SeaTac, Washington

SeaTac () is a city in southern King County, Washington, United States. The city is an inner-ring suburb of Seattle and part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The name "SeaTac" is derived from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport's nickname "SeaTac," itself a portmanteau of Seattle and Tacoma.

The city of SeaTac is in area and has a population of 31,454 according to the 2020 census. The city boundaries surround the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (approximately in area), which is owned and operated by the Port of Seattle. The city includes the communities of Angle Lake, Bow Lake, McMicken Heights and Riverton Heights, which were established before the city's incorporation. Residents voted for incorporation on March 14, 1989, and the city incorporated in February 1990.

History

The earliest people to live in the Highline ridge and surrounding lowlands were Coast Salish peoples for thousands of years before European contact. The area sits between Puget Sound to the west and the Duwamish and Green River valleys to the east. It was used by Duwamish and Muckleshoot peoples for fishing, hunting, and overland travel. In the 1850s, federal surveyors recorded salal and huckleberry across the area, believed to be evidence of deliberate land management through intentional burning and cultivation, rather than pure wilderness. In 1990, a diver discovered two dugout canoes from the bottom of Angle Lake that were carbon-dated to approximately 1678. Both the Muckleshoot and Duwamish tribes claimed the artifacts, which were eventually transferred to the Muckleshoot Tribe for stewardship.

The Highline area, which includes modern-day SeaTac, Burien, most of Des Moines, and unincorporated communities such as White Center and Boulevard Park, was settled by European Americans in the mid-1850s. Over the following decades, small farming communities developed around Miller Creek and other drainages on the plateau. One of the more prominent roads of travel from Seattle to Tacoma early in the 20th century is Des Moines Memorial Drive (originally called the High Line road), which passes directly through the middle of the region, particularly through SeaTac and Burien.

The construction of Seattle–Tacoma International Airport transformed the area. After the U.S. military took control of Boeing Field following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Port of Seattle accepted a federal grant in March 1942 to build a replacement civilian airport as part of a larger wartime pattern of federal intervention in municipal airport development across the country. The airport was dedicated on October 31, 1944, though the U.S. Army Air Forces used it primarily to stage B-29 bombers through the end of World War II.

The communities of Riverton Heights and McMicken Heights tripled in population during the war as workers moved to the area to staff Boeing's plants and the new airport. After the war, as Sea-Tac became the primary commercial aviation gateway for the Puget Sound region, the surrounding unincorporated communities grew further.

The development of Interstate 5 in the 1960s drew regional through-traffic away from Pacific Highway South, which evolved into a commercial strip of motels, restaurants, and service businesses catering to airport travelers. This concentration of airport-dependent commerce would give the future city of SeaTac an unusually large tax base relative to its residential population.

In response to growing noise complaints in the 1960s and 1970s, the Port Commission joined King County in a comprehensive planning effort that resulted in the Sea-Tac Communities Plan of 1976, the first program in the United States in which an airport operator established a noise buffer by purchasing homes and school buildings adjacent to the facility and soundproofing others. The plan received the American Institute of Planners' Meritorious Program Award in 1978, and 420 acres of vacated land north of the airport were converted into what became North SeaTac Park.

Incorporating the area as a city was proposed by local residents in the 1980s, while a competing proposal sought annexation into Des Moines or another city. Local residents voted for incorporation on March 14, 1989, and the city incorporated on February 28, 1990. Des Moines amended their annexation territory following the decision. The original ballot used the name "Sea-Tac", but the incorporation petition to the county government omitted the hyphen.

Government and infrastructure

Local government

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"

|+ Presidential Elections Results

! Year

! Republican

! Democratic

! Third Parties

| style="text-align:center; |2020

| style="text-align:center; |28.17% 3,229

| style="text-align:center; |69.12% 7,924

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.71% 311

| style="text-align:center; |2016

| style="text-align:center; |27.38% 2,459

| style="text-align:center; |64.35% 5,779

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.27% 743

SeaTac is governed by a city council which consists of seven elected councilpersons. The city "has contracted with the King County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement since incorporation in 1990." Deputies assigned to SeaTac wear city uniforms and drive patrol cars marked with the city logo. There are currently 51 patrol officers, detectives, and support staff assigned full-time to the city.

In January 2014 the SeaTac Fire Department entered a 20-year contract with Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority (RFA) to form the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority. SeaTac's three fire stations, Station 45, 46, and 47, joined Kent's Station 73 to make up RFA's West Battalion.

The Seatac Municipal Court, located in the City Hall, is a court of limited jurisdiction. The judge is authorized by the Revised Code of Washington to preside over civil infractions, traffic infractions, criminal misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor violations, and civil orders for protection.

Public Works is responsible for planning, design, construction and maintenance of streets, transportation improvements, surface water utility, and solid waste and recycling programs.

In 2013, voters in the city narrowly passed a minimum wage of $15 per hour for employees of airport-related businesses, such as hotels, parking lots and car rental agencies. In a later appeals court decision, the $15 minimum wage was reversed for employees working entirely on Port of Seattle property within the city limits but still applies to employees of airport-related businesses in the city proper. Union workshops are exempt from the $15 minimum wage. However, the Washington Supreme Court in August 2015 reversed the King County Superior Court ruling, which said that SeaTac did not have authority to set a minimum wage at the airport. The Supreme Court rejected the argument that the wage did not apply because the airport is owned by the Port of Seattle. The Court stated that Proposition 1 can be enforced at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport because there is no indication that it will interfere with airport operations and that federal labor law does not preempt the provision protecting workers from retaliation.

