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Renton
Renton, WA city hall.jpg
Aerial view of south end of Lake Washington.jpg
Renton Public Library .jpg
Clockwise: City hall, Renton Public Library, aerial view of the south end of Lake Washington with a view of Renton Boeing plant at the tip
Official logo of Renton
Wordmark
Location of Renton in King County and Washington
Location of Renton in
King County and Washington
Renton, Washington is located in the United States
Renton, Washington
Renton, Washington
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Washington
County King
Government
 • Type Mayor–council
Area
 • Total 25.23 sq mi (65.36 km2)
 • Land 23.47 sq mi (60.80 km2)
 • Water 1.76 sq mi (4.56 km2)
Elevation
46–410 ft (14–125 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 106,785
 • Rank US: 296th
 • Density 4,232.5/sq mi (1,633.80/km2)
Time zone UTC−8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP codes
98055–98059
Area code(s) 425
FIPS code 53-57745
GNIS feature ID 1512599
Website RentonWA.gov

Renton is a city in King County, Washington, and an inner-ring suburb of Seattle. Situated 11 miles (18 km) southeast of downtown Seattle, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington, at the mouth of the Cedar River. As of the 2020 census, the population of Renton was 106,785, up from 90,927 at the 2010 census. The city is currently the sixth-largest municipality in greater Seattle and the eighth-largest in Washington state.

After a long history as an important salmon fishing area for Native Americans, Renton was first settled by people of European descent in the 1860s. Its early economy was based on coal mining, clay production, and timber export. Today, Renton is best known as the final assembly point for the Boeing 737 family of commercial airplanes, but it is also home to a growing number of well known manufacturing, technology, and healthcare organizations, including Boeing Commercial Airplanes Division, Paccar, Kaiser Permanente, IKEA, Providence Health & Services, UW Medicine, and Wizards of the Coast.

History

Among the first European settlers in the present-day Renton, WA area were Henry Tobin and his wife Diana. The town of Renton was accessed via the Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad, the first example of railroad transportation in Seattle. Its' location which was home to many coal mines attracted people such as Erasmus M. Smithers, who is credited with the founding and establishment of the town. Smithers discovered coal there and brought in Charles D. Shattuck as the coal mine operator. Renton was incorporated as a city in 1901 (September 6) when coal mining and timber processing were the most important economic industries in the area. The town was prone to flooding from the Cedar and Black Rivers. In 1916 the completion of the Lake Washington Ship Canal lowered the surface of Lake Washington several feet which consequently eliminated drainage of Lake Washington through the Black River. The Cedar River was then diverted to drain into Lake Washington instead of the Black River. The culmination of these actions reduced the threat of annual flooding.

The population sharply increased during World War II when Boeing built their Renton Factory to produce the B-29 Superfortress.

The game company Wizards of the Coast also is headquartered in Renton. Providence Health System has centralized its administrative offices in Renton, along with Group Health Cooperative.

Owing to its location at the confluence of three major freeways (I-5, I-405, and SR 167), Renton's economic development team has lured a number of specialty retailers that draw consumers from around the region, including Fry's Electronics and IKEA.

Renton has a unique and well-loved institution in its library, built directly over the Cedar River. Designed by Johnston-Campanella & Co. in 1964 and opened in 1966, the Cedar River Library stretches 80 feet (24 m) across the river, next to Liberty Park. The library was annexed into the King County Library system in 2010. The walkway in front of the library's entrance forms a deck from which salmon can be viewed as they make their way up the river, particularly during spawning season. In 2011, the iconic building was the center of much controversy, with the City of Renton and the King County Library System developing plans to build a new library closer to the downtown core. Residents wishing to retain the library in its river setting sponsored a petition, and were ultimately successful in convincing City leaders to put the issue to a vote of the people. On August 7, 2012, Renton voters decided the fate of the library with Proposition 1, and found 76% of the voting population supporting the Cedar River location. Discussions ensued between citizen activist groups, city leaders and KCLS over how the library plans would move forward in light of this change, and what affect it would have on the Highlands Library project. The library renovation moved ahead with a design by Miller Hull Architects. The newly renovated Renton Library opened on August 22, 2015.

