The city of Seattle, Washington, contains manydistricts andneighborhoods. The city's former mayorGreg Nickels has described it as "a city of neighborhoods".[1][2][3] Early European settlers established widely scattered settlements on the surrounding hills, which grew into neighborhoods and autonomous towns.Conurbations tended to grow from such towns or from unincorporated areas around trolley stops during the 19th and early 20th centuries; the city has consequently suffered from transportation and street-naming problems.[4]
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Seattle was established during aneconomic boom fueled by the timber industry; its early years were characterized by hasty expansion and development, under which residential areas were loosely defined by widely scatteredplats.[5] This arrangement was further solidified by the establishment of locally initiated community clubs, public libraries, public schools, and public parks, which created a sense of community and civic participation.[citation needed] At the beginning of the 20th century, Seattle's community clubs became influential in the organization of public improvements. These had a significant effect upon the character of their neighborhoods and allowed them to remain distinct from the surrounding areas.[6][7] Some community clubs used covenants to restrict the ethnicity of residents.[8]
Establishing public library branches can define districts as well as neighborhoods. Public libraries are among the most heavily used buildings.[9] Seattle elected its city councilat large from 1910 to 2014, and community clubs lobby councilors for the interests of local residents – such as for a library branch. The community organizations build a voting constituency, and in so doing define a neighborhood. In the absence of ward politics, this andcampaign finance legislation are seen as more open alternatives. The Greenwood-Phinney Commercial Club was particularly active in organizing toward the Greenwood branch that opened in 1928.[10]The Lake City Branch Library opened in 1935 as a few shelves of books in part of a room in Lake City School, shared with theWorks Progress Administration (WPA), sponsored by the Pacific Improvement Club community group. The library moved into a new building in 1955.[11]
Elementary public schools effectively defined many neighborhoods, which are often synonymous with the name of the elementary school when the neighborhood and school were established. Many of the neighborhoods contain a few smaller neighborhoods. Mann and Minor neighborhoods in theCentral District, were built around their schools. The University Heights school (1903) in the north of theUniversity District was named for the neighborhood, as was the Latona School (1906) inWallingford.[12][13][14]
Parks similarly define some neighborhoods. Madrona Beach and Cowen and Ravenna Parks were privately established to encourage residential development upon otherwise unusable land.[15] The plan forOlmsted Parks fulfilled its goal and significantly influenced the character of neighborhoods around parks and playgrounds.[16] East Phinney and West Meridian neighborhoods are sometimes called Woodland Park, as well as South Green Lake or North Wallingford for Meridian.[17]
Housingcovenants became common in the 1920s and were validated by theU.S. Supreme Court in 1926. Minorities were effectively limited to theInternational District and parts of some neighborhoods in south-east Seattle for Asian- and Native Americans; or theCentral District for people of African ancestry, clearly defining those neighborhoods.[18] Ballard – Sunset Hill, Beacon Hill, Broadmoor, Green Lake, Laurelhurst, Magnolia, Queen Anne, South Lake City, and other Seattle neighborhoods and blocks had racially or ethnically restrictive housing covenants, such as the following sample:
No person or persons of [any of several minorities] blood, lineage, or extraction shall be permitted to occupy a portion of said property ... except a domestic servant or servants who may actually and in good faith be employed by white occupants.[19]
Further restrictions onconveyance (rental, lease, sale, transfer) were often included, effectively defining most of the neighborhoods in Seattle during the first decades after establishment.
