary * Evergreen Heights Elementary * Gildo Rey Elementary * Hazelwood Elementary * Ilalko Elementary * Lake View Elementary * Lakeland Hills Elementary * Lea Hill Elementary * Mt. Baker Middle School * Olympic Middle School * Pioneer Elementary * Rainier Middle School * Terminal Park Elementary * Washington Elementary

Private and alternative schools

* Auburn Adventist Academy * Rainier Christian High School * Valley Christian School * Holy Family School

College

* Green River College

Infrastructure

Transportation

Auburn has many large roads nearby and within city limits, including State Route 167 (commonly referred as the "Valley Freeway") and State Route 18. Auburn also has its own transit center, Auburn station in downtown, that serves as a major hub for southern King County. Sound Transit buses connect the Auburn Transit Center directly to Federal Way, Sumner, and Kent, while King County Metro buses connect it to Green River Community College, the Super Mall, and Auburn Way. Sounder commuter trains travel from Auburn to Downtown Seattle in approximately 30 minutes, and to

Lakewood station Lakewood station is a commuter rail station in Lakewood, Washington, United States. It is the terminus of the S Line of the Sounder commuter rail network, operated by Sound Transit in the Seattle metropolitan area. The station, located ...

in less than 35 minutes. Until 1987, Auburn was home to a steam locomotive roundhouse and diesel engine house of the

, the

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

of today. BNSF maintains a rail yard and small car repair facility, along with maintenance-of-way facilities at the former NP yard. The Auburn Municipal Airport serves the general aviation community.

Notable people

* Harrison Maurus, bronze medal Weightlifting athlete *

Nate Cohn Nathan David Cohn (born August 16, 1988) is an American journalist and chief political analyst for "The Upshot" at ''The New York Times''. His reporting focuses on elections, public opinion, and demographics in the United States. Early life and ...

, journalist and polling expert for ''

The Upshot ''The Upshot'' is a website published by ''The New York Times'' which spreads articles combining data visualization with conventional journalistic analysis of news. History ''The Upshot'' was first announced in March 2014 and was officially launc ...

'' at ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' * Janna Crawford, gold medal Paralympic athlete *

Phil Fortunato Philip D. Fortunato (born 1953 or 1954) is an American businessman and politician serving as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 31st district, based in southeast King County and northeast Pierce County since 2017. A member ...

, Politician. Member of

Washington State Senate The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 members, each representing a district with a population of nearly 160,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olympi ...

and former member of

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 ...

. *

Cam Gigandet Cameron Joslin Gigandet (; born August 16, 1982) is an American actor whose credits include a recurring role on ''The O.C.'' and appearances in feature films ''Twilight'', ''Pandorum'', ''Never Back Down'', '' Burlesque'', ''Easy A'', ''Priest'' ...

, actor *

Christine Gregoire Christine Gregoire (; née O'Grady; born March 24, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 22nd governor of Washington from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and ag ...

, 22nd Governor of Washington *

Kevin Hagen Kevin Hagen (April 3, 1928 – July 9, 2005) was an American actor best known for his role as Dr. Hiram Baker on NBC's ''Little House on the Prairie (TV series), Little House on the Prairie.'' Early life Hagen was born in Chicago, Illinois, t ...

, former MLB baseball player *

Greg Haugen Greg Lee Haugen (born August 31, 1960) is a retired American boxer. Haugen was champion at both the lightweight and light welterweight classes. He trained under Jim Montgomery. Haugen turned pro in 1982 and won his first 17 fights before challen ...

, professional boxer *

Eric Barone The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse languag ...

, creator of

Stardew Valley ''Stardew Valley'' is a simulation role-playing video game developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. Players take the role of a character who takes over their deceased grandfather's dilapidated farm in a place known as Stardew Valley. The game wa ...

Gordon Hirabayashi was an American sociologist, best known for his principled resistance to the Japanese American internment during World War II, and the court case which bears his name, '' Hirabayashi v. United States''. Early life Hirabayashi was born in Seatt ...

, civil rights activist * Ariana Kukors, Olympic swimmer and world record holder * Chris Lukezic, middle-distance runner *

Evan McMullin David Evan McMullin (born April 2, 1976) is an American politician and former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer. McMullin ran as an independent in the 2016 United States presidential election and in the 2022 United States Senate electio ...

, CIA officer and former presidential candidate *

Sir Mix-A-Lot Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song "Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...

, hip hop artist *

Onision James Jackson (born Gregory James Daniel; November 11, 1985), known professionally by his online alias Onision (), is an American YouTuber. His primary YouTube channel, "Onision", featured sketches and satirical clips; videos posted to his othe ...

, Youtuber *

Blair Rasmussen Blair Allen Rasmussen (born November 13, 1962) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the first round (15th pick overall) of the 1985 NBA draft. A 7'0" center from the University of Oregon, ...

, NBA basketball player *

Dave Reichert David George Reichert (; born August 29, 1950) is an American politician, veteran, and former sheriff who served as the U.S. representative for Washington's 8th congressional district from 2005 to 2019. He is a Republican and is the former ele ...

, former King County Sheriff and U.S. Congressman *

Diane Schuur Diane Joan Schuur (born December 10, 1953), nicknamed "Deedles", is an American jazz singer and pianist. As of 2015, Schuur had released 23 albums, and had extended her jazz repertoire to include essences of Latin, gospel, pop and country music ...

, jazz singer and pianist * Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, NASA astronaut * Danny Shelton, NFL football player * D. C. Simpson, comic artist *

Misty Upham Misty Anne Upham (July 6, 1982 – October 5, 2014) was a Blackfeet actress. She attracted critical acclaim for her performance in the 2008 film ''Frozen River'', for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Fem ...

, actress *

Minoru Yamasaki was an American architect, best known for designing the original World Trade Center in New York City and several other large-scale projects. Yamasaki was one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century. He and fellow architect Edward D ...

, architect

City landmarks

The City of Auburn has designated the following landmarks:

Sister cities

Auburn has five sister cities: * Tamba, Japan *

Pyeongchang Pyeongchang (; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ; ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of Seou ...

, South Korea *

Guanghan Guanghan ( zh, s=广汉, t=廣漢, p=Guǎnghàn; formerly known as Hanchow) is a county-level city under the administration of Deyang in Sichuan province, southwest China, and only from Chengdu. The predominant industries are tourism, pharmaceut ...

, China *

Yuhang Yuhang is one of ten urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, East China. Its 2013 population was estimated at 1.17 million. Its inhabitants speak both Mandarin and a variety of Hangzhounese, ...

, China *

Mola di Bari Cathedral. Mola di Bari, commonly referred to simply as Mola ( Barese: ), is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, in the region of Apulia, in Southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. In recent times, the town was best known for ...

, Italy The relationship with Tamba is commemorated with an annual

student exchange program A student exchange program is a program in which students from a secondary school (high school) or university study abroad at one of their institution's partner institutions. A student exchange program may involve international travel, but doe ...

between the two cities and neighboring Kent.

References

External links

City website
{{authority control Cities in King County, Washington Cities in the Seattle metropolitan area Cities in Pierce County, Washington Populated places established in 1891 1891 establishments in Washington (state) Cities in Washington (state)