Question: Which port lies between Puget Sound and Lake Washington?
Answer: Seattle

Puget Sound is a sound along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and two minor connections to the open Pacific Ocean via the Strait of Juan de Fuca—Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and Deception Pass and Swinomish Channel being the minor. Flow through Deception Pass is approximately equal to 2% of the total tidal exchange between Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Puget Sound extends approximately 100 mi from Deception Pass in the north to Olympia, Washington in the south. Its average depth is 450 ft  and its maximum depth, off Point Jefferson between Indianola and Kingston, is 930 ft. The depth of the main basin, between the southern tip of Whidbey Island and Tacoma, Washington, is approximately 600 ft.

Since 2009, the term Salish Sea has been established by the United States Board on Geographic Names as the collective waters of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. Sometimes the terms "Puget Sound" and "Puget Sound and adjacent waters" are used for not only Puget Sound proper but also for waters to the north, such as Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands region. 

The term "Puget Sound" is used not just for the body of water but also the Puget Sound region centered on the sound.  Major cities on the sound include Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, and Everett, Washington.  The Seattle metropolitan area also includes Bellevue, Washington, just east of the Sound.

Puget Sound is also the second largest estuary in the United States, behind Chesapeake Bay. 

Names

In 1792 George Vancouver gave the name "Puget's Sound" to the waters south of the Tacoma Narrows, in honor of Peter Puget, a Huguenot lieutenant accompanying him on the Vancouver Expedition. This name later came to be used for the waters north of Tacoma Narrows as well. 

An alternative term for Puget Sound, still used by some Native Americans and environmental groups, is Whulge (or Whulj), an anglicization of the Lushootseed name x̌ʷə́lč, which means "sea, salt water, ocean, or sound." 

Definitions

The USGS defines Puget Sound as all the waters south of three entrances from the Strait of Juan de Fuca The main entrance at Admiralty Inlet is defined as a line between Point Wilson on the Olympic Peninsula, and Point Partridge on Whidbey Island. The second entrance is at Deception Pass along a line from West Point on Whidbey Island, to Deception Island, then to Rosario Head on Fidalgo Island. The third entrance is at the south end of the Swinomish Channel, which connects Skagit Bay and Padilla Bay.  Under this definition, Puget Sound includes the waters of Hood Canal, Admiralty Inlet, Possession Sound, Saratoga Passage, and others. It does not include Bellingham Bay, Padilla Bay, the waters of the San Juan Islands or anything farther north.

Another definition, given by NOAA, subdivides Puget Sound into five basins or regions. Four of these correspond to areas within the USGS definition, but the fifth one, called "Northern Puget Sound" includes a large additional region. It is defined as bounded to the north by the international boundary with Canada, and to the west by a line running north from the mouth of the Sekiu River on the Olympic Peninsula.  Under this definition significant parts of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia are included in Puget Sound, with the international boundary marking an abrupt and hydrologically arbitrary limit.

According to Arthur Kruckeberg, the term "Puget Sound" is sometimes used for waters north of Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass, especially for areas along the north coast of Washington and the San Juan Islands, essentially equivalent to NOAA's "Northern Puget Sound" subdivision described above. Kruckeberg uses the term "Puget Sound and adjacent waters".

Geology 

Continental ice sheets have repeatedly advanced and retreated from the Puget Sound region. The most recent glacial period, called the Fraser Glaciation, had three phases, or stades. During the third, or Vashon Glaciation, a lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, called the Puget Lobe, spread south about 15,000 years ago, covering the Puget Sound region with an ice sheet about 3000 ft thick near Seattle, and nearly 6000 ft at the present Canada-U.S. border. Since each new advance and retreat of ice erodes away much of the evidence of previous ice ages, the most recent Vashon phase has left the clearest imprint on the land. At its maximum extent the Vashon ice sheet extended south of Olympia to near Tenino, and covered the lowlands between the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. About 14,000 years ago the ice began to retreat. By 11,000 years ago it survived only north of the Canadian border.Kruckeberg (1991), pp. 18–23.

The melting retreat of the Vashon Glaciation eroded the land, creating a drumlin field of hundreds of aligned drumlin hills. Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish (which are ribbon lakes), Hood Canal, and the main Puget Sound basin were altered by glacial forces. These glacial forces are not specifically "carving", as in cutting into the landscape via the mechanics of ice/glaciers, but rather eroding the landscape from melt water of the Vashon Glacier creating the drumlin field. As the ice retreated, vast amounts of glacial till were deposited throughout the Puget Sound region. The soils of the region, less than ten thousand years old, are still characterized as immature.

As the Vashon glacier receded a series of proglacial lakes formed, filling the main trough of Puget Sound and inundating the southern lowlands. Glacial Lake Russell was the first such large recessional lake. From the vicinity of Seattle in the north the lake extended south to the Black Hills, where it drained south into the Chehalis River. Sediments from Lake Russell form the blue-gray clay identified as the Lawton Clay. The second major recessional lake was Glacial Lake Bretz. It also drained to the Chehalis River until the Chimacum Valley, in the northeast Olympic Peninsula, melted, allowing the lake's water to rapidly drain north into the marine waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which was rising as the ice sheet retreated.

As icebergs calved off the toe of the glacier, their embedded gravels and boulders were deposited in the chaotic mix of unsorted till geologists call glaciomarine drift. Many beaches about the Sound display glacial erratics, rendered more prominent than those in coastal woodland solely by their exposed position; submerged glacial erratics sometimes cause hazards to navigation. The sheer weight of glacial-age ice depressed the landforms, which experienced post-glacial rebound after the ice sheets had retreated. Because the rate of rebound was not synchronous with the post-ice age rise in sea levels, the bed of what is Puget Sound, filled alternately with fresh and with sea water. The upper level of the lake-sediment Lawton Clay now lies about 120 ft above sea level.

The Puget Sound system consists of four deep basins connected by shallower sills. The four basins are Hood Canal, west of the Kitsap Peninsula, Whidbey Basin, east of Whidbey Island, South Sound, south of the Tacoma Narrows, and the Main Basin, which is further subdivided into Admiralty Inlet and the Central Basin. Puget Sound's sills, a kind of submarine terminal moraine, separate the basins from one another, and Puget Sound from the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Three sills are particularly significant—the one at Admiralty Inlet which checks the flow of water between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget sound, the one at the entrance to Hood Canal (about 175 ft below the surface), and the one at the Tacoma Narrows (about 145 ft). Other sills that present less of a barrier include the ones at Blake Island, Agate Pass, Rich Passage, and Hammersley Inlet.

The depth of the basins is a result of the Sound being part of the Cascadia subduction zone, where the terranes accreted at the edge of the Juan de Fuca Plate are being subducted under the North American Plate.  There has not been a major subduction zone earthquake here since the magnitude nine Cascadia earthquake; according to Japanese records, it occurred 26 January 1700. Lesser Puget Sound earthquakes with shallow epicenters, caused by the fracturing of stressed oceanic rocks as they are subducted, still cause great damage. The Seattle Fault cuts across Puget Sound, crossing the southern tip of Bainbridge Island and under Elliott Bay.  To the south, the existence of a second fault, the Tacoma Fault, has buckled the intervening strata in the Seattle Uplift.

Typical Puget Sound profiles of dense glacial till overlying permeable glacial outwash of gravels above an impermeable bed of silty clay may become unstable after periods of unusually wet weather and slump in landslides. 

Hydrology

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) defines Puget Sound as a bay with numerous channels and branches; more specifically, it is a fjord system of flooded glacial valleys. Puget Sound is part of a larger physiographic structure termed the Puget Trough, which is a physiographic section of the larger Pacific Border province, which in turn is part of the larger Pacific Mountain System. 

Puget Sound is a large salt water estuary, or system of many estuaries, fed by highly seasonal freshwater from the Olympic and Cascade Mountain watersheds. The mean annual river discharge into Puget Sound is 41000 cuft/s, with a monthly average maximum of about 367000 cuft/s and minimum of about 14000 cuft/s. Puget Sound's shoreline is 1332 mi long, encompassing a water area of 1020 sqmi and a total volume of  at mean high water. The average volume of water flowing in and out of Puget Sound during each tide is . The maximum tidal currents, in the range of 9 to 10 knots, occurs at Deception Pass.

