Issaquah, WA

Nestled near the base of the Cascade Mountains, Issaquah is a place known for outdoor activities and recreation. This small city is located less than 20 miles east of Seattle on Interstate 90. In recent years, Issaquah has been one of the fastest-growing communities in Washington state, as the city has made efforts to transform itself into a popular destination for living, working and playing.

Issaquah's roots trace back to 1862, when outcroppings of coal were discovered along Issaquah Creek. The community quickly became a center for mining, lumbering and farming, and in fact many of the city's annual traditions date back to this early era. The town was incorporated in 1892 as Gilman, but residents decided to change the name to Issaquah in 1899. Issaquah is derived from a Native American word that means "the sound of the birds."

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

In the past several years, city leaders have promoted Issaquah's proximity to Seattle as a means of attracting a mix of high-tech firms, large retail companies and small businesses. Office parks such as Hyla Crossing provide upscale office space and high-tech facilities. Recent improvements have been made to roads and highway interchanges to help promote commerce by facilitating commuters' trips in and out of nearby Seattle and its surrounding communities. The efforts seem to have paid off, as Microsoft and Siemens Medical Systems are two of the companies that have recently been attracted to Issaquah. Also, the international headquarters of Costco are located in the city.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

• Historic Downtown: A neighborhood with shops, restaurants and parks. Visitors can view buildings that date back to the 1800s or stop by the city's local brewery.
• Issaquah Highlands: A planned community that includes environmentally friendly homes built with water management systems, chemical-free products, recycled job-site waste and organic landscaping fertilizers. Some homes are solar-powered. There are also pedestrian-friendly tree-lined streets, parks connected by trails and approximately 1,400 acres of open space.
• Talus: a residential and commercial development. The neighborhood includes homes set within several hundred acres of open space, an office park and retail stores.

SHOPPING

Issaquah city leaders are working to attract new stores and restaurants in the hope that Issaquah will become a regional shopping destination. Shopping destinations include:

• Pickering Place: A historic dairy farm that's been transformed into a complex with retail stores, restaurants, a cinema, a hotel and professional office space. It also includes a waterfowl refuge.
• Gilman Village: An area where tree-shaded city streets are lined with restaurants and shops selling antiques, clothing and sporting goods.
• Boehms Candies: A landmark store that is known internationally for its hand-dipped confections.

BEST BETS

Issaquah is a city that celebrates culture. Downtown streets are lined with art galleries and are home to the historic Village Theatre. Local artists are celebrated with art walks and public concerts. Several historic buildings in the city are open to the public, including:

• Gilman Town Hall, the city's original town hall. It now contains local artifacts and photographs. Visitors can go behind the building and check out the two-cell concrete jail that was built in 1914.
• Hailstone Feed Store and Shell Gas Station, a building that has been restored to the way it looked in the 1940s and opened as a museum. It highlights Issaquah's agricultural and motoring past.
• The Train Depot, built in 1889 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The depot closed in 1958, was purchased by the city in 1984, and was reopened as a museum after 10 years of restoration work.

FOR VISITORS

Some of the most popular activities in Issaquah take place outdoors, amid the city's natural beauty. For example, the city is surrounded by approximately 200 miles of hiking trails that were established by the Issaquah Alps Trail Club. Other attractions include:

• Cougar Mountain Zoological Park, a teaching zoo that specializes in local wildlife and endangered species.
• Issaquah Washington State Salmon Hatchery, the most-visited hatchery in the state. Every fall, visitors gather downtown at Issaquah Creek to see the return of the salmon.
• Lake Sammamish State Park, a nearby state park that is a great place to boat, fish, swim and picnic.

EVENTS

A number of annual events take place in Issaquah. They are:

• Tastin' and Racin': hydroplane races that take place every June on Lake Sammamish.
• Mountains to Sound Greenway Days: an environmental celebration held every June.
• Art Walks: a summertime showcase of local artists.
• Down Home Fourth of July: featuring a kids-and-pets parade.
• Chocolate, Wine & All That Jazz: an event in July that showcases the work of local chefs and winemakers.
• Issaquah Salmon Days Festival: a two-day fall festival that typically draws more than 100,000 people and includes crafts, food and entertainment. It is held on the first full weekend in October and is the city's largest event.

LOCAL MEDIA

Two newspapers serve the city: the Issaquah Press, a weekly paper, and the Issaquah Reporter, a paper that was founded in 2007. Issaquah is part of the Seattle-Tacoma television market. The area's major TV stations are:

• KOMO (ABC), Channel 4
• KING (NBC), Channel 5
• KIRO (CBS), Channel 7
• KCTS (PBS), Channel 9
• KSTW (The CW), Channel 11
• KCPQ (FOX), Channel 13