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Sammamish, Washington

Coordinates: 47°38′30″N 122°04′49″W / 47.64167°N 122.08028°W / 47.64167; -122.08028
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Not to be confused with West Lake Sammamish, Bellevue, Washington.
This article is about the city. For other uses, see Sammamish (disambiguation).

Sammamish, Washington
City
Big Rock Park North in Sammamish
Big Rock Park North in Sammamish
Official seal of Sammamish, Washington
Seal
Location of Sammamish in Washington
Location of Sammamish in Washington
Coordinates: 47°38′30″N 122°04′49″W / 47.64167°N 122.08028°W / 47.64167; -122.08028
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyKing
IncorporatedAugust 31, 1999
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager
 • MayorKali Clark[1]
 • City managerScott MacColl[2]
Area
[3]
 • Total
24.04 sq mi (62.26 km2)
 • Land20.43 sq mi (52.91 km2)
 • Water3.61 sq mi (9.34 km2)
Elevation
[4]
59 ft (18 m)
Population
 (2020)[5]
 • Total
67,455
 • Estimate 
(2023)[6]
65,116
 • RankUS: 593rd
WA: 19th
 • Density3,188.28/sq mi (1,231.01/km2)
Time zoneUTC–8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC–7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes
98029, 98074, 98075
Area code425
FIPS code53-61115
GNIS feature ID1508071[4]
Websitesammamish.us

Sammamish (/səˈmæmɪʃ/ sə-MAM-ish) is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 67,455 at the 2020 census.[5] Located on a plateau, the city is bordered by Lake Sammamish to the west and the Snoqualmie Valley to the east. Sammamish is situated 20 miles east of Seattle, is a member of the Eastside, and is a part of the Seattle metropolitan area. Incorporated in 1999, Sammamish is an affluent community and has been ranked as one of the wealthiest cities in Washington.

Etymology

[edit]

Sammamish is a Snoqualmie name formed from the words "squax" (Sammamish Lake) and "abs", a suffix used to describe people of a specific area. The name is roughly translated to "people of Lake Sammamish" in the Snoqualmie language.[7]

History

[edit]

Lake Sammamish and the adjacent plateau has been Duwamish, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Sammamish, and Snohomish territory since the last Pleistocene glaciation, before contact with European people.[7] They lived in longhouse villages in seven places on and near the coast of Sammamish Lake. Two of them were in present-day Sammamish.[8]

The Sammamish Plateau was part of unincorporated King County for most of its recorded history. The first settlers arrived in the 1870s[7] and established a trio of resorts by the 1930s. The plateau remained a mostly rural area until suburban homes, shopping centers, and schools were built in the 1970s and 1980s. However, from approximately 1900 through the Great Depression, there was a tiny hamlet in Inglewood community (at today's Weber Point) of approximately 50 people who called the area "Sammamish", and later, in the 1960s, there was a suburban community and school at what is now Sunny Hills.[7] A vote in 1991 to join neighboring Issaquah failed, as did a vote on incorporation the following year. A renewed movement to become a city, born of frustration with development policies set by the county government, met with voter approval in 1998. Sammamish was officially incorporated on August 31, 1999.[9] The city annexed Klahanie on January 1, 2016.[10]

The city government approved plans in 2008 to develop a denser town center with mixed use zoning and taller buildings. The first two residential buildings and several commercial developments were completed over the following decade, but plans for the largest phase stalled into the 2020s.[11] Construction began in 2024 on 38 townhomes in the phase, which is planned to be followed by more townhomes, 600 market rate apartments, and commercial space.[12]

Geography

[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.04 square miles (62.26 km2), of which 20.43 square miles (52.91 km2) are land and 3.61 square miles (9.35 km2) are water.[3]

The city is situated on the shores and hilly terrain east of Lake Sammamish. It is bordered to the south by Issaquah, to the northwest by Redmond, and to the west across Lake Sammamish by Bellevue. Beaver Lake and Pine Lake are the two biggest lakes in Sammamish. Yellow Lake is a major lake in Klahanie.

Sammamish is in and near the Issaquah Alps, a westward extension of the Cascade foothills.[13]

Sammamish in late April, from Lake Sammamish State Park.

Climate

[edit]

The city has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb), or oceanic (Köppen: Cfb) if the 30 millimetres (1.2 in) isohyet is used. Due to the rain shadow effect of the Olympic Mountains to the west, summers are much drier here than on the immediate west coast of Washington.[14]

Winters are cool and wet; the wettest months are November, December, and January, when the area is directly affected by the Aleutian Low, and summers are warm and dry; the driest months are July and August. Snowfall is rare; subfreezing temperatures usually occur with a high-pressure system, which brings clear skies. Extremes range from −8 °F (−22 °C) in February 1950, to 113 °F (45 °C) in June 2021.

