Seattle is located between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. The most populous city in the state, Seattle is built on a series of hills and is noted for its fine scenery. Lake Union, Lake Washington, and Green Lake lie within the city limits. The mountains of Olympic National Park rise to the west, and the Cascade Range is to the east. Commercial and manufacturing establishments occupy sites along the coast of Elliott Bay and in the south along the Duwamish River.
Residential districts crown the city's hills.
Seattle is an important Pacific Coast seaport and a center of commerce and manufacturing. Among the manufactures of the metropolitan area are aircraft and aerospace items, computer software, and biotechnology-related items. Points of interest Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square, both restored shopping areas, are located in downtown Seattle. History Native Americans, including the Snohomish and the Suquamish, lived in the area before Seattle was founded. In 1852 a white settlement, established the previous year at Alki Point, was moved to the present-day site of downtown Seattle.