The size of Puget Sound's watershed is 12138 sqmi.  "Northern Puget Sound" is frequently considered part of the Puget Sound watershed, which enlarges its size to 13700 sqmi.  The USGS uses the name "Puget Sound" for its hydrologic unit subregion 1711, which includes areas draining to Puget Sound proper as well as the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Strait of Georgia, and the Fraser River.  Significant rivers that drain to "Northern Puget Sound" include the Nooksack, Dungeness, and Elwha Rivers. The Nooksack empties into Bellingham Bay, the Dungeness and Elwha into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Chilliwack River flows north to the Fraser River in Canada.

Tides in Puget Sound are of the mixed type with two high and two low tides each tidal day. These are called Higher High Water (HHW), Lower Low Water (LLW), Lower High Water (LHW), and Higher Low Water (HLW). The configuration of basins, sills, and interconnections cause the tidal range to increase within Puget Sound. The difference in height between the Higher High Water and the Lower Low Water averages about  at Port Townsend on Admiralty Inlet, but increases to about  at Olympia, the southern end of Puget Sound.

Puget Sound is generally accepted as the start of the Inside Passage.  

Flora and fauna

Important marine flora of Puget Sound include eelgrass (Zostera marina)  and kelp, especially bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). 

Among the marine mammals species found in Puget Sound are harbor seals (Phoca vitulina).  Orca (Orcinus orca) are famous throughout the Sound, and are a large tourist attraction. Although orca are sometimes seen in Puget Sound proper they are far more prevalent around the San Juan Islands north of Puget Sound. 

Many fish species occur in Puget Sound. The various salmonid species, including salmon, trout, and char are particularly well-known and studied. Salmonid species of Puget Sound include chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), chum salmon (O. keta), coho salmon (O. kisutch), pink salmon (O. gorbuscha), sockeye salmon (O. nerka), sea-run coastal cutthroat trout (O. clarki clarki), steelhead (O. mykiss irideus), sea-run bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), and Dolly Varden trout (Salvelinus malma malma).  

Common forage fishes found in Puget Sound include Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), surf smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus), and Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus).  Important benthopelagic fish of Puget Sound include North Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), Pacific cod (Gadus macrocelhalus), walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), and the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias).  There are about 28 species of Sebastidae (rockfish), of many types, found in Puget Sound. Among those of special interest are copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus), quillback rockfish (S. maliger), black rockfish (S. melanops), yelloweye rockfish (S. ruberrimus), bocaccio rockfish (S. paucispinis), canary rockfish (S. pinniger), and Puget Sound rockfish (S. emphaeus). 

Many other fish species occur in Puget Sound, such as sturgeons, lampreys, various sharks, rays, and skates. 

Puget Sound is home to numerous species of marine invertebrates, including sponges, sea anemones, chitons, clams, sea snails, limpets crabs, barnacles starfish, sea urchins, and sand dollars.  Dungeness crabs (Metacarcinus magister) occur throughout Washington waters, including Puget Sound.  Many bivalves occur in Puget Sound, such as Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and geoduck clams (Panopea generosa). The Olympia oyster (Ostreola conchaphila), once common in Puget Sound, was depleted by human activities during the 20th century. There are ongoing efforts to restore Olympia oysters in Puget Sound. 

There are many seabird species of Puget Sound. Among these are grebes such as the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis); loons such as the common loon (Gavia immer); auks such as the pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba), rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata), common murre (Uria aalge), and marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus); the brant goose (Branta bernicla); seaducks such as the long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus), and surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata); and cormorants such as the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus). Puget Sound is home to a non-migratory and marine-oriented subspecies of great blue herons (Ardea herodias fannini).  Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) occur in relative high densities in the Puget Sound region. 

It is estimated that more than 100 million geoducks (pronounced "gooey ducks") are packed into Puget Sound's sediments. Also known as "king clam", geoducks are considered to be a delicacy in Asian countries.

History

George Vancouver explored Puget Sound in 1792. Vancouver claimed it for Great Britain on 4 June 1792, naming it for one of his officers, Lieutenant Peter Puget. 

After 1818 Britain and the United States, which both claimed the Oregon Country, agreed to "joint occupancy", deferring resolution of the Oregon boundary dispute until the 1846 Oregon Treaty. Puget Sound was part of the disputed region until 1846, after which it became US territory.

American maritime fur traders visited Puget Sound in the early 19th century. 

The first European settlement in the Puget Sound area was Fort Nisqually, a fur trade post of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) built in 1833.  Fort Nisqually was part of the HBC's Columbia District, headquartered at Fort Vancouver. The Puget Sound Agricultural Company, a subsidiary of the HBC, established farms and ranches near Fort Nisqually. British ships such as the Beaver, exported foodstuffs and provisions from Fort Nisqually. 

The first American settlement on Puget Sound was Tumwater. It was founded in 1845 by Americans who had come via the Oregon Trail. The decision to settle north of the Columbia River was made in part because one of the settlers, George Washington Bush, was considered black and the Provisional Government of Oregon banned the residency of mulattoes but did not actively enforce the restriction north of the river. 

In 1853 Washington Territory was formed from part of Oregon Territory.  In 1888 the Northern Pacific railroad line reached Puget Sound, linking the region to eastern states. 

Transportation

A unique state-run ferry system, the Washington State Ferries, connects the larger islands to the Washington mainland, as well as both sides of the sound, allowing people and cars to move about the greater Puget Sound region.

Environmental issues

In the past 30 years there has been a large recession in the populations of the species which inhabit Puget Sound. The decrease has been seen in the populations of: forage fish, salmonids, bottom fish, marine birds, harbor porpoise and orcas. This decline is attributed to the various environmental issues in Puget Sound.  Because of this population decline, there have been changes to the fishery practices, and an increase in petitioning to add species to the Endangered Species Act. There has also been an increase in recovery and management plans for many different area species.

The causes of these environmental issues are toxic contamination, eutrophication (low oxygen due to excess nutrients), and near shore habitat changes.

Prominent islands

* Anderson Island
* Bainbridge Island
* Blake Island
* Camano Island
* Fidalgo Island

* Fox Island
* Guemes Island
* Harstine Island
* Herron Island
* Indian Island
* Marrowstone Island

* Maury Island
* McNeil Island
* Squaxin Island
* Vashon Island
* Whidbey Island

Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest natural lake in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and Kenmore on the north, and surrounds Mercer Island. The lake is fed by the Sammamish River at its north end and the Cedar River at its south.

Lake Washington received its present name in 1854 after Thomas Mercer suggested it be named after George Washington, as the new Washington Territory had been named the year before.  Prior names for Lake Washington have included the Duwamish name Xacuabš (Lushootseed: literally great-amount-of-water),  as well as Lake Geneva, Lake Duwamish, and the Chinook jargon name, "Hyas Chuck," meaning, "Big Lake." 

The lake provides great sport fishing opportunities. Some species found in this lake are Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, and Black Crappie. 

Geography

A ribbon lake, Lake Washington is long, narrow and finger-like. Ribbon lakes are excavated by glaciers. As the Puget lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet flowed south near the end of the Late Pleistocene, it met bands of harder and softer rock. Erosion of the softer rock was faster and a linear depression was created in the flow direction. When the glacier melted, the lake filled with the meltwater, which was retained by moraine deposits. A dam can also be created by the bands of harder rock either side of the softer rock. There is usually a river at both ends of a ribbon lake, one being the inlet, and the other, the outlet—though in the case of present-day Lake Washington, inlet rivers are located at both ends, with a man-made outlet in the middle.

Creeks and rivers

The main inflowing rivers are the Sammamish and Cedar Rivers. Prior to the construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal in 1916, the Sammamish was the primary source of water for Lake Washington. The creation of the ship canal lowered the water level of Lake Washington by 8 feet (8.5 m), which slightly increased the flow of the Sammamish River (seasonal changes in river flow were moderated by a weir at the Lake Sammamish outlet in 1964). As part of the ship canal project, the Cedar River was diverted into Lake Washington, and it is now the primary source of water for Lake Washington.

