Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma
Aerial view of Downtown Tacoma with Mount Rainier in the background
Aerial view of Downtown Tacoma with Mount Rainier in the background
Flag of Tacoma
Official seal of Tacoma
Nickname(s): 
City of Destiny, Grit City
Location of Tacoma in Pierce County and Washington state
Location of Tacoma in
Pierce County and Washington state
Coordinates: 47°14′29″N 122°27′34″W / 47.24139°N 122.45944°W / 47.24139; -122.45944
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyPierce
Adopted1868[1]
Founded1872
IncorporatedNovember 12, 1875
Named forTahoma
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager
 • MayorVictoria Woodards
Area
 • City62.42 sq mi (161.68 km2)
 • Land49.71 sq mi (128.76 km2)
 • Water12.71 sq mi (32.92 km2)
Elevation249 ft (76 m)
Population
 • City219,346
 • Estimate 
(2022)[4]
221,776
 • RankUS: 101st
WA: 3rd
 • Density4,412.51/sq mi (1,703.53/km2)
 • Urban
3,544,011 (Seattle urban area) (US: 13rd)
 • Metro
4,034,248 (Seattle metropolitan area) (US: 15th)
DemonymTacoman (plural: Tacomans)
Time zoneUTC–8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC–7 (PDT)
ZIP codes
Zip codes[5]
Area code253
FIPS code53-70000
GNIS feature ID1512713[1]
Websitecityoftacoma.org

Tacoma (/təˈkmə/ tə-KOH-mə) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States.[6] A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, 32 miles (51 km) southwest of Seattle, 36 miles (58 km) southwest of Bellevue, 31 miles (50 km) northeast of the state capital, Olympia, 58 miles (93 km) northwest of Mount Rainier National Park, and 80 miles (130 km) east of Olympic National Park. The city's population was 219,346 at the time of the 2020 census.[3] Tacoma is the second-largest city in the Puget Sound area and the third-most populous in the state. Tacoma also serves as the center of business activity for the South Sound region, which has a population of about 1 million.

Tacoma adopted its name after the nearby Mount Rainier, called təˡqʷuʔbəʔ in the Puget Sound Salish dialect, and “Takhoma” in an anglicized version. It is locally known as the "City of Destiny" because the area was chosen to be the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 19th century. The decision of the railroad was influenced by Tacoma's neighboring deep-water harbor, Commencement Bay. By connecting the bay with the railroad, Tacoma's motto became "When rails meet sails". Commencement Bay serves the Port of Tacoma, a center of international trade on the Pacific Coast and Washington's largest port. The city gained notoriety in 1940 for the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which earned the nickname "Galloping Gertie" due to the vertical movement of the deck during windy conditions.

Like most industrial cities, Tacoma suffered a prolonged decline in the mid-20th century as a result of suburbanization and divestment. Since the 1990s, downtown Tacoma has experienced a period of revitalization. Developments in the downtown include the University of Washington Tacoma; the T Line (formerly Tacoma Link), the first modern electric light rail service in the state; the state's highest density of art and history museums; and a restored urban waterfront, the Thea Foss Waterway.

  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Tacoma, Washington
  2. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCensusEst2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Zip Code Lookup". USPS. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  6. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.