Fircrest is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,156 at the 2020 census.
History
Fircrest was officially incorporated on September 19, 1925. Like its neighbor University Place, it is a middle-class suburb of Tacoma. The community was developed by Edward Bowes, who later gained fame as the host of the Major Bowes Amateur Hour radio talent show. The town attempted to associate itself with academia by naming a number of its streets after universities (e.g. Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, Vassar, Stanford) and was originally known as Regents Park in a reference to the regents of a university.
Fircrest was the last "dry" municipality in Washington state, prohibiting the sale of alcohol by the glass. Voters chose to allow the sale of alcohol in Fircrest in the November 2015 election.
Geography
Fircrest borders Tacoma to the north and east and University Place to the west and south; the city of Tacoma has an enclave within Fircrest.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.
Government
Since 1990, Fircrest has used a council–manager government, with a city council composed of seven councilmembers. The city mayor is chosen biennially by councilmembers and presides over council meetings. Shannon Reynolds was appointed mayor in 2024. Additionally, the city council appoints a city manager to carry out day-to-day operations of the city and policies of the council. Dawn Masko has been the City Manager of Fircrest since June 2023.