In addition, there are numerous small creeks and rivers which feed the lake, including:[http://www.cedarriver.org/the-watershed "The Watershed"]. Friends of the Cedar River Watershed. Accessed 10 December 2014.

* Coal Creek
* Fairweather Creek
* Forbes Creek
* Juanita Creek
* Kelsey Creek
* Lyon Creek
* May Creek
* McAleer Creek
* Mercer Slough
* Ravenna Creek
* Taylor Creek
* Thornton Creek
* Yarrow Creek
* Yesler Creek

Canals and bridges

Before construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal in 1916, Lake Washington's outlet was the Black River, which joined the Duwamish River and emptied into Elliott Bay. When the canal was opened the level of the lake dropped nearly nine feet (3 m).  The canal to the Puget Sound became the lake's sole outlet, causing the Black River to dry up and disappear.

Concrete floating bridges are employed to span the lake because Lake Washington's depth and muddy bottom prevented the emplacement of the pilings or towers necessary for the construction of a causeway or suspension bridge. The bridges consist of hollow concrete pontoons that float atop the lake, anchored with cables to each other and to weights on the lake bottom. The roadway is constructed atop these concrete pontoons. Three floating bridges cross Lake Washington: the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge (officially the SR 520 Albert D. Rosellini Evergreen Point Floating Bridge) carries State Route 520 from Seattle's Montlake neighborhood to Medina while the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge and the Third Lake Washington Bridge (officially the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge) carry Interstate 90 from Seattle's Mount Baker neighborhood to Mercer Island. The East Channel Bridge carries Interstate 90 from Mercer Island to Bellevue. The Evergreen Point, Lacey V. Murrow, and Third Lake Washington bridges are the longest, second longest, and fifth longest floating bridges in the world, respectively.

Many questioned the wisdom of concrete floating bridge technology after the sinking of a portion of the Lacey V. Murrow bridge on November 25, 1990. However, a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) investigation revealed that that incident resulted from the improper handling of hydrodemolition water being used during bridge renovations, rather than in any basic flaw in the bridge's concept or design. Concrete floating bridges continue to remain a viable means for the conveyance of vehicle traffic over Lake Washington. 

In 1950, approximately one year after the tolls were removed from the Murrow bridge, the inland ferry system on the lake came to an end, having operated since the 1880s. 

Shoreline cities and towns

The cities and towns bordering the lake, going clockwise from the west, are Seattle, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Kirkland, Yarrow Point, Hunts Point, Medina, Bellevue, Beaux Arts Village, Newcastle, and Renton. The city of Mercer Island occupies the island of the same name, in the southern half of the lake.

Businesses

Kenmore Air operates passenger seaplane service at Kenmore Air Harbor at the northern end of the lake.

Water purity

Around 1900, Seattle began discharging sewage into Lake Washington. During the 1940s and 1950s, eleven sewage treatment plants were sending state-of-the-art treated water into the lake at a rate of 20 million gallons per day. At the same time, phosphate-based detergents came into wide-use. The lake responded to the massive input of nutrients by developing unpleasant blooms of noxious blue-green algae. The water lost its clarity, the desirable fish populations declined, and masses of dead algae accumulated on the shores of the lake. After significant pollution, the October 5, 1963 issue of the Post Intelligencer referred to the lake as "Lake Stinko". Citizen concern led to the creation of a system that diverted the treatment-plant effluents into nearby Puget Sound, where tidal flushing would mix them with open-ocean water. The diversion was complete by 1968, and the lake responded quickly. The algal blooms diminished, the water regained its clarity, and by 1975, recovery was complete. Careful studies by a group of limnologists from the University of Washington showed that phosphate was the culprit. Since then, Lake Washington has undergone major improvements, drastically improving the ecology and water quality, making the water twice as clear as it was in 1950.

Puget Sound Washington - Go Northwest! A Travel Guide
Novels set in the Puget Sound
"Superspill" by Mary Kay Becker, 1974.
An hour-by-hour account of the havoc wrought by spreading oil after a    tanker goes aground.
"Mighty Mountain" by Archie Binns, 1940.
Historical novel about the Puget Sound country in the mid-1800s,     highlighting relations between the Indians and the White settlers.
"The Timber Beast" by Archie Binns, 1944.
Charlie Dow typifies the old style logging operator in this story of the    Sound's lumber industry.
"Mom Counted Six" by Mac Gardner, 1944.
Warm and humorous chronicle of a family who live in a Puget Sound mill    town. (Gardner was born and grew up in the Puget Sound area.)
More Washington
List with Go Northwest!
The Puget Sound region is home to the majority of Washington State citizens who live in the bustling cities and    suburbs that extend north to south from Stanwood to Olympia. Most Puget    Sound communities lie on either side of the north-south Interstate    5 corridor that serves as the major traffic thoroughfare of the state.
Puget Sound itself is a    body of water lying east of Admiralty Inlet, through which ocean waters    reach inland some 50 miles from the Pacific Coast to provide all-weather    ports for ocean-going ships at Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia. The waterway    is a complex and intricate system of channels, inlets, estuaries, embayments and islands.
Common usage has broadened    the Sound's description to include the surrounding lowlands extending east to the Cascade Mountains and the various cities and towns lying therein.    Such usage also includes Whidbey ,    Camano, and Fidalgo islands as well as the Kitsap Peninsula .
Outside Admiralty Inlet and    beyond Whidbey Island to the north, lie the popular San Juan Islands between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait    of Georgia. This small group of islands is a favorite playground and    weekend get-away destination for residents of the region and their    northern neighbors in British Columbia , Canada.
Puget Sound Cities
Seattle ,    the state's largest city, lies in the center of the Puget Sound region    and sits between Elliot Bay and Lake Washington. Across the Sound is Bainbridge Island , the Kitsap Peninsula and Olympic Peninsula . To the east, and across Lake Washington, is    Seattle's near neighbor Bellevue .
Other major cities situated    on the Sound include Everett , Olympia and Tacoma .    On the west side of the Sound are the cities of Bremerton , Port Orchard and Shelton .
Vacationing in Puget Sound
The Puget Sound area offers    a rich variety of vacation, recreational and holiday pursuits including    big-city life, island retreats, cozy bed and breakfasts, romantic    country inns and first-class resorts. There is plenty of sightseeing,    hiking, kayaking, and boating activities to keep in shape and make one    wish for a longer Puget Sound holiday.
See individual cities and towns for additional visitor information as well as    information on accommodations, activities and attractions in specific    cities. When looking for a city or town, you can choose from either an alphabetical list, or, a list by region .

