There are so many fun facts about Seattle that most locals wouldn’t know if put to the test. We’re an interesting city with diverse influences thanks to so many people flocking here during the tech boom of the early 2000s.
We’ve invented things, hold the record for other things, and are known for quirks that define our city’s reputation. Whether you’re a tourist looking to learn more about us before you visit or a local interested in putting your knowledge to the test, here are some of the best fun facts about Seattle.
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26 Fun Facts About Seattle
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The iconic design for the space needle was first sketched on a napkin
The Space Needle has always been one of Seattle’s most popular attractions, but did you know that the original design was sketched on a napkin? In 1959, international hotel executive Edward E. Carlson was inspired after a visit to the Stuttgart Tower in Germany. He grabbed a hotel napkin and sketched what would become Seattle’s crowning glory in 1962.
Seattle was founded by the Denny Party in 1851
The Emerald City was founded by the Denny Party in 1851 when they first settled in present day West Seattle. Their first settlement spot is now known as Alki Point and remains one of the city’s most historical areas.
However, Georgetown is said to be the oldest Seattle neighborhood
The Denny’s are credited with founding Seattle, but Georgetown is actually the oldest area of industrial development in the area. This was confirmed in an interview with John Bennett for my self-guided Georgetown food tour. He explained that the founder of Georgetown arrived here first and actually convinced the Dennys to move out west!
Seattle is one of the country’s most eco-friendly cities
Seattle is one of the greenest cities in the United States and it’s easy to see why. Not only was it the first US city to create a carbon-neutral electric utility, but it boasts almost 500 parks and several green hotels. It also recycles and composts up to 60% of its overall waste.
If that wasn’t enough, Seattle is gradually transitioning to a zero-emissions fleet with its hydro-buses.
Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks
The very first Starbucks opened in 1971 at Pike Place Market. However, the location most tourists visit in the market isn’t actually the first Starbucks. It’s technically the second, as the first one closed. You can learn more about tourist attractions so skip in my guide to Pike Place Market.
Seattle’s annual rainfall isn’t as much as you’d think
Locals know that Seattle rains a lot, but the average annual rainfall is only about 37 inches! That’s under the 45″ threshold The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) consider when calculating the rainiest cities.
In fact, Seattle isn’t even in the top 10 rainiest cities in the US! We get the rainy reputation because we have some of the highest number of rainy days. This means most days are gray, but not as much rain actually falls compared to other cities.
Seattleites buy more sunglasses per capita than any other US city
This is a weird one given the previous fun fact, but Seattle’s residents purchase more sunglasses per capita than anywhere else in America. According to the Seattle Times, they buy approximately 50% more sunglasses than the national average as people misplace them so often!
The city is home to the world’s longest (and oldest!) floating bridge
The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge is the longest floating bridge in the world. It’s an incredible 2,285 meters long and connects Seattle and Bellevue.
The Great Fire of Seattle destroyed most of the business district in 1889
The Great Fire of Seattle raged through the city for less than a day, but it caused up to $603 million in damages (if you’re accounting for current rates of inflation). Since the Pioneer Square area was so badly destroyed, officials decided to rebuild on top of the damage.
To check out the ruins of the old city, you can take the famous Seattle Underground Tour.
The Seattle Ferry System is the largest in the country
The Seattle Ferry System (otherwise known as Washington State Ferries) was created in 1951 and has since become the largest ferry transit system in the country. Over 25 million people ride the ferries each year, making it the third-largest system in the world.
Dogs and cats outnumber kids in the Emerald City
Believe it or not, there are more dogs and cats in Seattle than children! The data is about a decade old, but according to census data obtained via Seattle Mag there are approximately 153,000 dogs compared to 107,178 kids in Seattle, while cat households outnumber households with children by a massive 50%.
Seattle was the first large US city to elect a female mayor
Seattle elected Bertha Knight Landes in 1926 who served a single two-year term. This made the city a huge pioneer for women’s rights at the time.