New developments

Formerly synonymous with the large industrial companies such as Boeing, and Kenworth, a pattern of future development was established with the attraction of the first IKEA in the Pacific Northwest to Renton in 1994. February 2007 saw the expansion of the Federal Aviation Administration's Northwest Mountain Regional Office across the street from its current headquarters (will be moved to Des Moines). A new branch of the Federal Reserve Bank now calls Renton home, beginning operations in the spring of 2008 on the site of the former Longacres horse-racing track.

To date, myriad development of major retail, residential, and revitalization projects are amidst planning, in construction, or have been successfully executed. Among which include Port Quendall, a land parcel in north Renton, that has become the new home to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC), housing the Seattle Seahawks Headquarters and training facility that opened in August 2008; before then, the Seahawks trained in Kirkland, Washington. The team's new state-of-the-art Renton facility, at an expansive 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2), is the second-largest facility in the NFL.

In the mid-1990s, Renton undertook a major redevelopment effort to revitalize its downtown core, which had declined in commercial prominence since the opening of the Southcenter Mall in Tukwila in 1968. The many car dealerships that had previously occupied the center of downtown Renton were encouraged through economic incentives to relocate to a newly created auto sales zone close to the I-405/SR-167 interchange. In place of the old dealerships downtown, a new transit center and parking garage were built in partnership with King County Metro. Simultaneously, a number of privately developed mixed-use residential and retail buildings were also built within a one block radius of the transit center, allowing for one-bus commutes to Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, and other employment centers. A new town square, The Piazza, was constructed next to the transit center, and an existing car dealership building was heavily remodeled into an events center, now known as the Pavilion Building. The Piazza is home to a weekly Farmers' Market during the summer months, as well as other community events throughout the year, while the city-owned Pavilion Building can be rented for parties, fundraisers, and other events, with onsite catering provided by a private caterer.

Renton Transit Center
Renton Transit Center

Centered on former Boeing Co. property near the south shore of Lake Washington is a 68 acres (280,000 m2) development named The Landing. Two high-end apartment communities at The Landing, The Sanctuary and The Reserve, contain a combined 880 residences, targeting a young professional demographic. The first commercial tenants of The Landing arrived in October 2007, and as of March 2012, 80% of the retail space was occupied. The nearby Southport development, located directly on the shoreline of Lake Washington, was once the site of the Shuffleton power plant until it was demolished in 2001. Southport is now home to The Bristol luxury apartments, and the 347-room, 12-story Hyatt Regency Lake Washington is scheduled to open in June 2017.

Geography

Renton is located at 47°29′12″N 122°11′43″W / 47.486622°N 122.195163°W / 47.486622; -122.195163 (47.486622, -122.195163), on the southeast shore of Lake Washington.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.54 square miles (60.97 km2), of which, 23.12 square miles (59.88 km2) is land and 0.42 square miles (1.09 km2) is water, most of which is the Cedar River. Potential Annexation Areas (PAAs) include the communities of Fairwood southeast of Renton, the East Renton Plateau on the eastern edge of Renton, and West Hill northwest of Renton. These communities are large unincorporated urban areas that are encouraged by the King County Annexation Initiative to incorporate as cities or annex into neighboring cities. As of 2012 these three PAAs are not part of the City of Renton, and not included in its demographics or statistics.

Renton is among a handful of cities in the Puget Sound Region with an independent street grid system. Roads names beginning with sectional divisions (N 32nd ST) generally follow a latitudinal direction, while roads names ending in a sectional direction (Duvall Ave NE) generally follow a longitudinal direction. Many of the avenues in the city are named in honor of other cities in Washington. The city also has its own housing authority. This helps the city to avoid higher regional taxes.

Renton is bordered to the north by the city of Newcastle, Washington. Along the east side of Renton is the border of the Urban Growth Boundary established by King County, as such there is no incorporated city directly east of Renton. The geographical characteristics of Renton's eastern border are varied and include (from north to south) the south flank of Cougar Mountain descending southward merging with the community of May Valley. The terrain then elevates south of May Valley to the communities of the East Renton Plateau before descending to the north bank of the Cedar River. Renton is bordered to the south by the city of Kent, Washington. The western border consists of the city of Tukwila, Washington, and finally the unincorporated King County community West Hill and Lake Washington to the northwest.