Human Resources at Seattle Colleges
Contact Us
Living in the Puget Sound Region
The majority of Washington State citizens have chosen the Puget Sound region as their home in cities and suburbs that      extend north to Stanwood and south to Olympia.  Most communities lay either side of the north-south Interstate Highway 5      corridor that serves as the state’s  the major traffic thoroughfare.
Puget Sound itself is a body of water lying east of Admiralty Inlet, through which ocean waters reach inland some 50 miles   from the Pacific Coast to provide all-weather ports for ocean-going ships at Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia. The waterway is a complex   and intricate system of channels, inlets, estuaries, embayments and islands.
To the north, passing through Admiralty Inlet, beyond Whidbey Island lie the San Juan Islands between the Strait of Juan de Fuca   and the Strait of Georgia.  This small group of islands serves as a favorite weekend get-away destination for not only residents of   the region but their northern neighbors in British Columbia, Canada.
Seattle, which is the state's largest city, lies in the center of the Puget Sound region and sits between Elliot Bay and Lake   Washington. Across the Sound are Bainbridge Island, the Kitsap Peninsula and Olympic Peninsula. To the east, and across Lake Washington,   is the neighboring city of Bellevue.
The Puget Sound includes the surrounding lowlands extending east to the Cascade Mountains, and the various cities and towns lying therein,   including Whidbey, Camano, the Fidalgo islands, and the Kitsap Peninsula.
Seattle is a city offering many amenities in town and many adventures in the nearby mountains, lakes, rivers, and Puget Sound. It is a   place where you will encounter friendly faces while wandering through Pike Place Market or while enjoying a hot cup of coffee at one of the   inviting local coffeehouses. The Seattle area offers many activities for both the outdoor enthusiast and the urban connoisseur.
The nearby mountain ranges of the Olympics and the Cascades mean opportunities for camping, hiking, backpacking, bicycling, and rock   climbing in the summer, and snowshoeing, skiing, and snowboarding in the winter. The many waterways allow for adventurous canoeing, kayaking,   and boating.
Seattle is filled with unique neighborhoods, parks, museums and shops. The city offers a wide variety of restaurants ranging from a casual   meal at a cafe to formal dining at a luxurious restaurant overlooking the skyline and Puget Sound. After a delicious meal, you can see a show   at the 5th Avenue, Intiman, and numerous other theatres, drop by a local clubs like the Triple Door, Jazz Alley, and Tractor Tavern to hear   some incredible music, or attend one of the Mariners or Seahawks sporting events.
Take a virtual tour (Source:  City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development)
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Puget Sound – Travel guide at Wikivoyage
Regions[ edit ]
It is difficult to break down Puget Sound into smaller regions because there are so many different geographic, cultural and political ideas that it entails. Locals generally refer to Puget Sound as both the body of water and the geographic area surrounding it, but even different bodies of government define Puget Sound as having different physical boundaries. For the sake of clarity we will use the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)official breakdown into five main regions.
North Puget Sound , region lies north of the Admiralty Inlet and Port Townsend and west of Whidbey Island. Includes the city of Bellingham and the picturesque San Juan Islands .
King County , where Seattle is located, also has some unique suburbs, such as Bellevue , Redmond , Woodinville , Kent and much more that extend north, east and south from the core. Bordered to the west by the Kitsap Peninsula this region also includes Vashon Island and Blake Island .
Cities[ edit ]
map of Puget Sound with major cities
The Puget Sound Region has many cities, check in the subregion articles for more of them. Some areas might be mentioned here but be covered more broadly in other subregion articles. For example Port Townsend is located on the shores of Puget Sound but it actually falls under the Olympic Peninsula subregion.
Bellevue lies across Lake Washington to the east of Seattle. It is the fifth largest city in the state.
Bremerton is the main city within the Kitsap Peninsula . This harbor town is fun place to explore.
Everett is the main city on the North Sound.
Gig Harbor small historical harbor town near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Olympia lies at the southernmost bit of Puget Sound. It is the beautiful state capital.
Port Orchard classic harbor town with downtown shopping area on the Kitsap Peninsula.
Port Townsend historic port with its turn of the century buildings is popular with tourists.
Redmond , home of Microsoft, is on the Eastside of Seattle and offers parks, shopping, and more.
Seattle is by far the largest city in the region. It is the heart of a vibrant metropolitan area and a major tourist destination.
Silverdale is a popular town on the Kitsap Peninsula with amazing views of Puget Sound.
Tacoma is another major city in the South Sound. Formerly mostly industrial, the city center has been beautified, and the city now offers attractions such as the famous Museum of Glass, Point Defiance Park, and the Washington State History Museum.
Other destinations[ edit ]
Puget Sound area offers a vast variety of areas from thick rain forests and rocky wild rivers to sophisticated urban areas with an international cultural influence.
History[ edit ]
Puget Sounds complex series of waterways were formed from receding glaciers that left the area about 14,000 years ago cutting deep into the land forming valleys that eventually flooded creating the intricate landscape that we know today.
According to scientific data the first people arrived in Puget Sound about 12,000 years ago, but according to native Suquamish people, legend says that all of the earth was water, then the Old One dried the land and created everything from mud, he used the last mud balls from the earth to create the people. Then he sent Coyote to teach the people how to live with the earth, Coyote traveled the earth teaching the people and making life better for them.
By 1792 when Captain George Vancouver named the area after one of his officers and declared the area for Great Briton, the Suquamish and Salish people had already developed a multi facetted and complex society of their own. The Suquamish people called Puget Sound the Lushootseed name 'WulcH, which simply means "Salt Water". For thousands of years the Suquamish traveled the waters of Puget Sound in well designed cedar canoes and before settlers developed roadways a complex series of ferries known as the ‘Mosquito Fleet’ was also the main way people and goods were transported around the area and waters of Puget Sound became the first regional highway.
Once the Washington Territory was established in 1853, the U.S. government began signing treaties with area tribes to acquire their lands. The Suquamish people ceded most of their land to the United States and logging came into the area in full force. The areas once impassible thick forests gave way to farms, towns and industry as lumber was shipped off to areas such as San Francisco or burned as fuel for the growing fleet of boats.
Today the area has grown in international influence with economic powerhouses such as Boeing, Starbucks and Microsoft whose global reach is far beyond Washington State borders. Seattle is the largest cosmopolitan city with millions of people and the regions cultural influence is profound with many artistic and cultural endeavors reaching an international audience. Yet through all of this growth and change the people of the region are still tied to Puget Sound not only for transportation and source of food but as the symbolic center of area culture.
Boundaries[ edit ]
Despite common belief and contrary to widespread usage there is some debate on the exact boundaries of the area we call Puget Sound. For the sake of clarity we are using the boundaries established by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which draws the northern border along the Canadian border and Straight of Georgia. There has been a recent popular movement to officially name the area that contains the Strait of Juan De Fuca, all of Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia as the Salish Sea, in honor of the native people of the region (referred to as 'First Nations' people by Canadians).
Talk[ edit ]
The Pacific Northwest accent spoken in the Puget Sound region is considered very similar to the General American standard accent (native to the Midwest), popularized in the 20th century by radio, TV and movies. People in the area generally have little to no problem understanding different accents of the English language. The Pacific Northwest attracts tourists from around the world, and it is common to hear many foreign languages being spoken in public in major tourist areas.
There are ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the Seattle area where many languages are spoken, including a large International District where many Asian languages are spoken. Washington is the thirteenth most populated state for example, but by comparison has the fourth highest Asian population. Seattle's 98118 zip code centered around the Columbia City neighborhood in South Seattle is considered the most ethnically diverse zip code in the country by the US Census bureau with 59 different languages regularly being spoken.
Chinook Jargon was a pidgin or trade language established among indigenous inhabitants of the region. After contact with Europeans, French, English, and Cree words entered the language, and "eventually Chinook became the lingua franca for as many as 250,000 people along the Pacific Slope from Alaska to Oregon." Chinook Jargon reached its height of usage in the 19th century though remained common in resource and wilderness areas, particularly but not exclusively by Native Americans and Canadian First Nations people, well into the 20th century. Chinook Jargon was still in use in Seattle until roughly the eve of World War II, making Seattle the last city where the language was widely used. Today its influence is felt mostly in place names and a handful of localized slang terms. Pronunciation of some of these terms is difficult and often separates the visitor from the local including Alki, Seattle, Kitsap, Yakima, Duwamish and Lummi.
By air[ edit ]
sea plane leaving San Juan Islands
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport ( IATA : SEA), universally nicknamed "Sea-Tac", is located in the city's southern suburbs. Domestically it's a major hub for Northwest and West Coast destinations, and internationally handles especially frequent trans-Pacific routes, as well as direct flights to the major European airports. The airport is about a 25-minute drive from downtown Seattle when there isn't heavy traffic, much longer during rush hour. All informations about the airport, including any means of ground transportation, is covered in a separate article.
By train[ edit ]
Amtrak has three train services that serve the Puget Sound area. Cities served are Seattle , Tukwila , Tacoma , Olympia , Edmonds , and Everett : see the "Get in" sections of those cities for more details.
The Coast Starlight train starts in Seattle and heads south through Tukwilla, Tacoma, Olympia, Portland , and ultimately San Francisco and Los Angeles in California.
The Empire Builder starts in Seattle, goes to Everett then heads east across the mountains to Spokane and eventually Minneapolis and Chicago .
Amtrak Cascades is a regional train service that goes north from Seattle to Vancouver and south to Portland and Eugene .
By car[ edit ]
I-5 is the main freeway running north-south; going north to Vancouver and south to Portland and California . I-90 goes east from Seattle to Spokane , Chicago and ultimately Boston . Other east-west routes include US-2 over Stevens Pass from Everett and SR-410 from Tacoma (closed in winter).
