Claim: Seattle was established as a shipbuilding center during the Klondike Gold Rush.

Seattle -LRB- -LSB- siˈætəl -RSB- -RRB- is a seaport city on the west coast of the United States and the seat of King County , Washington . With an estimated 704,352 residents , Seattle is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America . In July 2013 , it was the fastest-growing major city in the United States and remained in the Top 5 in May 2015 with an annual growth rate of 2.1 % . In July 2016 , Seattle was again the fastest-growing major U.S. city , with a 3.1 % annual growth rate . The city is situated on an isthmus between Puget Sound -LRB- an inlet of the Pacific Ocean -RRB- and Lake Washington , about 100 mi south of the Canada -- United States border . A major gateway for trade with Asia , Seattle is the fourth-largest port in North America in terms of container handling .   The Seattle area was previously inhabited by Native Americans for at least 4,000 years before the first permanent European settlers . Arthur A. Denny and his group of travelers , subsequently known as the Denny Party , arrived from Illinois via Portland , Oregon , on the schooner Exact at Alki Point on November 13 , 1851 . The settlement was moved to the eastern shore of Elliott Bay and named `` Seattle '' in 1852 , after Chief Si'ahl of the local Duwamish and Suquamish tribes .   Logging was Seattle 's first major industry , but by the late-19th century , the city had become a commercial and shipbuilding center as a gateway to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush . Growth after World War II was partially due to the local Boeing company , which established Seattle as a center for aircraft manufacturing . The Seattle area developed as a technology center beginning in the 1980s , with companies like Microsoft becoming established in the region . In 1994 , Internet retailer Amazon was founded in Seattle . The stream of new software , biotechnology , and Internet companies led to an economic revival , which increased the city 's population by almost 50,000 between 1990 and 2000 .   Seattle has a noteworthy musical history . From 1918 to 1951 , nearly two dozen jazz nightclubs existed along Jackson Street , from the current Chinatown / International District , to the Central District . The jazz scene developed the early careers of Ray Charles , Quincy Jones , Ernestine Anderson , and others . Seattle is also the birthplace of hip-hop sensation Neema , rock musician Jimi Hendrix , origin of the bands Nirvana , Pearl Jam , Soundgarden , Alice in Chains and the alternative rock subgenre grunge .