Issaquah is a city in King County, Washington. The population was 37,487 in a 2017 census estimate. According to the 2020 US census, the population had risen to 40,100.
History[]
"Issaquah" is an anglicized word for a local Native Americanname, meaning either "the sound of birds", "snake", or "little stream". "Squak Valley", an older name for the area, also derives from this same Native-American name.
In 1885, the then unincorporated area was the scene of an attack on Chinese laborers who had come to pick hops from local fields. The city itself was officially incorporated on April 29, 1892. Initially a small mining town, this town has changed noticeably both in its appearance and economic focus. Issaquah was originally developed to service the mining industry (on the two nearby mountains that now lend their names to the Cougar/Squak Corridor Park), and began as the town of Gilman, Washington. As the mining deposits neared depletion in the late 1890s, other companies started to realize Issaquah's potential to support a lucrative lumber business. These companies exported timber from Issaquah and other small, local towns to Seattle and larger, rapidly growing communities throughout western Washington. These early boom industries, however, faded into a period of relative quiet by the time of the Great Depression. The town remained fairly placid through the succeeding decades, with The Boeing Company providing the majority of employment in the area. Microsoft and other technological industries moved into Redmond, Washington and other cities in the area, and later established operations in Issaquah itself. Both Boeing and Microsoft have significantly affected Issaquah's history, cultural development, and diverse population through their active community participation and attraction of outside residents. In June 1996, Costco moved its global headquarters to Issaquah from nearby Kirkland, Washington.
Geography[]
Issaquah is located 15 miles east-southeast of Seattle at the south end of Lake Sammamish. Neighboring cities include Bellevue, and Redmond, both 8 miles away.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.40 square miles (29.53 km2), of which, 11.38 square miles (29.47 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.
Climate[]
Issaquah has an warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb) with chilly, extremely wet winters and warm, moderately humid summers. Although there is no dry season in Issaquah, winters are many times wetter than the summers.
Public Safety[]
The Issaquah Police Department is the law enforcement branch of the city.
The Issaquah Fire Department provides fire services.
Swedish Medical Center opened a full service hospital and healthcare facility in the Issaquah Highlands with a capacity of 175 inpatient beds and a 24-hour emergency room in 2012.