Seattle is in Washington State, which is in the United States' Pacific Northwest area. It is frequently referred to as the Emerald City, a moniker that gained popularity in the mid-1980s. This moniker was established in part because to the immense forests of dark evergreen trees that surround this metropolis. Also, the term "emerald" here does not refer to the green color of the grass but instead to the emerald jewel. The word "city" also has an emerald tint, since that's what the city's trademark skyscrapers are made of: glass and emerald-colored stone. The name "Seattle" comes from Chief Sealth, a Native American leader who lived there around 1700. He is said to have named the city after himself or his tribe, the Shoalwater Bay Tribe. However, it may have been another person by that name who founded the settlement first. No matter how you look at it, though, he had a significant role in establishing its future character. After the arrival of the Europeans, the city was called St. Louis until 1852 when it was changed to Seattle after him. Today, many people still use both names interchangeably, especially since the official name of the city is now used as a surname for someone who lives there. There are several theories about why Seattle is nicknamed the Emerald City.