The Supreme Court ruled in 1948 that racial restrictions would no longer be enforced. The Seattle Open Housing Ordinance became effective in 1968. Although unenforceable, legal complications prevent the covenants from being expunged from property title documents.[19][20]
Seattle initially adopted a ward system; however, in 1910, this system was replaced by non-partisan, at-large representation. Variations on ward systems were proposed and rejected in 1914,[21] 1926,[22] 1974, 1995,[23] and 2003[24] and convictions for campaign-relatedmoney laundering followed the 1995 campaign.[25] Critics claimed that district-style elections of the city council would result inTammany Hall-style politics. In 1973, inspired by Boston's model, MayorWes Uhlman's administration implemented a system ofLittle City Halls, where Community Service Centers (CSCs) assumed responsibility for coordinating municipal services. Uhlman's political opponents called the CSCs a thinly disguised ward system designed to promote Uhlman's reelection.[26] CSCs became a setting for political arguments between the city council and the mayor; controversies over accountability, cronyism, and ward politics occurred in 1974, 1976, and 1988. In 1991 the CSCs were renamed Neighborhood Service Centers (NSCs) and were placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Neighborhoods.[26] More recently, their number has been reduced. As of 2011, there are NSCs located in Ballard, Lake City, the University District, the Central District, West Seattle, Southeast Seattle, and Delridge.[27]
Alocal improvement district (LID) is a method by which a group of property owners can share the cost of transportation infrastructure improvements. This involves improving the street, building sidewalks and installing stormwater management systems. Without Seattle's LID assessment system, the city would be unable to maintain its rapid growth in population and territory.[28] LIDs have helped define neighborhoods by localizing decisions about issues like sidewalks, vegetation and other features of the public space, permitting neighborhoods to remain distinct from their neighbors.[citation needed]
No official neighborhood boundaries have existed in Seattle since 1910.[21][29] Districts and neighborhoods are thus informal;[30] their boundaries may overlap and multiple names may exist for a single district. Boundaries and names can be disputed or change over time. In 2002 a Department of Neighborhoods spokeswoman said, "I've seen my area go from the'CD' to 'Madrona' to 'Greater Madison Valley' and now 'Madrona Park.' "[3] Some neighborhoods, such as northwest Seattle, do not have widely recognized names for their greater districts.
Throughout Seattle one can find signs indicating the boundaries of neighborhoods; the locations of these signs have been specified by the city's many community councils. However, the boundaries suggested by these signs routinely overlap and differ from delineations on maps. For example, signs indicate that Lake City Way NE is the southeastern boundary of theMaple Leaf neighborhood,[31][32] while the city clerk's archival map places that district's southern boundary at 85th Street.[33]
Another example of boundary ambiguity is "Frelard," which local residents call the area shared byFremont andBallard between 3rd and 8th Avenues NW. Signs facing opposite directions on NW Leary Way reveal the overlap.[12]
Further difficulty in defining neighborhoods can result from residents' identification with neighborhoods different from those marked on signs and maps. After an acrimonious development dispute in 1966, a group of concernedWallingford citizens enlisted theUniversity of Washington Community Development Bureau to survey their neighborhood; the survey revealed that more residents of southwest Wallingford considered themselves citizens of Fremont than of Wallingford.[12][13]
Minor arterial roads are generally located along the boundaries of neighborhoods, with streets and highways built according to the street classification system.[34] These effectively help define neighborhoods.[35]
Development in accordance with the street classification system maintains the quality of life of city neighborhoods and improves efficiency of the road system. The classification system discouragesrat running through local neighborhood streets.[36]
Transportation hubs, such as business zones and transit stations, such asPark and Ride facilities, provide focal points for districts of neighborhoods the same waytrolley stops defined neighborhoods before cars.[citation needed]
The Department of Neighborhoods designates a number of Historic Districts, which have a similar status toSeattle Landmarks. As of 2021[update] these are:
Source of list:[37]
Despite complications in Seattle's system of neighborhoods and districts, the names and boundaries in the following list are generally accepted and widely used.[38] They are based on theSeattle City Clerk's Neighborhood Map Atlas,[39] which in turn is based on a variety of sources, including a 1980 neighborhood map produced by the now-defunct Department of Community Development,[40]Seattle Public Library indexes, a 1984-1986 "Neighborhood Profiles" feature series in theSeattle Post-Intelligencer,[41] numerous park, land use and transportation planning studies, as well as records in the Seattle Municipal Archives.
