Kent, Washington
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| Kent, Washington | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Washington | ||
| County | King | ||
| Founded | May 28, 1890 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Suzette Cooke | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 28.3 sq mi (73.2 km²) | ||
| - Land | 28.0 sq mi (72.6 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - City | 86,607 | ||
| - Density | 2,836.7/sq mi (1,095.4/km²) | ||
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | ||
| Website: http://www.ci.kent.wa.us/ | |||
Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States. The second largest city in south King County and the eighth largest in the state, Kent has the third-largest industrial area in the United States. Often considered an outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is the corporate home for companies such as R.E.I. and Oberto Sausage. Nearby towns include Renton and Tukwila to the north, Covington to the east, Federal Way and SeaTac to the west, and Auburn to the south. As of 2006, the population was 86,607. HELLO
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[edit] History
Kent was officially incorporated on May 28, 1890 with a population of 793, the second city incorporated in King County after Seattle. It was once the "Lettuce Capital of the World." Kent was formerly known as Titusville, as evidenced by a Titusville Station sign on Gowe St.
The land on which Kent sits is actually some of the most fertile farmland in the entire world[citation needed]. Up until the 1960s and 70s, Kent was known for its beautiful pastures and green grass no matter what time of year.
[edit] Geography
Kent is located at 47°22'58" North, 122°13'37" West (47.382689, -122.227021)GR1, and is divided into three major regions: East Hill, the Valley, and West Hill. Downtown Kent is located on the east side of the valley; the rest of the valley is almost entirely covered by warehouses. There is a good view of Mt. Rainier to the southeast.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 73.2 km² (28.3 mi²). 72.6 km² (28.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.85% water. Major waterways include the Green River, which flows north through Kent on its way to the Puget Sound. The largest lake is Lake Meridian, on the city's East Hill, which is big enough for water skiing.
[edit] Transportation
Kent has many large roads nearby, including I-5, SR-167, and SR-18, and, as a result, a much greater population during rush hour. Kent is also central to King County Metro transit, with the Kent Station providing service to many destinations, including downtown Seattle by multiple commuter buses, the Sounder Commuter Rail and local bus service. Heavy rail service includes two major north-south lines through the Kent Valley, with freight traffic operations by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
[edit] Parks
Kent's extensive park system includes over 60 parks, miniparks, playfields, greenbelts, and other, related facilities. These parks range in size from as little as 4,300 square feet to over 160 acres.
[edit] Economy
In addition to R.E.I. and Oberto Sausage Company both being headquartered in Kent, Boeing operates a plant in the city. Kent also hosts many warehouses in its once fertile farmland, due in part to its proximity to key transportation routes. The warehouse district has started to sprawl as far as nearby Sumner, Washington. Maytag/Whirlpool and G.E. Appliances are two companies with Regional Distribution Centers in Kent.
The downtown area of Kent is now being revitalized with the construction of Kent Station. The East hill of Kent also has some new construction.
[edit] Demographics
In 2006, the State Office of Financial Management recorded a population of 86,607. As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 79,524 people, 31,113 households, and 19,601 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,095.4/km² (2,836.7/mi²). There are 32,488 housing units at an average density of 447.5/km² (1,158.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 70.81% White, 8.23% African American, 0.98% Native American, 9.42% Asian, 0.76% Pacific Islander, 4.43% from other races, and 5.37% from two or more races. 8.13% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 32,998 households out of which 35.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% are married couples living together, 12.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% are non-families. 28.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.53 and the average family size is 3.15.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33.8 years. For every 100 females there are 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $50,053, and the median income for a family is $67,083. Males have a median income of $43,136 versus $36,995 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,390. 11.6% of the population and 8.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.7% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
In 1992 the city's population was 40,300, whereas in 2006 it was 86,607: the population more than doubled in ten years[1], which is primarily due to annexation of parcels adjacent to the city's limits.
[edit] Education
Kent, and a number of neighboring cities, are serviced by the Kent School District. The district includes four high schools, seven middle schools, twenty-eight elementary schools and one academy.
[edit] Recreation and Entertainment
In 2003, Kent was named Sports Illustrated's Sportstown of the year for Washington. In January of 2006, a major new entertainment center, known as "Kent Station," opened in Downtown Kent. It includes a large AMC movie theater, restaurants such as the Ram Restaurant & Brewery, Johnny Rockets, Pizzeria Fondi, Chipotle Mexican Grill and many shops and other forms of entertainment. There are plans to add to Kent Station over the next few years including a new Kent Events Center, which will be the new home for the Seattle Thunderbirds starting in 2008. There is currently debate about whether or not there is enough road and parking infrastructure in place to handle the anticipated increase in traffic volume these projects will bring.
[edit] Events
- Canterbury Faire, an arts festival in mid-August every year at Earthworks Park.
- Kent Cornucopia Days in July.
- Kent Farmers Market
- Kent Saturday Market
- NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways
[edit] Famous Past/Present Residents
- Earl Anthony, Professional Bowler
- John Bronson, Arizona Cardinals
- Mike Karney, New Orleans Saints
- Kenny Mayne, ESPN Analyst
- Ernie Conwell, New Orleans Saints
- Howard Leese, Heart {Guitar, keyboards, synthesizer)
- Darren McGavin, Actor (Kolchak: The Night Stalker, A Christmas Story, X-Files)
[edit] Sister Cities
Kent has the following sister cities, according to [2] and [3]:
Castlereagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Kaibara, Japan
Kherson, Ukraine
Yangzhou, China
El Grullo, Jalisco, Mexico
Sunnfjord, Norway
[edit] External links
- City of Kent Government
- Kent School District
- Kent Chamber of Commerce
- City of Kent Parks Department
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Nearby hiking trails on Hikipedia
