Description

Washington's 1st Congressional District includes parts of King, Kitsap and Snohomish counties. It is a classic suburban district; on the Eastside (east of Lake Washington), the district contains portions of Redmond and all of Kirkland. It continues north through Woodinville, Bothell, Kenmore and Monroe. To the west, it includes Mukilteo, Mill Creek, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Shoreline and North Seattle. Crossing the Puget Sound, the district contains Kingston, Poulsbo, Silverdale and Bainbridge Island.

Eastside
No longer an appendage to Seattle, the Eastside has seen enormous growth in the past decade. The 1st Congressional District is home to Microsoft, one of the largest employers in the district. From the eastern shores of Lake Washington to the Sammamish River Valley, this area of the Puget Sound region is home to the two leading Washington state wineries, Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery, as well as the Red Hook Brewery. This valley also boasts 60 acres of soccer fields, the 522-acre Marymoor Park, and the kayak-able Sammamish River, which begins at Lake Sammamish and continues downstream to empty into Lake Washington. Along the river is the Sammamish Trail, a popular biking, jogging and rollerblading route that meets up with the Burke-Gilman Trail and goes on into Seattle.

The city of Kirkland is the 13th largest in Washington state, with a population of 44,000. It has a vibrant thriving downtown, and Kirkland has gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of pedestrians who come to visit its many art galleries, boutiques and restaurants. With six miles of Lake Washington shoreline, Kirkland is a scenic destination for both locals and visitors.

The City of Bothell has become a hub of the country's top technology and biotechnology companies, including Amgen, Ceptyr, Inc., EDEN Bioscience, Lumera, Microvision Inc., Nastech Pharmaceutical Co., Philips Medical Systems, Seattle Genetics, SonoSite, Inc., and Sonus Pharmaceuticals.

Shoreline
Although not incorporated until 1995, Shoreline has been called such since 1944. It stretches from the freshwater on Lake Washington to the salt water on Puget Sound and is the 12th largest city in Washington state. It boasts one of the top school districts in the state and continues to offer superior education after high school at Shoreline Community College.

South Snohomish County
At the Northern end of the district sits Mukilteo, a waterfront community at the entrance to Puget Sound with expansive views of the Olympic Peninsula and Mt. Baker. The Mukilteo State Park, located on 17 acres at Elliot Point, is home to the landmark Mukilteo Lighthouse that has beamed its guiding light since 1906. Mukilteo is also home to CombiMatrix Corp., which makes semiconductor-based, lab-on-a-chip tools for use in identifying and investigating the roles of genes, gene mutations, and proteins.

South of Mukilteo, along the shores of Puget Sound, is the quiet town of Edmonds, with western views of the Olympic Mountains and northern views of Whidbey Island, Mt. Baker and the North Cascades. Edmonds' shoreline is a protected marine sanctuary accessible to all and is home to the largest charter fishing fleet on Puget Sound. Edmonds also hosts the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry, a 30-minute ride to Kitsap County.

East from Edmonds is Lynnwood, home to the South Snohomish Chamber of Commerce, which includes eight surrounding incorporated cities. It features the recently updated Alderwood Mall, and also has a new convention and conference center.

Even further east of Edmonds is Mill Creek, one of the state's youngest cities (incorporated in 1983). Mill Creek is a master-planned community, complete with a high school, middle school and an 18-hole golf course.

The City of Mountlake Terrace has provided an award-winning model for communities around the nation: the Neutral Zone. The Neutral Zone is a non-profit community-based volunteer organization which first began in 1989 to reduce juvenile crime.

Kitsap County
The central and northern portions of Kitsap County make up 15 percent of the 1st Congressional District. This area is home to the Trident Submarine Base in Bangor and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, both near the city of Silverdale. Two federally recognized Indian Tribes in Washington's 1st Congressional District are the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe and the Suquamish Tribe.

Settled in 1882 by Norwegian immigrants, Poulsbo is home to the annual celebration Viking Fest, beautiful Liberty Bay and the Marine Science Center. Poulsbo also houses two of the district's larger innovative companies, Boxlight and Paladin Data Systems.

Just a 35-minute ferry ride away from downtown Seattle, Bainbridge Island retains its small-town feel, vast rural tracts and excellent schools. This island, named for a naval hero in the War of 1812, is one of the top tourist destinations in the state.