Originally named after US representative, senator, and then vice president-electWilliam R. King in 1852, the county government amended its designation in 1986 to honorMartin Luther King Jr., a prominent activist and leader during thecivil rights movement. The change was approved by the state government in 2005.
When Europeans arrived in the region that would become King County, it was inhabited by severalCoast Salish groups. Villages around the site that would become Seattle were primarily populated by theDuwamish people. TheSnoqualmie Indian Tribe occupied the area that would become eastern King County. TheGreen River andWhite River were home for theMuckleshoot tribal groups.[4] In the first winter after theDenny Party landed atAlki Point, the settlement at the point consisted of a few dozen settlers and over a thousand Native Americans. The local tribes provided the settlers with construction labor, domestic service, and help with subsistence activities.[5]
King County originally extended to theOlympic Peninsula. According to historianBill Speidel, when peninsular prohibitionists threatened to shut down Seattle's saloons,Doc Maynard engineered a peninsular independence movement; King County lost what is nowKitsap County but preserved its entertainment industry.[8]
Coal was discovered in 1853 by M. Bigelow along theBlack River, and in subsequent decades several companies formed to mine coal around Lake Washington and deliver it to Seattle. TheSeattle and Walla Walla Railroad started servicing the Renton coal fields in 1877, and theNewcastle fields in 1878. By 1880, King County produced 22% of the coal mined on the West Coast, most of that coal being found within theRenton Formation's Muldoon coal seam.[9][10][11][12][13]
On February 24, 1986, theKing County Council approved a motion to rename the county to honor civil rights leaderMartin Luther King Jr. (no relation to William R. King), preserving the name "King County" while changing its namesake.[14][15][16] The motion stated, among other reasons for the change, that "William Rufus DeVane King was aslaveowner" who "earned income and maintained his lifestyle by oppressing and exploiting other human beings," while Martin Luther King's "contributions are well-documented and celebrated by millions throughout this nation and the world, and embody the attributes for which the citizens of King County can be proud, and claim as their own."[17]
Because only the state can charter counties, the change was not made official until April 19, 2005, when GovernorChristine Gregoire signed into law Senate Bill 5332, which provided that "King county is renamed in honor of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr." effective July 24, 2005.[18][19][20]
The County Council voted on February 27, 2006, to adopt the proposal sponsored by Councilmember Larry Gossett to change the county's logo from an imperial crown to an image of Martin Luther King Jr.[21] On March 12, 2007, the new logo was unveiled.[22][23] The new logo design was developed by the Gable Design Group and the specific image was selected by a committee consisting of King County ExecutiveRon Sims, Council Chair Larry Gossett, ProsecutorNorm Maleng, Sheriff Sue Rahr, District Court Judge Corrina Harn, and Superior Court Judge Michael Trickey.[24] The same logo is used in the flag.
Martin Luther King Jr. had visited King County once, for three days in November 1961. He had been invited by longtime friend ReverendSamuel B. McKinney for a set of lectures around the city, sponsored by the Mount Zion Baptist Church.[25][26]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,307 square miles (5,980 km2), of which 2,116 square miles (5,480 km2) is land and 191 square miles (490 km2) (8.3%) is water.[27] King County has nearly twice the land area of the state ofRhode Island. The highest point in the county isMount Daniel at 7,959 feet (2,426 meters) above sea level.
