Puget Sound region | |
|---|---|
 Puget Sound, its basins, and major surrounding cities | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| Core cities | Seattle Tacoma Bellevue Everett |
| Highest elevation | 14,411 ft (4,392 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Time zone | UTC−08:00 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (PDT) |
| Area codes | 206,253,360,425,564 |
ThePuget Sound region is a coastal area of thePacific Northwest in the U.S. state ofWashington, includingPuget Sound, the Puget Sound lowlands, and the surrounding region roughly west of theCascade Range and east of theOlympic Mountains. It is characterized by a complex array of saltwater bays, islands, and peninsulas carved out by prehistoric glaciers.
Poet Robert Sund called the Puget Sound region "Ish River country", owing to its numerous rivers with names ending in "ish", such as theDuwamish,Samish,Sammamish,Skokomish,Skykomish,Snohomish, and theStillaguamish.[1] Theish ending is fromSalishan languages and means "people of".[2]
The Puget Sound region was formed by the collision and attachment of manyterranes ("microcontinents") to theNorth American plate between about 50 to 10 million years ago.[3] About 15,000 years ago during theVashon Glaciation, the Puget Sound region was covered by a lobe of theCordilleran ice sheet. The glacier that covered the area was about 3,000 feet (900 m) thick within the vicinity of Seattle.[4] By the timeCaptain George Vancouver found the Sound in 1792, early native people had already been there for over 5,000 years.
Logging started as early as 1853. In the 1880s logging railroads cut their way into Puget Sound. 1886 the St. Helens fire burned 300,000 acres (1,200 km2). Mount Rainier National Park started in 1899. The 1902Yacolt Burn burned 600,000 acres (2,400 km2). Olympic National Park was established in 1938.[5]
George Vancouver explored Puget sound in 1792. Vancouver claimed it forGreat Britain on June 4, 1792, naming it for one of his officers,Lieutenant Peter Puget. It became part of theOregon Country, and became U.S. territory when the 1846Oregon Treaty was signed.
After arriving along theOregon Trail, many settlers wandered north to what is now Washington and settled the Puget Sound area. The first non-indigenous settlement was New Market (now known asTumwater) in 1846. In 1853Washington Territory was formed from part ofOregon Territory. In 1888 theNorthern Pacific railroad line reached Puget Sound, linking the region to eastern states.
For a long period Tacoma was noted for its large smelters where gold, silver, copper and lead ores were treated. Seattle was the primary port for trade withAlaska and the rest of the country and for a time possessed a large shipbuilding industry. The region around eastern Puget Sound developed heavy industry during the period includingWorld War I andWorld War II, and theBoeing Company became established in the area.
During World War II the Puget Sound area became a focus for the war industry, with Boeing producing many of the nation'sheavy bombers and the ports of Seattle,Bremerton and Tacoma available for shipbuilding. The most important yards in the Sound during World War II wereSeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding's Seattle and Tacoma yards, also known asTodd Pacific,Todd Seattle andTodd Tacoma and thePuget Sound Navy Yard. They produced a significant portion ofdestroyers andescort carriers. Smaller operations includedWinslow,Associated Shipbuilders and theLake Washington Shipyard.
Since 1995, Puget Sound has been recognized as anAmerican Viticultural Area by theAlcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.[6]
The urban region designated the Puget Sound Region is centered on Seattle and consists of ninecounties, two urban centercities and four satellite cities making up what has been dubbed "Pugetopolis."[7] Both urban core cities have large industrial areas andseaports plus a high-risecentral business district. The satellite cities are primarilysuburban, featuring a small downtown core and a small industrial area orport. The suburbs consist mostly of residences,strip malls, and shopping centers. The region is also home to numerous ports. The two largest and busiest are thePort of Seattle andPort of Tacoma, which, if combined, comprise the third largest container port in North America after Los Angeles/Long Beach and New York/New Jersey.[8]
As defined by theU.S. Census Bureau and theOffice of Management and Budget, the Seattle metropolitan area is officially the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WAmetropolitan statistical area (MSA) and consists of:[9][10]
Based on commuting patterns, the adjacent metropolitan areas ofOlympia,Bremerton, andMount Vernon, along with a few smaller satellite urban areas, are grouped together in a wider labor market region known as theSeattle–Tacomacombined statistical area (CSA), which encompasses most of the Puget Sound region.[10][11] The population of this wider region is 4,269,349—almost two-thirds of Washington's population—as of 2012[update].[12] The Seattle CSA is the12th largest CSA, and the13th largest primary census statistical area in the country. The additional metropolitan andmicropolitan areas included are:[10]
A state-run ferry system,Washington State Ferries, connects the larger islands to the Washington mainland, as well as both sides of the sound, allowing cars and people to move about the greater Puget Sound region.
