Seattle
Seattle is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest. It is the 18th-most populous city in the United States, with a metro area of over 4.15 million. Seattle is situated on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. It is the northernmost major city in the United States. A gateway for trade with the Asia-Pacific region, the Port of Seattle is the fourth-largest port in North America in terms of container handling. Seattle's growth rate of 21.1% between 2010 and 2020 made it one of the country's fastest-growing large cities.
Typical weather
1981–presentCity Rhythm
measuredOpening hours, by kind of place
median across mapped venuesVital absurdities
measured · the Anti-AwardsSame time system
by rhythmWhat to do each season
2dry-summer
mild and relatively dry; openmeteo mean 9.1-18.2 °C (Aug warmest 18.2); the driest months (Jul 0.8 mm/day); the North Pacific High deflects the storm track north; the high season
- the dry mild summer — the year-round outdoor season peaks (sailing, hiking, skiing on the Cascades); the festival cluster (Seafair, Bumbershoot)
- the lowest rainfall and the longest daylight (the northernmost major U.S. city); the comfortable window
wet-winter
cool and wet; openmeteo mean 3.6-10.7 °C (Dec coolest 3.6); the rainy season (Oct-Apr, Nov wettest 6.5 mm/day); atmospheric-river 'Pineapple Express' storms can deliver 4-5 inches in 24 hours; low winter sunshine
- the long wet gloomy winter — the coffee-shop and indoor-cultural season; the seasonal darkness at this latitude
- the Olympic rain shadow gives Sequim only ~16 in/yr while the windward Hoh Rainforest gets ~142 in
What it is known for
Important moments in a year
Seafair
- Seafair — the summer festival cluster (the Seafair Cup hydroplane races, a Bon Odori celebration)
Bumbershoot
- Bumbershoot — the art and music festival over Labor Day weekend
Seattle International Film Festival
- the Seattle International Film Festival — a 24-day festival
On the record
source-trackedSeattle has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) … with cool, wet winters and mild, relatively dry summers. The climate is sometimes characterized as a 'modified Mediterranean' climate.
Particularly intense storms include atmospheric rivers ('Pineapple Express' systems) that channel subtropical moisture into western Washington and can produce four to five inches of rainfall in twenty-four hours.
The windward Hoh Rainforest averages roughly 142 inches of precipitation annually, while the rain shadow on the leeward side produces only about 16 inches at Sequim.
Seattle is situated on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. It is the northernmost major city in the United States.
The Port of Seattle is the fourth-largest port in North America in terms of container handling.
Seven companies on Fortune 500's 2022 list are headquartered in Seattle: Amazon (#2), Starbucks, Expeditors International, Nordstrom, Weyerhaeuser, Expedia Group, and Zillow.
Seattle's growth rate of 21.1% between 2010 and 2020 made it one of the country's fastest-growing large cities.
Of the city's population over the age of 25, 53.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (vs. a national average of 27.4%).
Washington State Ferries manages the largest network of ferries in the United States and third-largest in the world.
The city's mild, temperate marine climate allows year-round outdoor recreation, including walking, cycling, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, kayaking, rock climbing, motorboating, sailing, team sports, and swimming.
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