Sammamish is in hardiness zone 8b, with small southwestern pockets as well as the immediate Lake Sammamish coast falling into type 9a.[15]

Climate data for Sammamish, Washington (1993–2023)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 67
(19) 		75
(24) 		79
(26) 		90
(32) 		97
(36) 		113
(45) 		104
(40) 		102
(39) 		98
(37) 		95
(35) 		75
(24) 		67
(19) 		113
(45)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 56
(13) 		60
(16) 		68
(20) 		78
(26) 		85
(29) 		88
(31) 		91
(33) 		90
(32) 		88
(31) 		79
(26) 		65
(18) 		54
(12) 		91
(33)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 42
(6) 		45
(7) 		54
(12) 		58
(14) 		65
(18) 		70
(21) 		77
(25) 		78
(26) 		71
(22) 		60
(16) 		51
(11) 		42
(6) 		59
(15)
Daily mean °F (°C) 35
(2) 		38
(3) 		45
(7) 		49
(9) 		56
(13) 		61
(16) 		66
(19) 		66
(19) 		60
(16) 		51
(11) 		44
(7) 		36
(2) 		51
(10)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 29
(−2) 		32
(0) 		37
(3) 		40
(4) 		46
(8) 		51
(11) 		54
(12) 		53
(12) 		48
(9) 		43
(6) 		38
(3) 		30
(−1) 		42
(5)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 20
(−7) 		23
(−5) 		30
(−1) 		35
(2) 		40
(4) 		45
(7) 		50
(10) 		50
(10) 		42
(6) 		36
(2) 		29
(−2) 		20
(−7) 		20
(−7)
Record low °F (°C) −6
(−21) 		−8
(−22) 		8
(−13) 		24
(−4) 		26
(−3) 		31
(−1) 		36
(2) 		35
(2) 		30
(−1) 		23
(−5) 		2
(−17) 		−4
(−20) 		−8
(−22)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 8.85
(225) 		5.61
(142) 		6.26
(159) 		4.81
(122) 		4.01
(102) 		2.94
(75) 		1.37
(35) 		1.29
(33) 		2.85
(72) 		5.69
(145) 		10.12
(257) 		8.45
(215) 		62.25
(1,582)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 3.3
(8.4) 		3.7
(9.4) 		1.2
(3.0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		1.6
(4.1) 		3.3
(8.4) 		13.1
(33)
Average rainy days 19.7 15.7 19.1 16.8 14.6 11.4 6.7 5.7 9.3 15.1 20.4 19.1 173.6
Average snowy days 6 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 21
Average relative humidity (%) 85 85 83 80 75 74 70 71 75 79 84 85 79
Average dew point °F (°C) 35.3
(1.8) 		31.7
(−0.2) 		32.8
(0.4) 		38.7
(3.7) 		46.5
(8.1) 		47.7
(8.7) 		50.6
(10.3) 		53.5
(11.9) 		49.8
(9.9) 		46.1
(7.8) 		45.9
(7.7) 		33.8
(1.0) 		42.7
(5.9)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 79 111 192 230 296 303 357 329 251 182 110 88 2,528
Mean daily sunshine hours 4.2 4.4 6.1 7.9 9 9.3 10.5 10.7 9.2 5.5 4.5 4.2 7.1
Mean daily daylight hours 8.9 10.3 11.9 13.6 15.1 16.0 15.6 14.3 12.6 10.9 9.3 8.5 12.3
Percent possible sunshine 28.7 38.5 52.0 56.4 63.2 63.1 73.8 74.2 66.4 53.9 39.4 33.4 53.6
Average ultraviolet index 0 1 2 4 5 6 7 6 5 2 0 0 3
Source: [16]

Climate change

[edit]

Sammamish is predicted to warm by 3-12 F (2-7 C) before 2100 regardless of future emissions, and around 2.5 F during the next few decades due to climate change. Warming by any significant amount will cause Sammamish to have reduced snowfall, hotter and drier summers, and more warm-season extreme weather events.[17]

Sammamish's climate change action plan includes, but is not limited to, tree replacement, voluntary planting, protecting threatened species, protecting native fish such as Chinook salmon and the streams, lakes and ponds they live in, floodplain management, wetland protection, emission reduction, light/noise pollution reduction, toxin (pesticide) control, and many other measures.[17]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
200034,104—
201045,78034.2%
202067,45547.3%
2023 (est.)65,116[6]−3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]
2020 Census[5]

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 21,792 estimated households in Sammamish with an average of 2.98 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $238,750 and the per capita income was $103,748. Approximately 2.9% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Sammamish has an estimated 66.7% employment rate, with 83.4% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 97.8% holding a high school diploma.[19]

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the median household income in Sammamish was $239,000 in 2022, placing it first among U.S. cities with a population greater than 65,000.[20]

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (56.3%), Spanish (3.4%), Indo-European (14.6%), Asian and Pacific Islander (24.4%), and Other (1.2%).

