Carnation () is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It was historically known as Tolt and lies at the confluence of the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers.
The city is located east of Sammamish and south of Duvall on State Route 203. The population was 2,158 at the 2020 census. Prior to American settlement, the area was occupied by a large village of the Snoqualmie Tribe. It was the center of Snoqualmie society in the 19th century. After their removal to reservations, the city was resettled by Americans, who founded the city of Tolt in 1865. It became a thriving dairy town in the 20th century, eventually being renamed to Carnation in honor of the Carnation Evaporated Milk Company. After being renamed again back and forth twice, the name Carnation stuck. Prior to American settlement, the Snoqualmie had a large village spanning the Tolt River () This village was highly important as it was the second-largest village in the Snoqualmie river valley. The village also had the best natural defenses in the Snoqualmie river valley.
The most important building in the village was the (lit. "marked house"). The name of the community was derived from an Anglicization of the Lushootseed name for the Tolt River and the Snoqualmie village (variously spelled as , , or in Lushootseed).
The valley was home to several dairy farms established in the 1900s, including a research farm for the Carnation Evaporated Milk Company. Following lobbying from the company and the approval of the state legislature, Tolt was renamed to "Carnation" in 1917. The renaming of the town was opposed by local residents and members of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, and later changed back to Tolt on May 3, 1928. The "Carnation" name remained on the post office and train depot, and continued to be used by outsiders.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Langlois Lake lies just outside city limits.
Climate
Carnation has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb).
Attractions
Carnation is home to Remlinger Farms, a working farm that also has an amusement park, market, brewery, and other activities. It hosts various events and had 200,000 annual visitors by 2023. Since 2024, the farm has hosted a seasonal concert venue during the summers with a capacity of 6,000 spectators.
To the north of the city is Camlann Medieval Village, a living history museum that recreates a medieval English village set in the year 1376. It lies on and serves 5,000 annual visitors at its buildings and farms, which include re-enactments of various trades and crafts. The village was created by volunteers in the 1980s and became a full living history museum in 2006.