The following table is largely based on maps from the Seattle City Clerk's Neighborhood Atlas, but also includes designations from other sources.
| Neighborhood name | Within larger district | Annexed[42] | Locator map | Street map | Image | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Seattle | Seattle | Various |  |  | North of theLake Washington Ship Canal[43] | |
| 2 | Broadview | North Seattle[43] | 1954[44] |  |  |  | [45] |
| 3 | Bitter Lake | North Seattle[43] | 1954[44] |  |  |  | [46] |
| 4 | North Beach /Blue Ridge | North Seattle[43] | 1940,[44] 1954[44] |  | [47] | ||
| 5 | Crown Hill | North Seattle[43] | 1907,[48] 1952,[44] 1954[44] |  |  |  | [49] |
| 6 | Greenwood | North Seattle[43] | 1891,[44] 1954[44] |  |  |  | [50] |
| 7 | Northgate | North Seattle[43] | various 1891-1954[44] |  |  |  | [51] |
| 8 | Haller Lake | Northgate[51] | 1954[44] |  |  |  | [52] |
| 9 | Pinehurst | Northgate[51] | 1953[44] |  |  | [53] | |
| 10 | North College Park | Northgate[51] | 1950, 1954[44] |  |  | [54] | |
| 11 | Maple Leaf | Northgate[51] | 1891, 1907, 1941, 1945, 1949[44] |  |  | [55] | |
| 12 | Lake City | North Seattle[43] | 1953, 1954[44] |  |  |  | [56] Before annexation to Seattle, Lake City was a township for 5 years.[citation needed] Lake City neighborhoods are now also known as Sand Point-Magnuson Park and neighborhoods northwest of Sand Point.[citation needed] |
| 13 | Cedar Park | Lake City[56] | 1954[44] |  |  | [57] | |
| 14 | Matthews Beach | Lake City[56] | 1953[44] |  |  |  | [58] |
| 15 | Meadowbrook | Lake City[56] | 1953[44] |  |  | [59] | |
| 16 | Olympic Hills | Lake City[56] | 1954[44] |  |  | [60] | |
| 17 | Victory Heights | Lake City[56] | 1953, 1954[44] |  | [61] | ||
| 18 | Wedgwood | North Seattle[43] | 1945[44] |  |  |  | [62] |
| 19 | View Ridge | North Seattle[43] | 1942, 1953[44] |  | [63] | ||
| 20 | Sand Point | North Seattle[43] | 1910?, 1942?; 1953[44] |  |  |  | [64] |
| 21 | Roosevelt | North Seattle[43] | 1891[44] |  |  |  | [65] |
| 22 | Ravenna | North Seattle[43] | 1907, 1910, 1941, 1943, 1945[44] |  |  |  | [66] The 1907 annexation was the former town of Ravenna. |
| 23 | Bryant | North Seattle[43] | 1891[44] |  |  |  | [67] |
| 24 | Windermere | North Seattle[43] | 1910[44] |  |  |  | [68] |
| 25 | Hawthorne Hills | Windermere[43] / North Seattle | 1910[44] | .jpg) | Of the area the Seattle City Clerk's Neighborhood Atlas designates as "Windermere", many consider the area west of Sand Point Way to be a separate neighborhood, Hawthorne Hills. | ||
| 26 | Laurelhurst | North Seattle[43] | 1910[44] |  |  |  | [69] |
| 27 | University District (U District) | North Seattle[43] | 1891[44] |  |  |    | [70] Known in the 1890s and 1900s asBrooklyn.[71] The main campus of theUniversity of Washington is itself divided into the main (central) campus, plus the large South Campus (south of NE Pacific Street) and East Campus (east of Montlake Boulevard NE), and a smaller North Campus (north of NE 45th Street) and miscellaneous buildings west of 15th Avenue NE that are collectively known as West Campus.[72][73] Beyond the university, the district has a shopping district known as "The Ave" and older neighborhoods such as University Heights and University Park that are nowadays rarely distinguished from the U. District as such.[74] |