The median age in the city was 41.3 years.

In 2007, CNN Money ranked Sammamish as the 11th Best Place to Live in the United States,[21] and subsequently ranked it as #12 in 2009[22] and #15 in 2011.[23] Sammamish was also ranked the 9th Best Place to Live by Money.com in 2018.[24]

2020 census

[edit]
Sammamish, 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.
Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop. 2000[25] Pop. 2010[26] Pop. 2020[27] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 29,361 32,909 34,652 86.09% 71.89% 51.37%
Black or African American alone (NH) 273 427 827 0.80% 0.93% 1.23%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 91 106 105 0.27% 0.23% 0.16%
Asian alone (NH) 2,678 8,841 24,122 7.85% 19.31% 35.76%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 30 46 59 0.09% 0.10% 0.09%
Other race alone (NH) 60 96 280 0.18% 0.21% 0.42%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) 758 1,551 3,795 2.22% 3.39% 5.63%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 853 1,804 3,615 2.50% 3.94% 5.36%
Total 34,104 45,780 67,455 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 census, there were 67,455 people, 21,895 households, and 18,861 families residing in the city.[28] The population density was 3,302.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,275.3/km2). There were 22,544 housing units at an average density of 1,103.9 per square mile (426.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 52.61% White, 1.28% African American, 0.21% Native American, 35.82% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from some other races and 8.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.36% of the population.[29] 29.4% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.1% were under 5 years of age, and 51.1% were 65 and older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.1% female.

2010 census

[edit]

As of the 2010 census, there were 45,780 people, 15,154 households, and 12,918 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,512.2 inhabitants per square mile (970.0/km2). There were 15,736 housing units at an average density of 863.7 per square mile (333.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 74.72% White, 0.96% African American, 0.28% Native American, 19.34% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from some other races and 3.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.94% of the population.

There were 15,154 households, of which 52.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.9% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 14.8% were non-families. 11.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.28.

The median age in the city was 37.7 years. 32.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 29.4% were from 45 to 64; and 5.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.

2000 census

[edit]

As of the 2000 census, there were 34,104 people, 11,131 households, and 9,650 families living in the city. The population density was 1,888.9 inhabitants per square mile (729.3/km2). There were 11,599 housing units at an average density of 642.4 per square mile (248.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.82% White, 0.85% African American, 0.29% Native American, 7.89% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.60% from some other races and 2.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.50% of the population.

There were 11,131 households, out of which 53.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.5% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.3% were non-families. 9.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the city the population was spread out, with 33.4% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 4.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $101,592, and the median income for a family was $104,356. Males had a median income of $76,688 versus $47,164 for females. The per capita income for the city was $42,971. About 2.0% of the population and 1.6% of families were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Parks

[edit]

Sammamish has ten parks (Beaver Lake Park, Big Rock Park North, Big Rock Park, East Sammamish Park, Ebright Creek Park, Evans Creek Preserve, NE Sammamish Park, Pine Lake Park, Sammamish Commons, Sammamish Landing). Soaring Eagle Regional Park and Duthie Hill Park abut the city and are on the plateau. East Lake Sammamish Trail runs along the eastern side of Lake Sammamish and connects to a regional trail system, like the Sammamish River Trail to the north, and the Issaquah-Preston Trail to the south.

East Sammamish Park in the northwest of the city came with it in 1999.

Government

[edit]

The Sammamish City Council is elected by the community. Of the seven council members, two members are elected as Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Council meetings are held at City Hall, part of the Sammamish Commons, which is also the site of Sammamish Library, a branch of the King County Library System.

Sammamish does not have its own post office; the closest one is in Redmond.[30] Eastside Fire and Rescue is contracted to provide fire services. Sammamish contracts with the King County Sheriff's Office for police services. Deputies assigned to Sammamish wear city uniforms and drive patrol cars marked with the city logo.

Education

[edit]

Sammamish's public school system is primarily served by two school districts.

