Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington, known as the “City of Destiny”, is the bustling seat of Pierce County. The third largest city in Washington State, Tacoma sits on the shores of Commencement Bay off Puget Sound. This deep-water port city acts as one of the busiest commercial ports in the world. To the east of Tacoma looms majestic Mt. Rainier, providing a scenic beauty to this lively metropolis.
Incorporated in 1884, Tacoma’s strategic location made it the ideal choice as the western end of the transcontinental Northern Pacific Railroad. Today, Interstate 5 links Tacoma and Seattle to its north, as well as Portland, Oregon to the south. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport lies between these two fine cities. The Washington State Ferry also serves Tacoma.
Census 2000 recorded Tacoma’s population as 193,556. Residents here enjoy more than one hundred parks scattered through the forty-nine square miles of the city. Point Defiance Park remains one of the largest urban parks in the nation. Included within its 702 acres is the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Titlow Beach holds the reputation of being one of the best scuba-diving areas in Washington.
Tacoma serves as the educational and cultural center of Pierce County, Washington. The University of Washington, the Tacoma Community College and the University of Puget Sound are three of the fifteen institutes of higher learning found here. Cultural delights include the Tacoma Opera, the city’s Symphony Orchestra and the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts. More than twenty art galleries and museums grace Tacoma’s downtown region. The Washington State History Museum hosts the largest collection of Indian and pioneer artifacts on the west coast. The Museum of Glass offers splendid exhibits and ongoing educational series in the fine art of glass working.
From its beginnings as a lumber town and port city, Tacoma emerges today as an international tourist destination and convention center. The Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center is Washington’s second largest meeting facility. Built with stunning glass-wall architecture, it displays Tacoma’s breathtaking views. Astute city leaders invested 100 million dollars in a municipally owned telecommunications service, linking Tacoma residents and businesses into the global economy. Now known as “America’s Number One Wired City”, Tacoma attracts an influx of high-tech corporations seeking to relocate.
Tacoma, Washington lies surrounded by the maritime beauty of Puget Sound and the magnificence of Mt. Rainier. Guided by far-seeing leaders and progressive thinkers, this city full of great potential will live up to the motto, “City of Destiny”.