| 28 | University Village | Ravenna[43] / University District | 1891, 1907, 1910[44] |  |  | Primarily, the name 'University Village' refers to a shopping center at a corner of what the City Clerk considers part of Ravenna,[66] but it is also commonly used for the surrounding neighborhood on all sides, which ranges into what the City Clerk's maps consider Ravenna to the north and west and the east portion of the University District to the west. (To the south is the East Campus of the University of Washington.) | |
| 29 | Wallingford | North Seattle[43] | 1891[44] |  |  |  | [75] Includes historic Latona and usually Tangletown/Meridian (the latter is sometimes considered part of Green Lake)[12][13] |
| 30 | Northlake | Lake Union / Lower Wallingford, spilling over into Fremont and the University District. | 1891[44] |  | |||
| 31 | Green Lake | North Seattle[43] | 1891[44] |  |  |  | [76] Some people consider Meridian / Tangletown to be part of the Green Lake neighborhood.[12][13] |
| 32 | Fremont | North Seattle[43] | 1891[44] |  |  |  | [77] |
| 33 | Phinney Ridge | North Seattle[43] | 1891[44] |  |  |  | [78] |
| 34 | Ballard | North Seattle[43] | 1907[44] |  |  |  | [79] |
| 35 | West Woodland | Ballard[79] | 1891 (East of 8th Ave NW), 1907 (West of 8th Ave NW)[44] |  | [80] | ||
| 36 | Whittier Heights | Ballard[79] | 1907[44] |  | [81] | ||
| 37 | Adams | Ballard[79] | 1907[44] |  |  | [82] | |
| 38 | Sunset Hill | Ballard[79] | 1907[44] |  |  | [83] | |
| 39 | Loyal Heights | Ballard[79] | 1907[44] |  |  | [84] | |
| 40 | Central Seattle | Seattle | Various |  |  | Including everything south of theLake Washington Ship Canal and north of Yesler Way, and some things a bit further south.[43] | |
| 41 | Magnolia | Central Seattle[43] | 1891[44] |  |  |  | [85] |
| 42 | Lawton Park | Magnolia[85] | 1891[44] |  |  | [86] | |
| 43 | Briarcliff | Magnolia[85] | 1891[44] |  | [87] | ||
| 44 | Southeast Magnolia | Magnolia[85] | 1891[44] |  | [88] | ||
| 45 | Interbay | Central Seattle[43] | 1891[44] |  |  |  | [89] |
| 46 | Queen Anne | Central Seattle[43] | [1869], 1883, 1891[44] |  |  |  | [90] Part of Lower Queen Anne was original 1869 Seattle; the area south of McGraw Street was annexed 1883, and the rest 1891.[44] |
| 47 | North Queen Anne | Queen Anne[90] | 1891[44] |  |  | [91] | |
| 48 | East Queen Anne | Queen Anne[90] | 1883, 1891[44] |  |  | [92] Annexed 1883 to McGraw Street, 1891 beyond[44] | |
| 49 | Lower Queen Anne | Queen Anne[90] | [1869], 1883[44] |  |  |  | [93] Also known as 'Uptown'.[citation needed] |
| 50 | West Queen Anne | Queen Anne[90] | 1883, 1891[44] |  |  | [94] | |
| 51 | Capitol Hill | Central Seattle[43] | [1869], 1883, 1891[44] |  |  |  | [95] 1869: Broadway District was part of "original Seattle" |
| 52 | Portage Bay[96] /Roanoke | Capitol Hill[95] | 1883, 1891[44] |  |  | [96] Annexed 1883 to E Lynn St, 1891 for the remainder.[44] Includes theRoanoke Park Historic District. | |
| 53 | Broadway | Capitol Hill[95] | [1869][44] |  |   | [97] The Seattle City Clerk's Neighborhood Atlas map of the Broadway District shown here extends farther to the east and west than most present-day Seattleites would callBroadway. It appears to correspond roughly the portion of Capitol Hill that falls within the original 1869 city limits, and which was known asBroadway before the nameCapitol Hill was introduced. | |
| 54 | Pike-Pine Corridor / Pike/Pine[98][99][100] | Capitol Hill / Broadway[95] | [1869][44] |  | The Pike-Pine Corridor, running east-west through what the Seattle City Clerk's Neighborhood Atlas considers the "Broadway" District, has gained a strong identity in the early 21st century. | ||