North Sammamish is served by Lake Washington School District,[31] and has two high schools (Eastlake, Tesla STEM), two middle schools (Inglewood, Renaissance School of Art and Reasoning), and five elementary schools (Elizabeth Blackwell, Rachel Carson, Christa McAuliffe, Margaret Mead, Samantha Smith).[32]

South Sammamish is served by Issaquah School District,[31] and has two high schools (Issaquah, Skyline), three middle schools (Beaver Lake, Pacific Cascade, Pine Lake), and seven elementary schools (Cascade Ridge, Cedar Trails, Challenger, Creekside, Discovery, Endeavour, Sunny Hills).

A very small portion to the east is in the Snoqualmie Valley School District.[31]

Eastside Catholic School is a private school in the city.

Central Washington University is a public university that opened a Sammamish location on September 20, 2017.[33]

Transportation

[edit]

Sammamish is served by three major north–south roads: East Lake Sammamish Parkway, 228th Avenue, and 244th Avenue. They connect to State Route 202 to the north, providing access to Redmond, and Interstate 90 to the south in Issaquah. A regional freeway, Interstate 605, has been proposed several times since the 1960s to run through Sammamish, but has not been built.[34]

Bus service is provided by King County Metro routes 218, 269, and Sound Transit Express route 554 to Redmond, Issaquah, and Downtown Seattle. South Sammamish Park and Ride is the city's transit center with 265 parking stalls. Metro began running dial-a-ride buses to the Sammamish Plateau in 1993,[35] and it later extended commuter services in the early 2000s.[36]

The King County government completed construction of an 11-mile (18 km) bike trail on the east side of Lake Sammamish in 2023.[37] Construction began in 1998, replacing a disused railway.[38]

Notable people

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "City Council". City of Sammamish. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "City Manager". City of Sammamish. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sammamish, Washington
  5. ^ a b c "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2023". United States Census Bureau. November 23, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d Dougherty, Phil (December 23, 2013). "Sammamish — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  8. ^ "Lake Sammamish: Restoring Culture and Life back to an Urban Landscape". snoqualmie.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  9. ^ Dougherty, Phil (April 24, 2008). "Sammamish incorporates on August 31, 1999". HistoryLink. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  10. ^ "Officially Sammamish: Klahanie annexation brings city's population to more than 60,000". Issaquah Reporter. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  11. ^ Groover, Heidi (October 5, 2021). "Sammamish, like many suburban Seattle cities, gripped by development fight as region's population booms". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  12. ^ Groover, Heidi (May 20, 2024). "Sammamish finally proceeds with major housing, commercial project". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  13. ^ "Cougar/Squak Corridor". KingCounty.gov. October 28, 2023.
  14. ^ "Aberdeen climate: Average Temperature by month, Aberdeen water temperature". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  15. ^ "2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map". planthardiness.ars.usda.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  16. ^ "Monthly Averages for Sammamish, WA (98075)". Weather.com. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  17. ^ a b "Critical Areas Ordinance Update – City of Sammamish" (PDF). October 20, 2023.
  18. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  19. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Sammamish city, Washington". www.census.gov. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  20. ^ Balk, Gene (November 23, 2024). "Seattle median household income hits 121,000 census data shows". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  21. ^ "CNN Money: Best Places to Live 2007".
  22. ^ "CNN Money: Best Places to Live 2009".
  23. ^ "CNN Money: Best Places to Live 2011".
  24. ^ Lim, Christine (September 10, 2018). "Best Places to Live 2018". Money.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020.
  25. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Sammamish city, Washington". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  26. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Sammamish city, Washington". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  27. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Sammamish city, Washington". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  28. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  29. ^ "How many people live in Duvall city, Washington". USA Today. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  30. ^ "PO Locator | USPS". tools.usps.com. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  31. ^ a b c U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division (December 21, 2020). 2020 Census – School District Reference Map: King County, WA (PDF) (Map). 1:80,000. U.S. Census Bureau. p. 2. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  32. ^ "Elementary Schools - Lake Washington School District". lwsd.org. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  33. ^ "Welcome to Central Washington Sammamish". cwu.edu. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  34. ^ Singer, Natalie (July 15, 2004). "State study revives idea of new Western Washington highway". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  35. ^ Guadette, Karen (February 11, 2005). "Little bus makes a big difference". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  36. ^ Foster, George (October 21, 2001). "Getting There: Now you see the lane..." Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  37. ^ "Now open! King County completes East Lake Sammamish Trail, contributing to the 44-mile Locks to Lake Corridor" (Press release). King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. October 11, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  38. ^ "Safety, accessibility enhanced as 1.2-mile-long East Lake Sammamish Trail segment reopens" (Press release). King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. January 17, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
[edit]
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