By bus[ edit ]
BellAir Airporter , (company office & bus garage) 1416 Whitehorn St, Ferndale, WA 98248,  ☎ +1 360 380-8880 , toll-free: +1-866-235-5247 . offers 11 Round-Trips Daily to Sea-Tac from Blaine, Birch Bay, Lynden, Ferndale, Bellingham, Burlington, Stanwood and Marysville along the I-5 corridor. They offer a second route from Burlington to the Anacortes/San Juan Ferry Terminal via La Conner and Anacortes. Passengers coming typically transfer in Burlington from the I-5 Corridor route to continue westward to the Anacortes/San Juan Ferry Terminal. 
BoltBus , toll-free: +1-877-BOLTBUS (2658287) . Direct service into the region from Portland to the south and from Vancouver , BC in north. $1 if lucky; up to $30. 
Greyhound , toll-free: +1-800-231-2222 . Runs along the I-5 corridor between Seattle and Vancouver, BC (via Everett, Mt Vernon & Bellingham) on one route and to Portland (via Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia & Kelso) on the other. They also run along I-90 across eastern Washington between Seattle, Spokane and Missoula, MT. Prices varies depending on travel from which departure point to which destination point.. 
Quick Shuttle . Runs between Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Stops in Downtown Seattle (outside the Best Western at 200 Taylor Ave N) and SeaTac Airport (at the main terminal near south end of baggage claim, outside door 00, bays 11-16). Fares from Vancouver to Downtown Seattle are $36 one-way, $65 round-trip; from Vancouver to SeaTac, fares are $49 one-way, $87 round-trip. Vancouver to Downtown Seattle: $36 one-way, $65 round-trip; Vancouver to SeaTac airport: $49 one-way, $87 round-trip.. 
By ferry[ edit ]
Washington State Ferry leaving Vashon Island
Washington State Ferries +1 206 464-6400 [1] . Connects downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island , Bremerton , and Vashon Island , and connects West Seattle to Vashon Island and Southworth ( Kitsap Peninsula ). All ferries are for both vehicles and passenger except the ferry between downtown Seattle and Vashon Island which is foot traffic only.
There is also a ferry connecting Port Townsend and Coupeville [4], on Whidbey Island . The small ferries required by Coupeville's narrow harbor mean that vehicle space is often limited, and drive-up motorists may have to wait several sailings for a space. Guaranteed reservations can be made in advance online [5] or by calling 511, and are all but essential on Friday afternoons, weekends and holidays
Victoria Clipper . High speed catamaran passenger ferries which connect Seattle to Victoria , British Columbia and the San Juan Islands .
The Alaska Marine Highway System (also see [2] ) operates a ferry service from Bellingham , Washington up the Inside Passage to Haines Alaska. Plan your travel early as this service tends to fill up fast.
By cruise ship[ edit ]
Cruise ships to Seattle may be docked at one of two terminals in the Port of Seattle .
Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66, 2225 Alaskan Way S, near the middle of Seattle downtown's waterfront, serves as home port for Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises. Has bus, taxi and shuttle connections for transfer of passengers and luggage. For travelers with connecting flights, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is less than 15 mi (24 km) away.
Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91, 2001 W Garfield St, at the north end of Seattle's downtown waterfront, serves as home port to Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises.
By boat[ edit ]
It is not coincidence that so many cities in this region are located on the water. Early settlers found the thick regional forests too impenetrable to navigate by land so waterways became the Pacific Northwests early highway system.
However when arriving from Canada there are only a handful of ports including Roche Harbor , Friday Harbor , Anacortes and Bellingham that are official U.S. ports-of-entry and can process boaters through customs. The Cardinal Rule is touch land at customs dock before any other stops, fines for not doing so can be up to $5000. Besides a passport for everyone on board, you will need your boat's license number and User Fee Decal number.
Customs enforces USDA guidelines for what foods are acceptable to bring into the country and these guidelines are constantly changing so it is best to check in with them before arriving. Boaters are responsible for knowing the prohibited foods and can be fined for not declaring them.
The Puget Sound region offers a wide variety of guest marinas throughout the area. Check city listings for specific marina information.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has the largest state-managed mooring system in the United States. The commission manages more than 40 marine parks in Puget Sound that together provide more than 8,500 feet of public moorage space.
By ferry[ edit ]
Car alarm?
nothing separates the tourist from the local on the ferry system more than car alarms. Please make sure yours is off if you leave your car to enjoy the view from the deck. Most car alarms detect movement and will be activated by the movement of the ferry and you will be asked to return to your car.
Washington State Ferries is the largest system of ferries in the country and they are the key to successfully navigating Puget Sound. Many ferry destinations are not islands without a bridge, but peninsulas where going by land would involve a very long detour. The most extreme example of this is the Port Townsend -- Keystone route on State Hwy 20. Only five and a half miles via the ferry, becomes a whopping 217 miles (354 km) traveling by car!
Washington State Ferry routes cross Puget Sound including several islands including Bainbridge, Vashon, Whidbey and the San Juan Islands. There are also some county-run ferries to smaller destinations such as to Anderson Island and Guemes Island.
By car[ edit ]
Outside the main cities public transportation is scarce and is not of much use for extensive sightseeing, so renting or arriving by car is advisable. Although distances can be long, most roads are paved and well-maintained. Be aware of distances between gas stations and plan accordingly when traveling in rural areas. Most ferries accept vehicles and utilizing them is key to navigating the area.
By bus[ edit ]
Regional transit systems tend to be organized by county however they are often interconnected to cover larger areas and some are coordinated with Washington State Ferries, with each other (for one to arrive within minutes of the next one leaving) and have many coordinated pickups at Seatac airport. Not the fastest way to travel but efficient and cheap for the budget traveler and are the only way available in the (more rural) areas west of the Puget Sound. See the below:
Along West Side of Puget Sound With the exception of the Dungeness Line, the county operated transit systems are the only way around the Olympic Peninsula without a car on the west side of the sound. Schedules are less frequent on rural routes then local services within the cities/towns.
Dungeness Line operated by Olympic Bus Lines ,  ☎ +1 360 417-0700 . The Dungeness Line, operated by Olympic Bus Lines provides two trips daily between Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend, Discovery Bay, and Kingston, to and from Edmonds, downtown Seattle, and Seattle Tacoma International Airport. It is a privately operated bus between Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula $28 to $49 OW depending on how far you're going.. 
Clallam Transit . ... operates buses in Port Angeles (Rt #20-24), Joyce (#10), Forks (Rt#14 - 17), Neah Bay (Rt#16), La Push (#15) and Sequim (Rt#30-52) in Clallam County. Connects to Jefferson Transit in Sequim and Forks. $1.00 or $0.50c reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders.. 
Jefferson Transit ,  ☎ +1 360 385-4777 , toll-free: +1-800-371-0497 . ... operates local buses in Port Townsend and to Sequim, Quilcene, Port Ludlow, Brinnon & Poulsbo, as well as the "West End" from Forks to Amanda Park along US Hwy 101 through Jefferson County. $1.50 or $1.00 reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders.. 
Kitsap Transit . ... operates buses in Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, Kingston, Suquamish, Silverdale,and Port Orchard in Kitsap County. Limited service to Purdy just over the Kitsap/Pierce County line. $2.00 or $1.00 reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders paying with an ORCA card.. 
Mason Transit , 790 E Johns Prairie Rd, Shelton, WA 98584,  ☎ +1 360 532-2770 . ... operates local buses in Shelton and to Belfaire, Bremerton and Brinon Connects to Intercity Transit and Grays Harbor Transit in Olympia; to Kitsap Transit in Bermerton and to Jefferson Transit in Brinnon. $1.50 or $1.00 reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders traveling across the county line otherwise it's a free ride for all within Mason County.. 
Along East Side of Puget Sound The eastside is more populated and therefore, offer more frequent schedules on more routes. If you're trying to get from Olympia to Port Townsend, Bremerton or Widbey Island it would be quicker to get a series of buses up into Seattle and taking the ferry across than the buses along the west side of the Sound.
BellAir Airporter , (company office & bus garage) 1416 Whitehorn St, Ferndale, WA 98248,  ☎ +1 360 380-8880 , toll-free: +1-866-235-5247 . offers 11 Round-Trips Daily to Sea-Tac from Blaine, Birch Bay, Lynden, Ferndale, Bellingham, Burlington, Stanwood and Marysville along the I-5 corridor. They offer a second route from Burlington to the Anacortes/San Juan Ferry Terminal via La Conner and Anacortes. Passengers coming typically transfer in Burlington from the I-5 Corridor route to continue westward to the Anacortes/San Juan Ferry Terminal. 
BoltBus , toll-free: +1-877-BOLTBUS (2658287) . In the area they only stop into Bellingham and Seattle. $1 if lucky; up to $30. 
Greyhound , toll-free: +1-800-231-2222 . Runs along the I-5 corridor between Vancouver BC, Bellingham, Mt Vernon, Everett Seattle , Tacoma and Olympia . Quicker to get across longer distances such as from Olympia up to Bellingham than a series of county operated buses. Prices varies depending on travel from which departure point to which destination point.. 
Sound Transit ,  ☎ +1 206 553-3000 , toll-free: +1-800-542-7876 . The long distance public transit operator operates express bus services from and between cities in the four county Seattle metropolitan area such as Tacoma , Olympia , Bellevue , Everett , Bothell, and lots of other cities surrounding Seattle. $2.50 within King County, $3.50 cross-county.. 
Community Transit ,  ☎ +1 425 353-RIDE (7433) , toll-free: +1-800-562-1375 . Transit services around Everett and Snohomish County (Arlington, Brier, Bothell, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Monroe, Snohomish, Stanwood, etc) and express services from various points in Snohomish County to downtown Seattle and the University of Washington in the mornings and up to Snohomish County in the afternoons. Local bus service within the city of Everett is provided by Everett Transit . $4 from Everett and south of Everett to Seattle, $5.25 from north of Everett to Seattle(one way); $2.00 within Snohomish County.. 
Intercity Transit . Operates local buses in/around Olympia , Lacey and Tumwater and express buses up to Tacoma and Lakewood along I-5. .. 
Island Transit ,  ☎ +1 360 678-7771 , +1 360 387-7433 . Mon-Fri 3:45AM-7:45PM; No service weekends & holidays. Operates local services up and down Whidbey Island and on around Camano Island as well as the Coupeville and Clinton Ferry Terminals; local services within Oak Harbor and intercounty services to Mt Vernon in Skagit County from Whidbey Island and Camano Island and Everett from Camano Island. .. 