| 55 | Montlake | Capitol Hill[95] / Central Seattle | 1891,[44] 1950, 1952, 1953 (?)[101] |  |  |  | [102] The Seattle City Clerk's Neighborhood Atlas classifies Montlake as part of Capitol Hill, but a valley along Boyer Avenue separates it from the hill. |
| 56 | Stevens | Capitol Hill[95] |  |  | [103] The name "Stevens" does not have much currency for most of this area except for the immediate vicinity of the Stevens School at 19th Avenue E and E Galer Street. The small neighborhood just north of that is often calledInterlaken, afterInterlaken Park; the area centered around 19th Avenue and E Madison Street was known in the early 20th century asRenton Hill, but that name has largely passed out of use. | ||
| 57 | Interlaken | Capitol Hill / Stevens[95] |  | Consisting largely ofInterlaken Park and Louisa Boren Park, the neighborhood between Capitol Hill proper and Montlake also contains a small number of private homes and theSeattle Hebrew Academy. | |||
| 58 | Madison Valley | Capitol Hill / Stevens[95] / Central Seattle | 1883, 1891[44] |  | Annexed 1883 south of E Galer Street, 1891 for the remainder[44] | ||
| 59 | Renton Hill | Capitol Hill / Stevens[95] |  | Although the name has largely fallen out of use, the Renton Hill Community Improvement Club, founded June 18, 1901, was Seattle's first community club.[7] | |||
| 60 | Madison Park | Capitol Hill[95] / Central Seattle | 1883, 1891[44] |  |  |  | [104] Annexed 1883 south of E Galer St; the remainder in 1891.[44] The Seattle City Clerk's Neighborhood Atlas classifies Madison Park as part of Capitol Hill, but a valley through theWashington Park Arboretum separates it from Capitol Hill proper. |
| 61 | Broadmoor | Madison Park | 1883, 1891[44] |  |  | Annexed 1883 south of the line of E Galer St; the remainder in 1891.[44] A gated community within Madison Park. | |
| 62 | Lake Union | North Seattle / Central Seattle |  |  | The City Clerk's Neighborhood Atlas uses the term "Cascade" to refer to much of the area around Lake Union (see map here), but that use is not at all common. | ||
| 63 | South Lake Union, Seattle | Lake Union | 1883[44] |  |  |  | The City Clerk's Neighborhood Atlas uses the term "Cascade" to refer to much of the area around Lake Union (see image here), but that use is not at all common. |
| 64 | Cascade, Seattle | South Lake Union | 1883[44] |  |  | Cascade, south and east of Lake Union originally extended west to Terry Avenue (though it is now generally considered to end at Fairview,[citation needed] south to Denny Hill (now theDenny Regrade) east to Melrose Avenue E (from which it is through the area now cut off byInterstate 5.[105] | |
| 65 | Westlake | Lake Union | 1883[44] |  |  | [106] | |
| 66 | Eastlake | Lake Union | 1883, 1891[44] |  |  |  | [107] |
| 67 | Downtown | Central Seattle | [1869][44] |  | [108] | ||
| 68 | Denny Triangle | Downtown[108] | [1869][44] |  |  |  | [109] |
| 69 | Belltown | Downtown[108] | [1869][44] |  |  |  | [110] Belltown currently is largely residential with some commercial office buildings, with 1st street containing a large concentration of nightlife dining and drinking establishments. The intersection of 2nd ave and Virginia is the highest point in the Downtown neighborhood area. |
| 70 | Pike-Market | Downtown[108] | [1869][44] |  |  | [111][112] | |
| 71 | Central Business District | Downtown[108] | [1869][44] |  |  | [113] | |
| 72 | First Hill | Downtown[108] | [1869][44] |  |  | [114] Widely known as "Pill Hill" for its many hospitals, this neighborhood immediately east of Downtown was once the city's most desirable residential area. | |