The region has aCsb (warm summer mediterranean) climate with some areas in the far east (western foothills of the Cascades) having anoceanic (Cfb) climate if the 30 millimetres (1.2 in)isohyet is used. The wet season is from October to April and is due to theAleutian Low coming in from the northwest, and variation in winter rain from year to year is mostly due to variation in the strength of the Aleutian Low (strong = dry and weak = wet). The dry season (May-Sep) is caused by a subtropical high moving north from California. The driest part of the region is in the rain shadow of theOlympic Mountains aroundSequim andWhidbey Island, receiving 40-75 cm of precipitation per year. The wettest part is in the foothills of both the Cascade and the Olympic Mts, and on the west side of the Sound, receiving 125-1000+ cm of precipitation per year.[13][14]
 | This article needs to beupdated. The reason given is: Some of this data is more than five years old; parts are more than 10 years old. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2024) |
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) | 70 (21) | 79 (26) | 89 (32) | 93 (34) | 108 (42) | 103 (39) | 99 (37) | 98 (37) | 89 (32) | 74 (23) | 66 (19) | 108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 57.0 (13.9) | 59.1 (15.1) | 66.4 (19.1) | 74.3 (23.5) | 81.9 (27.7) | 85.8 (29.9) | 91.2 (32.9) | 89.9 (32.2) | 84.1 (28.9) | 72.0 (22.2) | 61.6 (16.4) | 56.8 (13.8) | 94.1 (34.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 48.0 (8.9) | 50.3 (10.2) | 54.2 (12.3) | 59.3 (15.2) | 66.3 (19.1) | 71.1 (21.7) | 77.4 (25.2) | 77.6 (25.3) | 71.6 (22.0) | 60.5 (15.8) | 52.1 (11.2) | 47.0 (8.3) | 61.3 (16.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 42.8 (6.0) | 44.0 (6.7) | 47.1 (8.4) | 51.3 (10.7) | 57.5 (14.2) | 62.0 (16.7) | 67.1 (19.5) | 67.4 (19.7) | 62.6 (17.0) | 53.8 (12.1) | 46.5 (8.1) | 42.0 (5.6) | 53.7 (12.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 37.7 (3.2) | 37.7 (3.2) | 39.9 (4.4) | 43.3 (6.3) | 48.7 (9.3) | 53.0 (11.7) | 56.8 (13.8) | 57.2 (14.0) | 53.6 (12.0) | 47.0 (8.3) | 40.9 (4.9) | 37.1 (2.8) | 46.1 (7.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 26.1 (−3.3) | 27.3 (−2.6) | 31.3 (−0.4) | 35.6 (2.0) | 40.6 (4.8) | 46.6 (8.1) | 51.5 (10.8) | 51.7 (10.9) | 45.8 (7.7) | 36.8 (2.7) | 29.2 (−1.6) | 25.4 (−3.7) | 21.5 (−5.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 0 (−18) | 1 (−17) | 11 (−12) | 29 (−2) | 28 (−2) | 38 (3) | 43 (6) | 44 (7) | 35 (2) | 28 (−2) | 6 (−14) | 6 (−14) | 0 (−18) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.78 (147) | 3.76 (96) | 4.17 (106) | 3.18 (81) | 1.88 (48) | 1.45 (37) | 0.60 (15) | 0.97 (25) | 1.61 (41) | 3.91 (99) | 6.31 (160) | 5.72 (145) | 39.34 (999) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.8 (4.6) | 2.2 (5.6) | 0.4 (1.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 1.7 (4.3) | 6.3 (16) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 18.7 | 15.9 | 17.1 | 15.0 | 11.3 | 9.2 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 8.3 | 14.3 | 18.4 | 18.4 | 156.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 4.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 78.0 | 75.2 | 73.6 | 71.4 | 68.9 | 67.1 | 65.4 | 68.2 | 73.2 | 78.6 | 79.8 | 80.1 | 73.3 |
| Averagedew point °F (°C) | 33.1 (0.6) | 35.1 (1.7) | 36.3 (2.4) | 38.8 (3.8) | 43.5 (6.4) | 48.2 (9.0) | 51.4 (10.8) | 52.7 (11.5) | 50.2 (10.1) | 45.1 (7.3) | 38.8 (3.8) | 34.3 (1.3) | 42.3 (5.7) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 69.8 | 108.8 | 178.4 | 207.3 | 253.7 | 268.4 | 312.0 | 281.4 | 221.7 | 142.6 | 72.7 | 52.9 | 2,169.7 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 25 | 38 | 48 | 51 | 54 | 56 | 65 | 64 | 59 | 42 | 26 | 20 | 49 |
| Averageultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point and sun 1961–1990)[15][16][17] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[18] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data forOlympia Regional Airport, Washington (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1948−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 64 (18) | 73 (23) | 79 (26) | 88 (31) | 96 (36) | 110 (43) | 104 (40) | 104 (40) | 98 (37) | 90 (32) | 74 (23) | 64 (18) | 110 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 56.3 (13.5) | 59.4 (15.2) | 67.9 (19.9) | 76.2 (24.6) | 83.9 (28.8) | 87.9 (31.1) | 93.6 (34.2) | 92.2 (33.4) | 86.3 (30.2) | 73.7 (23.2) | 61.5 (16.4) | 55.5 (13.1) | 96.0 (35.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.0 (7.8) | 49.1 (9.5) | 53.7 (12.1) | 58.9 (14.9) | 66.1 (18.9) | 70.8 (21.6) | 77.6 (25.3) | 78.0 (25.6) | 72.1 (22.3) | 60.2 (15.7) | 50.6 (10.3) | 44.9 (7.2) | 60.7 (15.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 39.6 (4.2) | 40.7 (4.8) | 44.1 (6.7) | 48.2 (9.0) | 54.5 (12.5) | 59.1 (15.1) | 64.2 (17.9) | 64.2 (17.9) | 59.1 (15.1) | 50.3 (10.2) | 43.2 (6.2) | 38.9 (3.8) | 50.5 (10.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 33.2 (0.7) | 32.3 (0.2) | 34.5 (1.4) | 37.5 (3.1) | 43.0 (6.1) | 47.4 (8.6) | 50.7 (10.4) | 50.5 (10.3) | 46.2 (7.9) | 40.5 (4.7) | 35.8 (2.1) | 32.8 (0.4) | 40.4 (4.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 18.8 (−7.3) | 19.0 (−7.2) | 23.9 (−4.5) | 27.5 (−2.5) | 32.3 (0.2) | 38.4 (3.6) | 42.7 (5.9) | 41.9 (5.5) | 35.9 (2.2) | 27.9 (−2.3) | 21.6 (−5.8) | 18.4 (−7.6) | 12.6 (−10.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −8 (−22) | −1 (−18) | 9 (−13) | 23 (−5) | 25 (−4) | 30 (−1) | 35 (2) | 33 (1) | 25 (−4) | 14 (−10) | −1 (−18) | −7 (−22) | −8 (−22) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 7.80 (198) | 5.09 (129) | 5.68 (144) | 3.67 (93) | 2.26 (57) | 1.46 (37) | 0.53 (13) | 0.96 (24) | 2.04 (52) | 5.07 (129) | 8.21 (209) | 7.85 (199) | 50.62 (1,286) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.0 (5.1) | 0.6 (1.5) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.2 (3.0) | 3.9 (9.9) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 20.3 | 16.4 | 18.8 | 16.3 | 11.4 | 8.5 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 8.1 | 15.1 | 19.5 | 20.2 | 163.4 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.2 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 87.5 | 84.5 | 80.0 | 75.6 | 72.9 | 72.4 | 70.8 | 72.1 | 77.6 | 85.1 | 88.4 | 89.1 | 79.7 |
| Averagedew point °F (°C) | 34.5 (1.4) | 36.0 (2.2) | 36.9 (2.7) | 39.2 (4.0) | 43.9 (6.6) | 48.9 (9.4) | 52.0 (11.1) | 52.7 (11.5) | 49.6 (9.8) | 44.8 (7.1) | 39.6 (4.2) | 35.4 (1.9) | 42.8 (6.0) |
| Source 1: NOAA (dew points and relative humidity 1961–1990)[19][20] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[21] | |||||||||||||
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(January 2011) |
North Pacific Oak Woodland is one of the principal plant associations of the Puget Trough, where many of the soils are well drained mesic.[22]
Counties of the Puget Sound region:
In addition, theSan Juan Islands (all ofSan Juan County plus a few islands belonging toWhatcom County) are often considered part of the greater Puget Sound area.[citation needed]
Prominent islands:
Urban centers:
Satellite cities:
Other principal cities:
Military bases:
| International | |
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| National | |
