Seattle Geography

Seattle is a city located on an isthmus in the western part of Washington State between the Pacific Ocean, Puget Sound, and Lake Washington. It is approximately 100 miles south of Canada. Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Seattle is considered an earthquake zone. The land covers 217 square kilometers and is 41% water.

Seattle’s geographical features include the city’s main harbor, Elliot Bay, which is an inlet of the Sound. Elliot Bay is known for being the home of Colman Dock, the main terminal of the state’s ferry system and the largest in the country. Past the Sound are the Kitsap Peninsula and Olympic Mountains. Beyond Lake Washington are Lake Sammamish and Cascade Range.

Two man-made canals are part of the Lake Washington Ship canal. The major lakes of the city of Seattle include Lake Washington, Bitter Lake, Green Lake, and Haller Lake. There are also many streams, creeks and waterways, including Broadview Creek, Fauntleroy Creek, Longfellow Creek, Piper’s Creek, Arboretum Creek, Ravenna Creek, and Thornton Creek.

Seattle features a hilly landscape and terrain. It is divided up into geographical sections created by these hills including Capitol Hill, First Hill, West Seattle, Beacon Hill, Queen Anne, Magnolia, The Wallingford, and Mount Baker. Capitol Hill is the most highly populated of all of the neighborhoods in Seattle. Known for being the center of alternative culture and lifestyle in Seattle, Capitol Hill is also the center of LGBT life in the city. You will find great mansions and attractions in this Seattle neighborhood as well.

First Hill is the first of the hills you will find when going from downtown Seattle to Lake Washington. It is popular for its proximity to downtown and also for being far enough to offer residents more peaceful residential surroundings. West Seattle is popular for its saltwater beaches and spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains and Cascade Range. Beacon Hill in southeast Seattle is home to Amazon’s world headquarters as well as Seattle’s Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Beacon Hill is a great location to see the views of downtown Seattle. Queen Anne is the highest of the named hills in Seattle with an elevation of 456 feet and is located just north of the Seattle Center. In this neighborhood, you will find the homes and estates of the city’s cultural elite. Magnolia is the second largest neighborhood in Seattle and is taken up a large part by Discovery Park. The Wallingford is located in north central Seattle and its most notable attraction is said to be the QFC supermarket. Mount Baker is a diverse area featuring parks, lakefront land, woods, as well as residential streets.

Known for having generally mild and rainy weather, the conditions in Seattle are considered deal for sailing, skiing, bicycling, camping, and hiking. The city tends to have wet winters and dryer summers. Although on the Pacific, the area is in part protected from the Pacific storms thanks to the Olympic Mountains. Although it rains frequently, the rainfall is generally light. When the rain does clear, Seattle tends to be mostly cloudy. Snowfall in Seattle is rare.

A factor in Seattle’s weather is the Puget Sound Convergence Zone. Thunderstorms often result when the different air currents meet here. Another factor occurs in El Nino years when there tends to be less precipitation in the Puget sound area. Average rainfall in Seattle is 37 inches annually. The average high temperature in the summer is 75 degrees (F) and the average low is 55 degrees (F) . The average high temperature in the winter is 50 degrees (F) and the average low is 37 degrees (F).