Issaquah ( ) is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 40,051 at the 2020 census. Located in a valley and bisected by Interstate 90, the city is bordered by the Sammamish Plateau to the north and the "Issaquah Alps" to the south. It is home to the headquarters of the multinational retail company Costco Wholesale Corporation. Issaquah is included in the Seattle metropolitan area.

History

"Issaquah" is an anglicization of the Southern Lushootseed placename /sqʷáxʷ/, 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 September 1885, the then-unincorporated area was the scene of an attack on Chinese laborers who had come to pick hops from local fields. Three of the laborers died from gunshot wounds; seven attackers were indicted, but they were later acquitted or charges were dropped.

Shortly after becoming known as Squak, the town was briefly renamed to Gilman, an homage to Daniel Hunt Gilman, who brought railways to the town.

The city was officially incorporated by the Washington State legislature on April 29, 1892. Initially a small mining town, the city 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). 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's industries remained similar through most of the twentieth century, with Boeing providing the majority of employment in the area. Microsoft and other technological industries moved into Redmond and other cities in the area, and later established operations in Issaquah itself. In June 1996, Costco moved its global headquarters to Issaquah from nearby Kirkland.

Geography Issaquah is located east-southeast of Seattle at the south end of Lake Sammamish. Its neighboring cities are Bellevue to the west and Sammamish to the north. Issaquah resides within the Mountains to Sound Greenway.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and are water.

Issaquah is surrounded on three sides by what are known locally as the Issaquah Alps: Cougar Mountain on the west, Squak Mountain to the south, and Tiger Mountain to the southeast. To the north of Issaquah is Lake Sammamish. Cougar and Squak Mountains are home to sizable neighborhoods on their lower slopes, though the bulk of all three mountains are preserved in public ownership as Squak Mountain State Park, Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, West Tiger Mountain NRCA, and Tiger Mountain State Forest. Geologists have noted the chemical and geological content of these three mountains to be much different from that of the Cascade Range, because they are not volcanic in origin, while the entire Cascade Range is postulated to have formed from volcanic action. They believe that these three mountains are the remains of a much older mountain range long since eroded by earthquakes, volcanic action, and shifting plates.

Climate Issaquah has a 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. Rainfall amounts are extremely similar to the neighboring city of Sammamish, which is 0.06 inches wetter overall, with the same summer rain amounts.

Economy Warehouse retailer Costco has been headquartered in Issaquah since 1996. Other major Issaquah employers include Microsoft, Siemens Medical Solutions' Ultrasound Group, Overtime Technologies, Boehm's Candies, and Darigold. Apparel wholesaler SanMar is also headquartered in the city. A large gravel quarry, operated by Lakeside Industries, is located on immediately north of downtown Issaquah. It is planned to be redeveloped into a residential and commercial neighborhood over a 30-year period as quarry operations are phased out.

Demographics

According to a 2021 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $132,984, and the median income for a family was $115,814. The per capita income for the city was $78,581.

According to the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Issaquah ranked 6th of 279 eligible incorporated communities in population growth between 2000 and 2005. Forbes.com ranked Issaquah the 2nd fastest-growing suburb in the state and the 89th in the nation.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Issaquah had a population of 40,051. The median age was 37.9 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.4 males age 18 and over. This continued the population increase recorded in earlier censuses.

99.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.4% lived in rural areas.

There were 16,444 households in Issaquah, of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.7% were married-couple households, 15.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 17,303 housing units, of which 5.0% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.5%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 23,957 59.8% Black or African American 799 2.0% American Indian and Alaska Native 129 0.3% Asian 10,379 25.9% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 67 0.2% Some other race 985 2.5% Two or more races 3,735 9.3% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 2,852 7.1%

2010 census As of the 2010 census, there were 30,434 people, 12,841 households, and 8,018 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 13,914 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 74.7% White, 1.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 17.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race made up 5.8% of the population.

For the same census period, there were 12,841 households, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.6% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34, and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the city was 36.8 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 35.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.6% were from 45 to 64; and 12.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

2000 census As of the 2000 census, there were 11,212 people, 4,840 households, and 2,908 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,330.9 people per square mile (514.1/km2). There were 5,195 housing units at an average density of 616.7 per square mile (238.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.95% White, 0.88% African American, 0.63% Native American, 6.04% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.46% from other races, and 2.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race made up 4.95% of the population.

There were 4,840 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $57,892, and the median income for a family was $77,274. Males had a median income of $55,049 versus $36,670 for females. The per capita income for the city was $34,222. About 3.4% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Highways and roads Issaquah is bisected by Interstate 90, which runs from Seattle to Boston, and Washington State Route 900, which connects the city to neighboring Renton. There is a chronic traffic congestion on Front Street, which traverses the historic downtown and carries 20,000 daily vehicle trips; in addition to local trips, the street also connects commuters from outside the city to Interstate 90. A proposed bypass of Front Street was included in the city's 1995 comprehensive plan and studied in a 2008 ahead of a plan to begin construction. Opponents of the bypass argued that the project would encourage more housing sprawl in the area beyond downtown and fail to solve traffic congestion issues on Front Street. The city council voted to cancel the project in 2008.

Public transportation

Bus service in Issaquah is provided by King County Metro and Sound Transit Express routes to Bellevue, Mercer Island, North Bend, and Redmond. There are two primary park-and-rides in the city: Issaquah Transit Center near downtown, with 1,010 spaces; and Issaquah Highlands Park & Ride, with 819 spaces. Trailhead Direct, a seasonal service from Seattle and Bellevue to the Issaquah Alps and other hiking areas, is operated by Metro during the summer months. Issaquah had direct express bus service to Downtown Seattle provided by both Metro and Sound Transit Express until they were truncated to nearby Link light rail stations on the 2 Line in Bellevue and Mercer Island.

As part of the expansion of Sound Transit services, a Link light rail line to Issaquah from Bellevue is proposed to begin service by 2050. The 4 Line is planned to terminate in Issaquah and was funded by the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure, which was passed by voters in 2016. The project is expected to cost $2billion.

In August 1995, the city and King County Metro launched a fare-free shuttle service between business districts and community centers in Issaquah as a form of traffic congestion relief.

Local attractions

Issaquah Alps

The Issaquah Alps are a range of highlands situated around the city of Issaquah that include hiking trails and other outdoor activities. It is primarily composed of three distinct peaks: Tiger Mountain, Cougar Mountain, and Squak Mountain. Paragliders and hang gliders launch from Poo Poo Point on Tiger Mountain in the Issaquah Alps. Several popular trailheads in the area are served by Trailhead Direct, a shuttle bus service managed by King County Metro.

Issaquah Valley Trolley