King County has been identified as vulnerable to higher risks of flooding caused byclimate change due to the number of waterways in the area. The county's oceanic ecosystems are predicted to face harmful chemical changes, while the mountainous ecosystems could experience a decrease in ice and snow.[29] Since the mid-2000s, the county government has adopted policies to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the region.[28]
As of the2020 census, there were 2,269,675 people, 917,764 households, and 537,466 families residing in the county.[48] Of the residents, 20.1% were under the age of 18 and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 36.9 years. For every 100 females there were 100.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.1 males. 96.7% of residents lived in urban areas and 3.3% lived in rural areas.[49]
King County, Washington – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
There were 917,764 households in the county, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[48]
Thepopulation density was 1,073.0 inhabitants per square mile (414.3/km2). There were 969,234 housing units, of which 5.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 54.0% were owner-occupied and 46.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%.[48]
As of the2010 census, there were 1,931,249 people, 789,232 households, and 461,510 families residing in the county.[54] The population density was 912.9 inhabitants per square mile (352.5/km2). There were 851,261 housing units at an average density of 402.4 per square mile (155.4/km2).[55] The racial makeup of the county was 68.7%White (64.8%Non-Hispanic White), 6.2%African American, 14.6%Asian, 0.8%Pacific Islander, 0.8%Native American, 3.9% from other races, and 5.0% fromtwo or more races. Those ofHispanic or Latino origin made up 8.9% of the population.[54] In terms of ancestry, 17.1% wereGerman, 11.6% wereEnglish, 11.1% wereIrish, 5.5% wereNorwegian, and 2.9% wereAmerican.[56]
Of the 789,232 households, 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 41.5% were non-families, and 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age was 37.1 years.[54]
The median income for a household in the county was $68,065 and the median income for a family was $87,010. Males had a median income of $62,373 versus $45,761 for females. The per capita income for the county was $38,211. About 6.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.[57]
King County is home to two federally-recognized tribes, theMuckleshoot tribe and theSnoqualmie Indian Tribe tribe, and other unrecognized groups.[58] The Muckleshoot Indian Reservation is located southeast of Auburn and is home to a resident population of 3,606 as of the 2000 census.
The Snoqualmie tribe's casino property was federally recognized as their reservation in 2006, however few tribe members live near the reservation.[59]
According to statistics from 2010, the largest religious group in King County was theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, with 278,340 members worshipping at 71 parishes, followed by 95,218non-denominational Christian adherents with 159 congregations, 56,985LDS Mormons with 110 congregations, 25,937AoG Pentecostals with 63 congregations, 25,789ELCA Lutherans with 68 congregations, 24,909PC-USA Presbyterians with 54 congregations, 18,185Mahayana Buddhists with 39 congregations, 18,161UMC Methodists with 50 congregations, 14,971TEC Episcopalians with 35 congregations, and 12,531ABCUSA Baptists with 42 congregations. Altogether, 37.6% of the population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information.[60] In 2014, King County had 944 religious organizations, the eighth most of all U.S. counties.[61]
King County has the third largest population ofhomeless or unsheltered people in the United States according to theU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).[62] The agency's January 2023 report, based on thepoint-in-time count system, estimates 14,149 people in the county have experienced homelessness;[63] theKing County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) adopted a different methodology based on the number of people seeking services and estimated that 53,532 people in the county had been homeless at some point in 2022.[62][64] According to a survey collected by service providers for the county government, 68.5 percent of respondents said they last had stable housing in King County and 10.8 percent had lived elsewhere in the state.[65] Approximately 57 percent of the homeless population counted by HUD in King County was classified as unsheltered, either living in vehicles, encampments in public spaces, or other places.[66] The number of unsheltered individuals increased significantly in the late 2010s, leading to clearing of encampments and other structures by local governments.[67][68]
The county has 5,115 emergencyshelter beds andtiny house villages, of which 67 percent are in the city of Seattle.[69] According to data from the KCRHA, since late 2022 over 90 percent of shelter beds have been occupied on a consistent basis.[70] Additional shelters, parking lots, and encampment sites are operated by charity organizations and churches in the area;[71] during severe weather events such as heat waves and cold snaps, local governments open additional shelter spaces, but these often reach capacity.[72] In 2021, a total of $123 million was spent on homelessness services by local governments in King County, including cities and the regional authority.[69] The regional authority's five-year plan, released in 2023, estimates that $8 billion in capital costs would be required to build and staff 18,205 new units of temporary and transitional housing to address the homelessness crisis.[73]