| 73 | Pioneer Square | Downtown[108] | [1869][44] |  |  | [115] The original center of Seattle, the southwest part of present-day Downtown. Probable origin of the term "Skid Road" for a neighborhood. Includes the Pioneer Square-Skid Road Historic District. Pioneer Square as defined by the City Clerk's Neighborhood Atlas also includes the tide lands platted 1895, filled 1902, that are now the site of two professional sports stadiums. | |
| 74 | International District ("ID") | Downtown[108] | [1869][44] |  |  | [116] Includes former tide lands platted 1895, filled 1902.[44] Southeast Downtown. Sometimes referred to as "Chinatown", the neighborhood also includes Little Saigon east of Interstate 5, and remnants of the historic Japantown, especially around 6th Avenue and Main Street. | |
| 75 | Yesler Terrace | Downtown[108] | [1869][44] |  |  | [117] Housing project east of Interstate 5; originally, it extended further west into present-day Kobe Terrace Park. | |
| 76 | Central Waterfront | Downtown[108] | [1869][44] |  |  | [118] | |
| 77 | West Edge[119][120] | Downtown | [1869][44] |  | The downtown area of both the Central Business District and Belltown from roughly halfway between First and Second Avenues to Alaskan Way (but not including the piers themselves) is sometimes called the Seattle's "West Edge". | ||
| 78 | Central Area[121] /Central District ("CD") | Central Seattle | [1869], 1883[44] |  |  |  | [121] |
| 79 | Mann | Central Area[121] | [1869][44] |  |  | [122] The nameMann for this area aroundGarfield High School does not have much currency. It comes from the old Horace Mann School, laterNova, just north of Garfield. | |
| 80 | Minor | Central Area[121] | [1869][44] |  |  | [123] The nameMinor for this area does not have much currency. It comes from the T.T. Minor School. | |
| 81 | Cherry Hill &Squire Park | Minor | [1869], 1905, 1921[44] |  | Portions are part of original Seattle; Squire Park was annexed in 1905, and a remaining enclave in 1921.[44] | ||
| 82 | Atlantic | Central Area[121] | [1869], 1883[44] |  |  | [124] The northern portion of this area was part of original 1869 Seattle; south of Atlantic Street was annexed 1883[44] | |
| 83 | Judkins Park | Atlantic | [1869][44] |  | [125][126] | ||
| 84 | Madrona | Central Area[121] | [1869], 1883[44] |  |  |  | [127] South of E Howell Street was original 1869 Seattle; the remainder was annexed 1883.[44] |
| 85 | Madrona Valley | Madrona | [1869][44] | ||||
| 86 | Harrison[121] /Denny-Blaine[121] | Central Area[121] | 1883[44] |  |  |  | [128] |
| 87 | Washington Park | Harrison/Denny-Blaine | 1883[44] |  | | ||
| 88 | Leschi[121] | Central Area[121] | [1869][44] |  |  |  | [129] |
| 89 | South End | Seattle | various[44] |  | [43] | ||
| 90 | Rainier Valley | South End | [1869], 1883, 1907[44] |  |  |  | [130] North of Atlantic Street was original 1869 Seattle; in 1883, south to Hanford Street was annexed, and the rest in 1907[44] |
| 91 | Mount Baker | Rainier Valley[130] | [1869], 1883, 1907[44] |  |  |  | [131] North of Atlantic Street was original 1869 Seattle; in 1883, south to Hanford Street was annexed, and the rest in 1907[44] |
| 92 | Columbia City | Rainier Valley[130] | 1907[44] |  |  |  | [132] A town for 15 years before it was annexed.[133] |
| 93 | Hillman City | Rainier Valley[130] / Columbia City | 1907[44] | South of Columbia City proper,[134][135] | |||
