Overlake, Washington facts for kids
Overlake is a special area located in the eastern part of Bellevue and the southern part of Redmond, both cities in Washington State. It's known for being very close to the main offices of Microsoft, a huge technology company. The name "Overlake" comes from its location: it's "over" or "across" Lake Washington from the city of Seattle. Even though it's part of Bellevue and Redmond, many people think Overlake has its own unique feel.
Besides Microsoft, Overlake is home to other big companies, like the main offices for Nintendo of America, which makes popular video games. There's also a busy shopping area along 148th Avenue N.E. and N.E. 24th Street. You can also find the Civil Air Patrol Overlake Composite Squadron here, which is a group that helps with aerospace education and emergency services.
In the past, the name "Overlake" was used for a much larger part of King County. Today, that bigger area is usually called the Eastside.
A Look Back: Overlake's History
The name Overlake has been around for a long time, at least since 1927. That's when the Overlake Transit Service started, which was an early version of today's King County Metro bus system. Before 1950, the Bellevue School District and Bellevue High School were actually known as the Overlake School District and Overlake High School.
It's interesting to note that two well-known places with "Overlake" in their name are not actually in the Overlake area today. These are Overlake Hospital, which is in central Bellevue, and Overlake Christian Church, located in north central Redmond.
State Route 520, a major highway, goes right through the Overlake area. It connects Redmond to Seattle. Also, The Overlake School, a private school, first started in the Overlake area before it moved to a more rural part of Redmond.