King County Metro . Operates buses within Seattle and out to outlying suburbs & cities within King County such as Federal Way, Shoreline, North Bend, Renton, Kent, Bothell, Bellevue, Kirkland, Shorline, Issaquah, North Bend, Enumclaw etc. The rule of thumb is that three digit line numbers are for service to/from or within outside the Seattle city limits. There are other routes that operate locally within the suburbs and between the suburban cities that do not come into Seattle at all. $3.00 peak hours, $2.50 off peak. 
Pierce Transit . Operates local buses in Tacoma , Federal Way , Lakewood, Puyallup , Steilacoom and University Place. Limited service to Buckley, Gig Harbor , Bonney Lake/Lake Tapps . $2.00 or $1.00 reduced fare for Medicare card holders and qualified seniors, disabled, youth and low income riders paying with an ORCA card.. 
Skagit Transit , Intermodal Station @ 105 E Kinkaid in Mt Vernon,  ☎ +1 360 757-4433 . Operates local buses in Mt Vernon , Burlington , Anacortes and other points in/around Skagit County. County Connector Service to Everett on Rt #90x and Bellingham on Rt #80x. $1 within the county or $2 day ticket; $2 for County Connector Service.. 
By light rail[ edit ]
Light rail is growing rapidly in the area, however is currently only available to deliver passengers between the airport in Seatac to downtown Seattle with various stops through South Seattle and Sodo.
See[ edit ]
Puget Sound with Mount Rainier in the distance
Blake Island State Park (located in Puget Sound in the waters between Seattle and the Kitsap Peninsula). a popular island state park accessible only by boat that was the birthplace of Chief Seattle and still offers guests Native American style dinners and dancing. 
Deception Pass Bridge, a National Historic Monument since 1982, is actually two spans that link Whidbey Island near Oak Harbor to Fidalgo Island over Canoe Pass and Deception Pass. The bridge, one of the scenic wonders and destinations of the Pacific Northwest, was a Public Works Administration project built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Deception Pass State Park, has over 4,100 acres (17 km2) of forest, campsites, trails, and scenic vistas of the San Juan Islands, Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), Mount Baker, and Fidalgo Island.
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve preserves and protects an unbroken historical record of Puget Sound exploration and settlement from the 19th century to the present. Historic farms, still under cultivation in the prairies of Whidbey Island, reveal land use patterns unchanged since settlers claimed the land in the 1850s.
Hood Canal. despite its name is not a canal but it actually a inland fjord that stretches for over 70 miles inland separating the Kitsap Peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula. It is a prime destination in the area for outdoor recreation and nature viewing with sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains and lush forests. Near the southern end of the Kitsap Peninsula it hooks inward at an area known as the Great Bend. 
Kitsap Peninsula[ edit ]
The Kitsap Peninsula is almost an island attached by a relatively small landmass near Belfair , its complex coastline dominates the Puget Sound area between Hood Canal and the Main Puget Sound Channel. It is home of several cities and towns and is accessible by the Tacoma Narrows Bridge near Tacoma and the floating Hood Canal Bridge giving access on the northern end to the Olympic Peninsula as well as several ferry terminals giving access from Seattle and Edmunds.
Beach combing[ edit ]
purple seastar found on Kitsap Peninsula beach
What Puget Sound beaches lack in white sand and warm water is more than made up for in the amazing scenery as the clear waters play against wild coastlines and snow peaked mountains scatter on the horizons. The areas many State Parks are an excellent place to start a beach combing adventure offering miles of beaches from the rugged to the sandy smooth. Small crabs, moon snails, sea stars and sand dollars are common sites and tide pools can offer hours of exploration.
Be warned that sea shells and driftwood are considered part of the natural environment and should not be removed, however the often rocky and wild shores are havens for creating and revealing beach glass and anything artificial found is fair game for removal. Be respectful of private property and gentle with sea creatures. Keep a wide distance away from nesting birds, seals and other shore animals and always put back anything removed from the shoreline.
Boating[ edit ]
Puget Sound offers some of the best recreational boating in the world. Breath taking views of the snow capped Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges along with glimpses of Mount Rainier mingle with thick forests and clear bays and streams to create a humbling cacophony of natural sights. Carved by ancient glaciers, Puget Sounds intricate and complex waterways provide endless opportunities for exploration while the many harbor towns built on protective bays cater to boaters and provide an wide array of services, restaurants and shops. Harbor Seals, Otters, Sea Lions, Bald Eagles and Blue Herons are common sights while the occasional viewing of an Orca or Grey Whale is not out of the question.
Sailing[ edit ]
The Puget Sound is a destination celebrated by sailors from around the world. The scenery around Puget Sound can be so amazing that it borders on the surreal and could only possibly be appreciated more from the deck of a boat under sail. From isolated moorages in such places as Blake Island State Park to historic harbor towns with fine restaurants, museums and shopping all accessible from convenient harbors.
Tacoma Yacht Club race
Visitors to the area will often be treated to the sight of a flotilla of sailboats on Puget Sound as local yacht clubs organize events that sometimes attract hundreds of sailors. These ‘races’ such as the Gig Harbor Yacht Club Islands Race are often informal events that are more of an opportunity for fraternization and attract many types of sailboats and many different skill levels of sailors.
Sea kayaking[ edit ]
Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore the Puget Sounds miles of coastline allowing the paddler a closer and slower look at their surroundings and making Puget Sound a popular area to sea kayak. Both urban and rural areas offer their own rewards and many organized tours are available in different areas.
Kayak trails[ edit ]
Organized trails offer overnight camping options and maps of appropriate travel lengths and scenic travel destinations. For thousands of years native Salish tribes navigated these waters in small, well designed wooden boats and many of these trails were developed along their same paths.
Cascadia Marine Trail . This inland sea trail is a National Recreation Trail and designated one of only 16 National Millennium Trails by the White House. Suitable for day or multi-day trips, the Cascadia Marine Trail has over 50 campsites to visit. People can boat to the campsites from many public and private launch sites or shoreline trailheads. 
[dead link]Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails . The National Parks Service Named the this 'Trail of the Month' in December 2012, PDF copies of the water trails map are available 
Key Peninsula Marine Trail . is a forty mile Peninsular Marine Trail with fourteen legs between fifteen points of interest during a paddling journey around the Key Peninsula 
Scuba diving[ edit ]
California Sea Lions
Diving the cold waters of Puget Sound takes a bit more gear and training than other warm water locations, but the rewards are incredible. The area contains some of the best diving in the world and many areas are accessible from the Kitsap Peninsula. Many dive sites are completely covered with colorful sea creatures that defy description. Giant Pacific Octopus are common, along with friendly wolf eels. Colorful sponges, sea cucumbers, sea stars, soft corals, anemones and fish can be seen on nearly every dive. The state has offers a guide to parks with launch sites HERE
Sound Dive Center, 5000 Burwell Street, Bremerton, WA 98312,  ☎ +1 360-373-6141 . Established in 1972, this 6000 sq foot diving center offers a full range of diving gear and classes. 
Eat[ edit ]
The Pacific Northwest is a foodie’s dream come true. Talented chefs and entrepreneurs have taken advantage the northwest’s incredible seafood, abundant locally sourced produce, award-winning wines, and a well developed beer brewing tradition to establish a regional cuisine that trumps just about any other area in America. The Puget Sound region offers top of the line restaurants squirreled away in almost every neighborhood Pacific north westerners have high expectations from their food.
The Pacific North West is perhaps best known for it's Salmon, but a large variety of other seafood is available in the area. Oftentimes seafood comes in short bursts with seasonal migrations such as the areas fall Salmon runs available for only short amounts of time so watch closely for seasonal specials in restaurants and markets.
Shellfish are the prized resources of the Puget Sound, the cool, clean waters provide some of the finest shellfish habitat in the world. Washington State is the nation’s leading producer of farmed bivalve shellfish (clams, mussels and oysters) but other specialties like Geoducks are sometimes available for the more adventurous.
The Dungeness Crab is a popular seafood prized for its sweet and tender flesh and high ratio of meat. Its common name comes from the port of Dungeness , Washington where the first commercial harvesting of the crab was done. The Dungeness Crab is a commercially important crab in the state of Washington's territorial waters and was the first shellfish harvested commercially in the area but other crab species are also common.
The areas mild climate, rich soil and abundant water resources have created a bountiful climate for the many varieties of fresh produce available across the region. Farmers markets are common in both urban and rural areas and a great way to experience local culture as well as experience local foods.
Drink[ edit ]
Few, if any, American regions can challenge the Pacific North West's love of coffee. According to a group of industry market researchers, there were an amazing 1,640 coffee shops in the Puget Sound region in 2011, ranking it the most popular coffee region. It is not surprising that such coffee giants such as Starbucks have exported the Pacific Northwest's coffee culture across the globe.
Microbreweries and beer in general are a Northwest specialty, and the area has many to offer for beer enthusiasts. The larger brewers, like Redhook and Pyramid, distribute their products regionally or nationally like their coffee cousins, while other brews can only be found in local stores or bars (some notable brewers don't even bottle their product). Ask your servers for local beer recommendations and search out regional microbrews in stores. Hops are the key ingredient in beer making and Washington State's neaby Yakima Valley is by far the biggest exporter of hops in the US giving area brewers another edge in making the best beers. Vineyard in Willamette Valley
There are many great wineries spread across the Puget Sound region such as The Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville , which is not only the oldest winery in the state but is the largest single producer of Riesling wine in the United States.
Stay safe[ edit ]
Puget Sound is such a broad and varying region it is difficult to give specific safety advice. From large cities where common sense should prevail when dealing with valuables to remote forests where you should keep a watchful eye out for wildlife. Check various subregion and city articles for more specific information.
Consulates[ edit ]
[dead link]Belgium , The World Trade Center Seattle, 2200 Alaskan Way Ste 470,  ☎ +1 206 728-5145 , fax: +1 206 770-7923, e-mail: Seattle@diplobel.org .  
Germany (Honorary) , 7853 SE 27th St Ste 180, Mercer Island,  ☎ +1 206 230-5138 , fax: +1 206 236-5162, e-mail: petrahwalker@gmail.com .