Areas of Renton

In 2015, ESRI estimated that in Downtown Renton the total population was 3,019 and the average household income was $50,809.
In 2015, ESRI estimated that in North Renton the total population was 8,211 and the average household income was $79,387.
In 2015, ESRI estimated that in Northeast Renton the total population was 44,626 and the average household income was $93,556.
In 2015, ESRI estimated that in Southeast Renton the total population was 39,066 and the average household income was $78,424.
In 2015, ESRI estimated that in Southwest Renton the total population was 3,551 and the average household income was $64,661.

Climate

Climate data for Renton, Washington
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 64
(18)
71
(22)
81
(27)
86
(30)
92
(33)
100
(38)
104
(40)
99
(37)
96
(36)
86
(30)
74
(23)
69
(21)
104
(40)
Average high °F (°C) 47
(8)
51
(11)
55
(13)
61
(16)
67
(19)
72
(22)
77
(25)
78
(26)
72
(22)
62
(17)
52
(11)
46
(8)
62
(17)
Average low °F (°C) 35
(2)
36
(2)
39
(4)
42
(6)
47
(8)
52
(11)
55
(13)
55
(13)
51
(11)
44
(7)
39
(4)
35
(2)
44
(7)
Record low °F (°C) −10
(−23)
−5
(−21)
10
(−12)
25
(−4)
27
(−3)
33
(1)
38
(3)
34
(1)
28
(−2)
24
(−4)
−1
(−18)
3
(−16)
−10
(−23)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.3
(130)
4.5
(110)
4.1
(100)
2.9
(74)
2.1
(53)
1.7
(43)
0.9
(23)
1.2
(30)
1.8
(46)
3.4
(86)
6.1
(150)
5.8
(150)
37.1
(940)
Source: Weather.com

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 200
1890 406 103.0%
1900 412 1.5%
1910 2,740 565.0%
1920 3,301 20.5%
1930 4,062 23.1%
1940 4,488 10.5%
1950 16,039 257.4%
1960 18,453 15.1%
1970 25,878 40.2%
1980 31,031 19.9%
1990 41,688 34.3%
2000 50,052 20.1%
2010 90,927 81.7%
2020 106,785 17.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
Seattle Car and Foundry Renton Works 1916
Seattle Car and Foundry works (Paccar) plant in Renton 1916

The 2019 median income for households in Renton is $70,661, while the mean household income is $89,808. The per capita income is $49,624 – 9% of families and 12% of individuals are below the federal poverty line, while 15% of those under 18 and 9% of those 65 years or older are below.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 90,927 people, 36,009 households, and 21,849 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,932.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,518.5/km2). There were 38,930 housing units at an average density of 1,683.8 per square mile (650.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 54.6% White (49.4% Non-Hispanic White), 10.6% African American, 0.7% Native American, 21.2% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, 6.2% from other races, and 5.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.1% of the population.

There were 36,009 households, of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.16.

The median age in the city was 35.2 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 33.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 10.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

Sister cities

Renton, Washington's Sister Cities are Nishiwaki, Hyogo (established 1969), and Cuautla, Jalisco (established 2001)."

Transportation

Renton is served by King County Metro and Sound Transit Express buses. Clayton Scott Field (KRNT), located just north of downtown Renton, houses several facilities that offer charter services and flight training.

Economy

Renton-Library-3560
Renton Public Library straddles the Cedar River.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Capital, Providence Health & Services, and Wizards of the Coast have their headquarters in Renton.

The Boeing Renton Factory has operated since World War II, when it manufactured the B-29 Superfortress; currently, it produces the 737 airliner. The Renton plant produced the Jetfoil and Pegasus class hydrofoils in the 1970s. As of 2001, 40% of all commercial aircraft in the air were assembled in Renton. Boeing remains the largest employer in Renton, which is home to over 10,000 employees and three of the aerospace giant's six major business divisions: Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Capital Corporation and the Shared Services Group. The local newspaper in the 1970s, the Record Chronicle, proclaimed the city the jet capital of the world.