King County is the state leader in total employment, with Seattle as the major contributor;healthcare is the principal private (non-government) employment sector, with many companyheadquarters in the area.[74]
Boeing has a significant manufacturing presence in the surrounding area. The2024 Boeing machinists' strike had a major impact on county employment statistics.[74]
In 2023, the averagesalary in King County was $120,463 (compared to $87,054 in all of Washington); the number of workers in the largest employment sectors of 2023 were:[74]
The county government manages elections, records, licensing, parks, wastewater treatment, and public health, among other duties. It also handles the criminal legal and incarceration system for all cities and unincorporated areas within King County. It has asheriff's department that also provides basic policing to unincorporated areas.[79] The Department of Local Services, established in 2019, serves as the local government for populated unincorporated areas.[80]
King County is part of fourcongressional districts that each elect a member of theUnited States House of Representatives; the boundaries are redrawn every 10 years based on the results of the decennial census.[81] The1st district comprises the Eastside cities north ofBellevue; the7th district includes northern Seattle, West Seattle, Burien, Normandy Park, and Vashon Island; the8th district includes areas east ofLake Sammamish and the immediate Green River Valley; and the9th district comprises the southern areas of the county from Federal Way to Seattle, Mercer Island, and part of Bellevue.[82] In thestate legislature, the county has 17 districts that each elect twoHouse members and onesenator.[83][84] The majority of state legislators from King County are Democrats; only four House members and two senators are from the Republican Party.[83]
The people of King County voted on September 5, 1911, to create a Port District. King County'sPort of Seattle was established as the first Port District in Washington State. The Port of Seattle is King County's only Port District. It is governed by five Port Commissioners, who are elected countywide and serve four-year terms. The Port of Seattle owns and operates many properties on behalf of King County's citizens, includingSea-Tac International Airport; many seaport facilities aroundElliott Bay, including its original property, publicly ownedFishermen's Terminal, home to the North Pacific fishing fleet and the largest homeport for fishermen in the U.S. West Coast;[citation needed] fourcontainer ship terminals; twocruise ship terminals; the largest grain export terminal in the U.S. Pacific Northwest; three publicmarinas; 22 public parks; and nearly 5,000 acres of industrial lands in theBallard-Interbay andLower Duwamish industrial centers.[citation needed]
King County and Seattle are strongly liberal; the area is a bastion for theDemocratic Party. No Republican presidential candidate has carried the county votes sinceRonald Reagan'slandslide reelection victory in 1984. In the2008 election,Barack Obama defeatedJohn McCain in the county by 42 percentage points, a larger margin for the Democrats than that seen in any previous election up to that point in time. Slightly more than 29% of Washington state's population reside in King County, making it a significant factor for the Democrats in a few recent close statewide elections. In the2000 Senate election, King County's margin of victory pushedMaria Cantwell's total over that of incumbentRepublicanSlade Gorton, defeating and unseating him in theUnited States Senate. In 2004, King County gave a lead to DemocratChristine Gregoire in her 2004 victorygubernatorial election, pushing her ahead of RepublicanDino Rossi, who led by 261 votes after the initial count.[86] Rossi resided in the county at the time of the election, inSammamish. In the2020 presidential election,Joe Biden defeatedDonald Trump by earning 75% of King County votes. GovernorJay Inslee also defeated Republican challenger Loren Culp with 74% of the King County vote in theconcurrent gubernatorial election. These were the largest margins by any candidate in a presidential race and a gubernatorial race since the county's creation.[87]
In 2004, voters passed a referendum reducing the size of the County Council from 13 members to 9. This resulted in all council seats ending up on the 2005 ballot.
Some residents of eastern King County have long desired to secede and form their own county. This movement was most vocal in the mid-1990s (seeCedar County, Washington).[88][89] It has recently been revived as Cascade County.[90] According to a map published by theSeattle Times, four different geographic borders were considered.[91] Additional plans (seeSkykomish County, Washington) also exist or have existed.
United States presidential election results for King County, Washington[92][93][94][95]
^Thrush, Coll-Peter (2002). "Creation Stories". In Mary C. Wright (ed.).More Voices, New Stories. Pacific Northwest Historians Guild. pp. 45–46.ISBN0295983108.
^Melder, F.E. (1938). "History of the Discoveries and Physical Development of the Coal Industry in the State of Washington".The Pacific Northwest Quarterly.29 (2):151–165.JSTOR40486284.
^Regional Transit Map Book(PDF) (Map). King County GIS Center, Sound Transit. February 2014. pp. 8, 17.Archived(PDF) from the original on June 10, 2024. RetrievedJanuary 25, 2024.
King County Snapshots presents King County, Washington, through 12,000 historical images carefully chosen from twelve cultural heritage organizations' collections. These catalogued 19th and 20th century images portray people, places, and events in the county's urban, suburban, and rural communities.
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