Bremerton, WA - Bremerton, Washington Map & Directions - MapQuest
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Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap. Bremerton is connected to downtown Seattle by a 55-minute ferry route, which carries both vehicles and walk-on passengers.
Bremerton, the largest city in Kitsap County, is located on the Kitsap Peninsula and is bounded on the southeast and east by Sinclair Inlet and the strait of Port Orchard respectively. The city is divided by the Port Washington Narrows, a strait spanned by two bridges that connects Dyes Inlet, which lies northwest of the city, to Port Orchard. The part of the city northeast of the narrows is referred to as East Bremerton.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.0 square miles (67.5 km²), of which, 22.7 square miles (58.7 km²) of it is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²) of it (12.98%) is water.

Lake Washington Ship Canal - HistoryLink.org
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After decades of often-rancorous debate, construction of a ship canal to link Lake Washington and Puget Sound finally began in 1911. Following the failure of several private canal schemes, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gen. Hiram M. Chittenden (1858-1917), advanced the project, and his name was later given to the Government Locks linking the Sound and Salmon Bay at Ballard. The canal required digging cuts between Salmon Bay and Lake Union at Fremont and between Lake Union and Lake Washington at Montlake, and building four bascule bridges at Fremont, Ballard, the University District, and Montlake. The Locks officially opened on July 4, 1917, but the canal was not declared complete until 1934.
From Lake to Shining Sea
Seattle pioneer Thomas Mercer (1813-1898) was the first to point out the benefits of building a navigable passage between the fresh waters of Lake Washington and the saltwater of Puget Sound and the Pacific beyond. At a village celebration on July 4, 1854, Mercer proposed the name Union for the lake lying between Salmon Bay on the west and Lake Washington on the east, in the full confidence that a canal would eventually connect these waters. Eighty years passed before this vision was fully realized.
In 1860, Harvey L. Pike dug a shallow ditch at the present Montlake Cut to permit the passage of logs from Lake Washington to the lower waters of Portage Bay. The Lake Washington Improvement Company, directed by Judge Thomas Burke (1849-1925), widened and deepened this passage in 1883, but not enough to allow it to accommodate vessels.
Meanwhile, in 1867, the U.S. Navy endorsed the idea of a canal linking Puget Sound and Lake Washington so that Navy ships could enjoy fresh water anchorage. At this time, only shallow-draft boats and barges could pass from Lake Washington to Elliott Bay via the Black River slough leading into the Duwamish River. Delays led the Navy to establish its Puget Sound Naval Shipyard near Bremerton instead of on Lake Washington, but it continued to urge development of a Seattle canal. In 1891, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers endorsed a canal via Lake Union.
Canal Controversy
Despite this, in 1895 former Territorial Governor Eugene Semple organized an effort to dig a "South Canal" through Beacon Hill. Work progressed enough to help fill in 1,400 acres of the Duwamish tide flats south of Pioneer Square. Great Northern Railway magnate James J. Hill (1838-1916) and his allies, particularly Judge Burke, preferred the northern route and ultimately succeeded in undermining Semple's finances and political support. The south canal was abandoned, although Semple pursued landfills and waterway improvements on the Duwamish until his funds were exhausted in 1904.
The Washington State Legislature endorsed the northern route in 1900 and the federal government began deepening the channel leading from Shilshole Bay to the Ballard wharves in 1906. The canal itself remained stymied, so developer James A. Moore won Congressional authority to organize a private company to do the work. Ballard mill owners began to protest the project, fearing that shipping would displace their access to Salmon Bay for log transport and storage.
Hiram M. Chittenden had taken command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle in 1906 and although he did not think highly of Moore's efforts, he strongly urged completion of the canal. He continued his advocacy after his retirement in 1908, and helped to persuade Congress to appropriate $2,275,000 for the necessary locks on June 25, 1910.
Federal aid was conditioned on King County taking responsibility for the rest of the canal. Construction finally began on November 10, 1911. Five years later, on October 21, 1916, a temporary dam at the Montlake Cut was breached to permit Lake Washington to empty into Lake Union, lowering Lake Washington by nine feet. The "Government Locks" and complete waterway opened to boat traffic on May 8, 1917. Admiral Peary's polar flagship, Roosevelt, led a ceremonial flotilla through the canal on July 4 of that year. The project had by then cost more than $3 million.
Other improvements necessitated by the canal included removal of three fixed bridges at Fremont, Stoneway, and Latona and construction of four new bascule bridges: Fremont and Ballard, both completed in 1917, University, completed in 1919 (improved 1932), and Montlake, completed in 1925. The entire project was declared complete in 1934 -- 80 years after Thomas Mercer first dreamed of a canal.
By the time the Lake Washington Ship Canal's Government Locks opened in 1917, a stroke had confined Hiram Chittenden to a wheel chair. He died on October 9, 1917. In 1956, the Corps of Engineers renamed the Ballard locks to honor his memory. Twelve years later, the Corps dedicated the Lock's public gardens to Carl S. English Jr., who had created them. The Locks and canal now constitute a National Historic District.
This essay made possible by:
Rivers-in-Time Project