Paccar has traditionally been a large employer in the city as well with its Kenworth Truck plant located in Renton's industrial area on the south end of Lake Washington. In 1907 the Seattle Car Mfg Company also known as the Car Company moved to a large manufacturing plant in Renton after demand for the company's railroad equipment exceeded the capacity of its Seattle plant. The Car Company was the only manufacturer of train cars on the west coast.

The Renton plant expanded to foundry capabilities in 1911, and Seattle Car and Foundry Co merged with the Twohy Brothers of Portland in 1917 and became the Pacific Car and Foundry Company or Paccar. During the great depression the Renton Paccar plant developed power winches for use in the logging industry. When World War II arrived the Renton manufacturing switched its production towards the war effort, and by the war's end in 1945 had built 1,500 Sherman Tanks. In the second half of the 20th century there was not enough repeat business for Paccar-built train cars as rail equipment in 1965 came to only 1/3 of the company's sales. Thus the Paccar Renton plant began manufacturing structural steel until the 1970s recession. In the early 1980s the Paccar Railcar Division; the last remnants of the original Pacific Car and Foundry Co closed down. In 1993, a new Kenworth assembly plant opened on the former site of Pacific Car and Foundry.

Top employers

As of 2016 the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Boeing Company 16,774
2 Valley Medical Center 2,547
3 Renton School District No. 403 1,540
4 Federal Aviation Administration 1,450
5 Providence Washington Regional Services 1,414
6 Paccar 1,144
7 Group Health Cooperative 932
8 City of Renton 713
9 McLendon Hardware 641
10 King County Total 555
11 Kroger Total 451
12 Wizards of the Coast 445
13 Renton Technical College 378
14 Lumicor Inc 378
15 Health Point Total 372

Education

Renton Technical College, originally opened in 1942 as a war production school, offers associate degrees and certificates of completion in professional-technical fields.

The Renton School District provides K–12 public schooling. Additionally, the Issaquah School District serves a small portion of unincorporated Renton neighborhoods. The Tahoma School District serves a small portion of Renton along Maple Valley Highway. The Kent School District serves the majority of Fairwood, a census-designated place between Renton and Maple Valley.

The Renton School District includes the following high schools (grades 9–12):

  • Hazen High School
  • Lindbergh High School
  • Renton High School
  • Albert Talley Senior High School

Middle schools (grades 6–8):

  • Dimmitt Middle School
  • McKnight Middle School
  • Nelsen Middle School
  • Risdon Middle School

Elementary schools (K–5):

  • Benson Hill Elementary School
  • Bryn Mawr Elementary School
  • Campbell Hill Elementary School
  • Cascade Elementary School
  • Hazelwood Elementary School
  • Highlands Elementary School
  • Honeydew Elementary School
  • Kennydale Elementary School
  • Lakeridge Elementary School
  • Maplewood Heights Elementary School
  • Renton Park Elementary School
  • Sartori Elementary School
  • Sierra Heights Elementary School
  • Talbot Hill Elementary School
  • Tiffany Park Elementary School

The southern region of the Issaquah School District includes the following schools in unincorporated Renton neighborhoods:

  • Liberty High School
  • Maywood Middle School
  • Apollo Elementary School
  • Briarwood Elementary School

The northeastern region of the Kent School District includes the following schools in unincorporated Renton neighborhoods:

  • Kentridge High School
  • Meeker Middle School
  • Northwood Middle School
  • Carriage Crest Elementary School
  • Fairwood Elementary School
  • Glenridge Elementary School
  • Ridgewood Elementary School

The northern region of the Tahoma School District includes schools that serve Renton but are located in Maple Valley and surrounding areas:

  • Tahoma High School (Maple Valley)
  • Maple View Middle School (Covington)
  • Shadow Lake Elementary School (Maple Valley)
  • Cedar River Elementary School (Maple Valley)
  • Tahoma Elementary School (Hobart)

Notable people

Images for kids

See also

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