| 94 | Brighton | Rainier Valley[130] | 1907[44] |  | [136] The lakeshore next to this neighborhood was once called Brighton Beach, but has since been subsumed into Seward Park in common parlance and according to the Seattle City Clerk's Neighborhood Map Atlas[citation needed] | ||
| 95 | Dunlap / Othello | Rainier Valley[130] | 1907[44][137] |  | [138] | ||
| 96 | Rainier Beach / Atlantic City Beach | Rainier Valley[130] | 1907[44] |  |  | [139] | |
| 97 | Rainier View / Lakeridge | Rainier Valley[130] | 1907[44] |  |  | [140] | |
| 98 | Seward Park | South End | 1907[44] |  |  |  | [141] |
| 99 | Lakewood | Seward Park | The northern part of the Seward Park neighborhood is sometimes referred to as "Lakewood"; the entire neighborhood also sometimes referred to as "Lakewood/Seward Park". The historic Lakewood Community Club is now called the Lakewood/Seward Park Community Club.[citation needed] | ||||
| 100 | Beacon Hill | South End | [1869], 1875, 1883, 1886, 1907[44] |  |  |  | [142] |
| 101 | North Beacon Hill | Beacon Hill[142] | [1869], 1875, 1883, 1886, 1907[44] |  |  | [143] | |
| 102 | Mid Beacon Hill (Maplewood) | Beacon Hill[142] | 1907[44] | |  | [144] | |
| 103 | Holly Park[145] /NewHolly[146] | Beacon Hill[142] | 1907[44] |  | [145] Formerly the Holly Park housing project, now officially NewHolly.[146] | ||
| 104 | South Beacon Hill[147] / Van Asselt | Beacon Hill[142] | 1907[44] |  | [147] | ||
| 105 | Industrial District | South End | various 1895–1910 |  |  |  | [148]Tide lands west of Beacon Hill platted 1895, filled 1902. Other portions annexed 1907 along with West Seattle, Southeast Seattle, and South Park; 1910 with Georgetown.[44] |
| 106 | SoDo | Industrial District[148] | 1895/1902[44] |  |  | Tide lands west of Beacon Hill platted 1895, filled 1902.[44] | |
| 107 | Harbor Island | Industrial District[148] | 1910[44] |  |  |  | [149] |
| 108 | Georgetown | South End | 1910[44] |  |  |  | [150] A city for 6 years before being annexed in 1910.[44] |
| 109 | South Park | South End | 1907[44] |  |  | [151] A town for 5 years before being annexed in 1907.[44] | |
| 110 | West Seattle | Seattle | 1895/1902, 1907, 1950, 1954, 1956[44][137] |  |  |  | [152] Tide lands platted 1895, filled 1902 (although the Seattle City Clerk's Neighborhood Atlas places even the tidelands on the west side of the Duwamish in the Industrial District rather than West Seattle). West Seattle (including portions of Delridge) was a town for 5 years before being annexed in 1907.[44] Some additional annexations 1950, 1954, and 1956, mainly inArbor Heights.[137] |
| 111 | Alki Point | West Seattle[152] | 1907[44] |  |  |  | [153] |
| 112 | North Admiral[154] / Admiral District | West Seattle[152] | 1907[44] |  |  | [154] | |
| 113 | West Seattle Junction[155] / Alaska Junction | West Seattle[152] | 1907[44] |  |  | [155] OverlapsGenesee. | |
| 114 | Seaview[156] / Mee-Kwa-Mooks | West Seattle[152] | 1907[44] |  |  | [156] | |
| 115 | Fairmount Park | West Seattle[152] | 1907[44] |  | [157] | ||
| 116 | Genesee | West Seattle[152] | 1907[44] |  |  | [158] OverlapsJunction. | |
| 117 | Gatewood | West Seattle[152] | 1907[44] |  |  | [159] | |
| 118 | Fauntleroy | West Seattle[152] | 1907[44] |  |  | [160] | |
| 119 | Arbor Heights | West Seattle[152] | 1907, 1954, 1956[44] |  | [161] | ||
| 120 | Delridge | West Seattle / South End[162] | 1907, 1946, 1949[44] |  |  |  | [162] Most of Delridge was part of the city of West Seattle, annexed 1907; the remainder was annexed in 1946 and 1949.[44] |
| 121 | North Delridge | Delridge[163] | 1907[44] |  |  | [163] | |
