Tukwila, Washington

Tukwila, Washington
City
Official seal of Tukwila, Washington Seal
Nickname(s): Hazelnut City
Location of Tukwila, Washington Location of Tukwila, Washington
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	King
Incorporated	1908
Government
• Mayor	Jim Haggerton
Area
• City	9.58 sq mi (24.81 km2)
• Land	9.17 sq mi (23.75 km2)
• Water	0.41 sq mi (1.06 km2)
Elevation	138 ft (42 m)
Population (2010)
• City	19,107
• Estimate (2014)	19,920
• Density	2,083.6/sq mi (804.5/km2)
• Metro	3,552,157
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	98100-98199
Area code(s)	206
FIPS code	53-72625
GNIS feature ID	1509106
Website	www.TukwilaWA.gov

File:Tukwila - Duwamish River - 02.jpg

Duwamish River, Tukwila (2007)

Tukwila (/tʌkˈwɪlə/ US dict: tŭk·wĭl′·ə) is a suburban city in King County, Washington, United States. The northern edge of Tukwila borders the city of Seattle. The population was 19,107 at the 2010 census. The population was 19,080 at 2012 Estimate from Office of Financial Management. The City of Tukwila is a community of communities: residents of many diverse origins make Tukwila their home, a large commercial center draws workers and consumers to the city daily, and industry thrives with the confluence of rivers, freeways, railroads, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

History

The earliest people in Tukwila were the Duwamish who made their homes along the Black and Duwamish Rivers. The name "Tukwila" is the Chinook Jargon word for "nut" or "hazelnut", referring to the hazelnut trees that grew in the area. The Duwamish lived in cedar longhouses, hunted and fished, picked wild berries, and used the river for trade with neighboring peoples.

In 1853, the first Caucasian settler was Joseph Foster, a Canadian pioneer who had traveled to the northwest from Wisconsin. Foster would become known as the "Father of Tukwila" and serve King County, Washington Territory in the legislature for 22 years. Today, the site of Foster's home on the banks of the Duwamish River is part of Fort Dent Park, which also served as a military base during the 1850s Indian Wars. Foster's name is memorialized in the Foster neighborhood of Tukwila, where Foster High School is located.

In the early years, the small village grew into an agricultural center and remained a trading point in the upper Duwamish River Valley. Population began to grow and industry followed, largely farm-oriented commerce. Early electric rail trains traveled along Interurban Avenue in Tukwila, connecting to Renton and a line to Tacoma. The Interurban Railroad operated a commuter line from 1902 to 1928, making it possible to travel from Seattle to Tacoma in less than an hour. The first macadam paved road in Washington State was in Tukwila and bears the name of this new method of street paving. One of the earliest paved military roads is located in the city.

Tukwila was incorporated as a city in 1908.

Geography

Tukwila is located at (47.478243, -122.275432).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.58 square miles (24.81 km²), of which, 9.17 square miles (23.75 km²) is land and 0.41 square miles (1.06 km²) is water.

Neighborhoods

• Cascade View (Upper West Side) Suburban, Lower Income
• McMicken Heights (Lower West Side) Suburban, Middle Income
• Riverton (Central West Side) Urban, Working Class Income
• Foster (Central/Mid-West) Suburban, Middle Income
• Ryan Hill (Upper End) Industrial, Middle Income
• Allentown (Upper End) Industrial, Middle Income
• Duwamish (Upper East Side) Industrial, Lower Income
• Thorndyke (Central/Lower East Side), Suburban, Middle Income
• Southcenter (Central) Urban, Upper-Middle Income

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1910	361		—
1920	453		25.5%
1930	424		−6.4%
1940	521		22.9%
1950	800		53.6%
1960	1,804		125.5%
1970	3,509		94.5%
1980	3,578		2.0%
1990	11,874		231.9%
2000	17,181		44.7%
2010	19,107		11.2%
Est. 2014	19,920		4.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 2014 Estimate

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 19,107 people, 7,157 households, and 4,124 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,083.6 inhabitants per square mile (804.5/km²). There were 7,755 housing units at an average density of 845.7 per square mile (326.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 43.9% White, 17.9% African American, 1.1% Native American, 19.0% Asian, 2.8% Pacific Islander, 9.3% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.5% of the population.

There were 7,157 households of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.4% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.42.

The median age in the city was 33.8 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 32.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.1% were from 45 to 64; and 8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.9% male and 48.1% female.

The median income for a household is $40,718, and the median income for a family of $42,442. Males had a median income of $35,525 versus $28,913 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,354. About 8.8% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those ages 65 or over.

2000 census

Tukwila is one of King County's most diverse cities. As of the census of 2000, there were 17,181 people, 7,186 households, and 3,952 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,927.0 people per square mile (743.7/km²). There were 7,725 housing units at an average density of 866.4 per square mile (334.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 58.63% White, 12.79% African American, 1.30% Native American, 10.88% Asian, 1.82% Pacific Islander, 8.06% from other races, and 6.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 13.56% of the population. On a New York Times article it is stated that the Tukwila School District consists one of the most diverse range of students in Washington.

There were 7,186 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.0% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 37.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 109.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.9 males.

Crime

According to the Uniform Crime Report statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2012, there were 200 violent crimes and 3,161 property crimes. Of these, the violent crimes consisted of two murders, 20 forcible rapes, 98 robberies, and 80 aggravated assaults, while 282 burglaries, 2,493 larceny-thefts, 386 motor vehicle thefts and 6 arson defined the property offenses.

The crime figures stated above are based upon the permanent resident population, and therefore may be inflated somewhat as Tukwila's daytime population is much higher. This is due to Tukwila's status as a daytime destination for employment, shopping, dining, and lodging; the latter is the result of the proximity of SeaTac International Airport. Also, among Washington cities, Tukwila has been in the top ten for retail sales per capita, bringing tens of thousands of people within the city limits; this has the effect of localizing any crime committed by shoppers from out of town to Tukwila.

Industry

Tukwila's location at the confluence of rivers, freeways and railroads has made it valuable as a center of commerce. Westfield Southcenter (formerly Southcenter Mall), Puget Sound's largest shopping complex, is located in Tukwila, as well as a number of Boeing corporation facilities. Tukwila is also the location of several Internet and Corporate datacenters, including Microsoft, Internap, the University of Washington, Savvis, AboveNet, digital.forest, HopOne, and Fortress Colocation, these are mostly located in Sabey Corporation's Intergate Seattle campus near Boeing Field. It is only 5 minutes from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Approximately 45,000 people work in Tukwila.

Top Employers

According to the City's 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Boeing	7,572
2	Group Health Cooperative	2,386
3	King County Metro	778
4	Costco	703
5	Carlisle Interconnect Technologies	567
6	Boeing Employees Credit Union	543
7	Nordstrom	537
8	Macy's	445
9	City of Tukwila	407
10	Red Dot Corporation	348
11	J. C. Penney	337
12	United Parcel Service	335

Education

Tukwila is home to the Tukwila School District. The campuses that the Tukwila School District operate are Cascade View Elementary School, Thorndyke Elementary School, Tukwila Elementary School, Showalter Middle School, and Foster High School. Also in Tukwila is Raisbeck Aviation High School operated by the Highline School District.

Culture

The Museum of Flight is an air and space museum located in the extreme northern part of Tukwila, adjacent to Boeing Field. Tukwila is also home to the Rainier Symphony, which conducts several performances each year at the Foster Performing Arts Center in Tukwila.

External links

• City of Tukwila website
• City of Tukwila's Tourism website
• Tukwila -- Thumbnail History
• Tukwila School District