Pike Place Market is one of the oldest continuously operating farmers markets in the country
It first opened on August 17, 1907, making it third only to Lancaster Central Market and Easton Farmers Market in Pennsylvania, both of which opened back in the 18th century. It’s no wonder this is one of Seattle’s best farmers markets!
Many famous musicians started their careers in the Seattle area
You may already know that bands like Nirvana started in Seattle, but this major music hub also launched the careers of Soundgarden, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Jimi Hendrix, Kenny Loggins, Heart, Kenny G, and Dave Matthews Band!
Seattle has a whole wall filled with chewed gum
If you’re heading to Pike Place Market while you’re in Seattle, be sure to stop by the unique Gum Wall in Post Alley. It’s cleaned regularly, but always has tons of colorful suckers slopped on the wall.
The city is supposedly home to the world’s very first gas station
This one has come under a bit of scrutiny over the years, but it’s been said that the very first gas station was opened by John McClean in Seattle in 1907 near Holgate Street and Western Avenue. McClean was the head of Sales for Standard Oil Company of California and opened the gas station in response to the rise of automobiles throughout the country.
Seattle is one of America’s most literate cities
When it comes to fun facts about Seattle, this one is probably my favorite. We’re a bunch of smart cookies in the Emerald City, as an incredible two-thirds of Seattle’s residents own a library card. As of 2021, Seattle was the USA’s second most literate city (just behind Washington, DC…you sure they didn’t get our Washington’s mixed up?!).
A football game in 2011 generated an amount of noise equivalent to an earthquake
Seattle fans can get rowdy and we can prove it. According to NBC, the fan response to a touchdown during a 2011 Seattle Seahawks game generated enough seismic energy to register between 1 and 3 on the Richter scale.
Seattle is one of America’s most bike-friendly cities
I’ve already mentioned that Seattle is super eco-conscious, so it’s probably unsurprising that Seattle has ranked 8th on a Wallethub analysis of bike-friendly cities in the USA. Our bikeability score is 70 because we have several incredible bike trails. We even have dedicated bike patrol units in the police force!
The Emerald City is America’s fastest-growing technology hub
Home to both Microsoft and Amazon’s fancy sphere buildings, it’s no surprise that Seattle has been named the fastest-growing tech hub in the country. Nowadays you can find offices for some of the world’s most recognizable tech companies. For example, Meta, Hulu, Disney, Google, and Oracle all have a large Seattle workforce.
Seattle is the fastest-growing big American city of the 2010s
Seattle was named the fastest-growing city of the past decade by the Seattle Times and is growing at an impressive rate of ~2.5% a year when it comes to population density!
Seattle was the first place to use the term ‘flying saucer’
This is one of my favorite fun facts about Seattle. According to the Seattle Times, this term was first used by pilot Kenneth Arnold when he saw an unusual flying object near Mount Rainier. I guess you can say that it totally caught on.
Seattle exports more than just aerospace parts
As Boeing was founded in Seattle back in 1916, one of our major exports is airplane parts. But the city isn’t a one-trick pony. We also export electronic circuits, soya beans, maize, and delicious Pacific Salmon around the world. We’re located in a pretty amazing state, considering Washington as a whole is known for exporting some of the largest quantities of wine, apples, cherries, and oysters in the US.
Bill Gates owns a gorgeous house here
Bill Gates owns an enormous $130 million home in Seattle that’s tucked away in Medina on the shores of Lake Washington. It’s called Xanadu 2.0 and spans an enormous 66,000 square feet.
The Seattle General Strike of 1919 was the country’s first strike
Seattle was truly ahead of its time when it came to labor rights. The famous Seattle General Strike of 1919 was said to be the first of its kind, according to the Civil Rights and Labor History Consortium at the University of Washington.
Seattle once had real-life superheroes roaming the streets
If you’re looking for fun facts about Seattle, you may be interested to know that we once had real-life superheroes. According to The Week, they were a group of costumed Seattleites who walked around town looking to stop fights, carjackings, and vandals. The group was called the Rainy City Superhero Movement and they were found in town between 2011 and 2014.
Learn More About Seattle
If these fun facts about Seattle have inspired you to explore the city, check out these related posts that will help you explore like a local.