| 122 | Pigeon Point | Delridge | 1907[44] |  | The extreme northeast portion of Delridge, east of Delridge Way and north of Puget Park.[164] | ||
| 123 | Riverview | Delridge[165] | 1907[44] |  |  | [165] | |
| 124 | Highland Park | Delridge[166] | 1907[44] |  | [166] | ||
| 125 | South Delridge | Delridge[167] | 1907, 1946, 1949[44] |  |  | [167] | |
| 126 | Roxhill | Delridge[168] | 1907[44] |  | [168] | ||
| 127 | High Point | Delridge[169] | 1907[44] |  |  | [169] |
Seattle annexed eight municipalities between 1905 and 1910, nearly doubling the area size of the city. Annexations by law were begun by the annexee and had to be approved by the Seattle City Council. The appeal of the inexpensive and accessible electric power and water system services of the public utilities were the primary motivations for the annexation movements.
Ballard was its own incorporated town for 17 years, annexed as its ownward. West Seattle incorporated in 1902, then annexed Spring Hill, Riverside, Alki Point, and Youngstown districts. It was the largest of the incorporated towns to be annexed. Southeast Seattle merged the towns of Hillman City and York with other Rainier Valley neighborhoods, then incorporated for the only reason of being annexed.[170] Similarly, the town of South Seattle consisted of mostly industrial Duwamish Valley neighborhoods (except Georgetown); one enclave adjacent to Georgetown omitted at this time was annexed 1921; some land near the river in this area remains part of unincorporated King County. In 1910 Georgetown was the last of this sequence of small incorporated cities and towns to be annexed to Seattle before the 1954 annexation of Lake City.
The following previously incorporated cities and towns were annexed by Seattle. This list is in order of annexation. Other areas annexed to Seattle, were unincorporated before annexation. Examples of the latter include the northern part of Queen Anne Hill, the University District, and the northern area of the city that were once part of then-unincorporatedShoreline.
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Because of the cost of providing city services, low-density residential neighborhoods represent a net revenue loss for municipalities.[172] Because vehicle-license revenue is no longer used to subsidize unincorporated areas, these neighborhoods have become increasingly orphaned.[citation needed]
In April 2004, the City Council voted to defer a decision on Mayor Nickels' proposal to designate theWest Hill andNorth Highline neighborhoods, part of unincorporatedKing County, as potential annexation areas (PAAs) for at least a year.[173] Because of thetax revolt that took place in Washington in the late 1990s and early 21st century, the county's budget has been reduced and the county has said it is unlikely to be able to maintain adequate levels of funding for urban services in unincorporated areas. The nearby city ofBurien, however, issued a 2004 draft report for its own annexation of all or part of North Highline.
North Highline, which adjoinsSeaTac, Burien, andTukwila in addition to Seattle, consists of theBoulevard Park neighborhood and part ofWhite Center. West Hill, which abuts Tukwila andRenton as well as Seattle, consists ofBryn Mawr-Skyway,Lakeridge, andEarlington. Its 2010 population is 15,645.
On December 11, 2006, the Seattle City Council agreed to designate North Highline a "potential annexation area".[174]
1984, 2nd ed. 1994
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