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Brief History of Seattle - CityArchives | seattle.gov
Brief History of Seattle
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Item No. 171336. Old Indian Cabin [packhorse with two men in front of log cabin], 1913. (Record Series 1204-02)
Brief History of Seattle
Seattle lies on a narrow strip of land between the salt waters of Puget Sound and the fresh waters of Lake Washington. Beyond the waters lie two rugged mountain ranges, the Olympics to the west and the Cascades to the east. It is a city built on hills and around water, in a mild marine climate that encourages prolific vegetation and abundant natural resources.
White settlers came to the Seattle area in 1851, establishing a townsite they first called New York, and then, adding a word from the Chinook jargon meaning "by-and-by," New York-Alki. They soon moved a short distance across Elliott Bay to what is now the historic Pioneer Square district, where a protected deep-water harbor was available. This village was soon named Seattle, honoring a Duwamish Indian leader named Sealth who had befriended the settlers.
The new town's principal economic support was Henry Yesler's lumber mill at the foot of Mill Street (now Yesler Way), built in 1853. Much of the mill's production went to the booming city of San Francisco, but the mill also supplied the fledgling towns throughout the Puget Sound region. A brief Indian "war" in the winter of 1856 interrupted the town's development, but when the Territorial legislature incorporated Seattle in 1869, there were more than 2,000 residents.
The 1870s were fairly quiet, despite the discovery of coal near Lake Washington, and the consequent growth of another extractive industry whose product also found its way to San Francisco. In the early 1870s the Northern Pacific Railway Company announced that its transcontinental railroad western terminus would be at Tacoma, some forty miles south of Seattle. Despite local leaders' disappointment, Seattle managed to force a connection with Northern Pacific shortly after its completion in 1883, and the town's population soared in the late 1880s. Lumber and coal were the primary industries, but the growth of fishing, wholesale trade, shipbuilding, and shipping also contributed to the town's economic expansion and population growth. One estimate is that in the first half of 1889, Seattle was gaining 1,000 new residents per month; in March alone, there were 500 buildings under construction, most of them built of wood. The explosive growth was slowed but not stopped by a devastating fire on June 6, 1889, which leveled the buildings on 116 acres in the heart of the city's business district. No one died in the fire, but the property damage ran into millions of dollars.
Enthusiasm for Seattle was little dampened by the fire. In fact, it provided the opportunity for extensive municipal improvements, including widened and regraded streets, a professional fire department, reconstructed wharves, and municipal water works. New construction in the burned district was required to be of brick or steel, and it was by choice on a grander and more imposing scale.
The 1890s were not so prosperous, despite the arrival of another transcontinental railroad, the Great Northern, in 1893. A nationwide business depression did not spare Seattle, but the 1897 discovery of gold along and near the Klondike River in Canada's Yukon Territory and in Alaska once again made Seattle an instant boom town. The city exploited its nearness to the Klondike and its already established shipping lines to become the premier outfitting point for prospectors. The link became so strong that Alaska was long considered to be the personal property of Seattle and Seattleites.
During the early 1900s, Seattle, now having discovered the rewards of advertising, continued to experience strong growth. Two more transcontinental railroads, the Union Pacific and Milwaukee Road systems, reached Seattle and reinforced the city's position as a trade and shipping center, particularly with Asia and the North Pacific.
The city's population became increasingly diversified. Scandinavians came to work in fishing and lumbering, African Americans to work as railroad porters and waiters, and Japanese to operate truck gardens and hotels. There were significant communities of Italians, Chinese, Jews, and Filipinos. The International District, home to several Asian ethnic groups, was largely developed during this period.
With its population now approaching 240,000, Seattle announced its achievements by sponsoring an international fair in 1909. The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition celebrated the economic and cultural links Seattle had forged along what is now known as the North Pacific Rim. The forty-two story L.C. Smith building was completed in 1914. For more than four decades it was the tallest building in the American west and a symbol of Seattle's booster spirit and metropolitan aspirations.
World War I transformed the city's shipbuilding industry, which turned out 20 percent of the nation's wartime ship tonnage. The war also brought Seattle national attention when, early in 1919, workers struck the shipyards to maintain their high wartime wages. This event soon led to the Seattle general strike of February 6-10, the longest such strike in American history. The strike lacked a cogent objective, but its success fueled postwar American fears about radicals and socialists. Along with the city's early ventures into municipal transit service and public electrical power, the general strike helped establish Seattle's reputation as a hotbed of political radicalism.
Seattle also had a reputation for a boom-and-bust economy, and the twenties brought depressed conditions in shipbuilding and the lumber trade. The Depression of the 1930s hit Seattle particularly hard, and a "Hooverville" of shacks and lean-tos housing nearly 1,000 unemployed men grew up at an abandoned shipbuilding yard south of Pioneer Square. World War II sparked an economic rebound as shipyards flourished again. The Boeing Company, a modestly successful airplane manufacturer founded in 1916, increased its workforce more than 1,200 percent and its sales from $10 million to $600 million annually during the war years. The war's end, however, brought an economic slump to the area that persisted until the middle 1950s.
When Boeing successfully introduced the 707 commercial jet airliner in the late 1950s, it heralded another burst of municipal optimism. In 1962 Seattle sponsored a full-fledged world's fair, the futuristic Century 21 Exposition. The fair left the city a permanent legacy in the Seattle Center and its complex of performance, sports, and entertainment halls, as well as the Pacific Science Center, the Monorail, and the Space Needle.
Since Century 21, the city population has remained fairly stable around the half-million mark, while suburban areas have grown explosively. The Boeing Company suffered a slump in the early 1970s that severely depressed the local economy. The region's economy has subsequently been steadied and diversified. Weyerhaeuser and Boeing have been a part of that development, along with such high-technology firms as Microsoft. The political strength of Washington Senators Warren G. Magnuson and Henry Jackson in the postwar decades greatly contributed to growth at such research institutions as the University of Washington, and in defense related activities. Seattle has also enjoyed an expanded air and sea trade with Asia, Alaska, and the North Pacific.
Seattle has always exhibited a spirit of optimism, enterprise, and self-promotion. At one time this was institutionalized as "the Seattle Spirit," a movement that enabled the city literally to move mountains by washing down high hills to improve building sites, to connect Lake Washington and Puget Sound with locks and a canal, and to build the world's largest man-made island at the mouth of the Duwamish River. More recently, this spirit can be credited with accomplishments like the Forward Thrust program of the 1970s, which built the Kingdome arena and numerous parks throughout the city, including Freeway Park that spans the I-5 freeway with waterfalls and hanging gardens.
Seattle is proud of its arts and cultural institutions, the many live theaters, and the downtown art museum. It is proud of its parks, of its professional and collegiate sports, of Pioneer Square and the Pike Place Market, and, above all, of the beauty of its surroundings. Seattle is also a city of parades, not always respectful of its own brief heritage, not as radical as its legend would have it; a city of homes that has many who are homeless, a city that wants great growth but demands that somehow the setting remain untouched.