Federal government presence

thumb|[[Federal Detention Center, SeaTac]]

The Riverton Heights Post Office is located in the city.

The National Transportation Safety Board operates the Seattle Aviation Field Office in the city.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Federal Detention Center, SeaTac in SeaTac.

Economy

thumb|[[Horizon Air headquarters]]

The city is home to over 900 licensed businesses, nearly 80 of which are Fortune 1000 companies. They employ nearly 40,000 employees in the city of SeaTac and generate local sales of approximately $3.7 billion.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are headquartered in the city. Four airlines have operations at 18000 Pacific Highway South (also known as 18000 International Boulevard) in the city, including Asiana Airlines, EVA Air, Hainan Airlines, and China Airlines.

Economic development

SeaTac's Department of Community and Economic Development was formed in early 2011 to create a one-stop permitting center, increase the level of service and assist in the facilitation of economic development by creating a more cohesive approach to real estate development and job creation. The new department has four divisions: Economic Development, Planning, Engineering Review, and Building Services. to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Geography and climate

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. 2020 Census

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (50.1%), Spanish (16.3%), Indo-European (6.0%), Asian and Pacific Islander (11.9%), and Other (15.7%).

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable"

|+SeaTac, Washington – racial and ethnic composition

! Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic)

! Pop. 2000

! Pop. 2010

! % 2000

! % 2010

| White alone (NH)

| 14,666

| 10,619

| style='background: #ffffe6; |9,182

| 57.52%

| 39.46%

| style='background: #ffffe6; |29.19%

| Black or African American alone (NH)

| 2,266

| 4,455

| style='background: #ffffe6; |7,519

| 8.89%

| 16.56%

| style='background: #ffffe6; |23.90%

| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

| 346

| 299

| style='background: #ffffe6; |230

| 1.36%

| 1.11%

| style='background: #ffffe6; |0.73%

| Asian alone (NH)

| 2,804

| 3,874

| style='background: #ffffe6; |5,741

| 11.00%

| 14.40%

| style='background: #ffffe6; |18.25%

| Pacific Islander alone (NH)

| 664

| 946

| style='background: #ffffe6; |972

| 2.60%

| 3.52%

| style='background: #ffffe6; |3.09%

| Other race alone (NH)

| 77

| 62

| style='background: #ffffe6; |146

| 0.30%

| 0.23%

| style='background: #ffffe6; |0.46%

| Mixed race or multiracial (NH)

| 1,371

| 1,180

| style='background: #ffffe6; |1,561

| 5.38%

| 4.39%

| style='background: #ffffe6; |4.96%

| Hispanic or Latino (any race)

| 3,302

| 5,474

| style='background: #ffffe6; |6,103

| 12.95%

| 20.34%

| style='background: #ffffe6; |19.40%

| Total

| 25,496

| 26,909

| style='background: #ffffe6; |31,454

| 100.00%

| style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, SeaTac had a population of 31,454 and a median age of 36.9 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older; for every 100 females there were 110.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 112.5 males age 18 and over.

All residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 11,093 households in SeaTac, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.4% were married-couple households, 27.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 10,005 || 31.8%

| Black or African American || 7,588 || 24.1%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 447 || 1.4%

| Asian || 5,783 || 18.4%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 990 || 3.1%

| Some other race || 3,767 || 12.0%

| Two or more races || 2,874 || 9.1%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 6,103 || 19.4%

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 26,909 people, 9,533 households, and 5,913 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 10,360 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 45.94% White, 16.84% African American, 1.48% Native American, 14.53% Asian, 3.56% Pacific Islander, 11.64% from some other races and 6.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 20.34% of the population.

There were 9,533 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.0% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.38.

The median age in the city was 34.5 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 9.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.4% male and 47.6% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 25,496 people, 9,708 households, and 5,960 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 10,176 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 62.86% White, 9.15% African American, 1.50% Native American, 11.07% Asian, 2.66% Pacific Islander, 6.41% from some other races and 6.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 12.95% of the population.

There were 9,708 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 34.5% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 110.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,202, and the median income for a family was $47,630. Males had a median income of $34,396 versus $28,984 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,717. About 9.8% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

The most commonly spoken foreign languages in SeaTac are, in order, Spanish, Somali, and Punjabi.

SeaTac's population has grown steadily since the 2000 Census, and is projected to grow 5.06% by 2022, a rate higher than the US rate of 3.77%, but lower than King County's 7.46%. SeaTac has considerable ethnic diversity. Only 51.76% of the age 5+ population reportedly spoke only English at home; some 13.90% spoke Spanish at home, considerably higher than King County's 6.82%, but only somewhat higher than the US's overall 13.16%. Languages spoken at home also include those from Asia-Pacific at 10.74%, Indo-European languages at 10.06%, and other languages at 13.54%.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

thumb|[[Tyee High School]]

Highline Public Schools is the school district with the majority of the city in its boundaries. Elementary schools serving the Highline sections of the city include Bow Lake Elementary School in SeaTac, Madrona Elementary School in SeaTac, McMicken Heights Elementary School in SeaTac, and Cedarhurst Elementary School in Burien. Most residents are zoned to Chinook Middle School and Tyee High School in the city, while some are zoned to Sylvester Middle School and Highline High School in Burien. With the opening of Glacier Middle School in north SeaTac, residents north of the airport are generally zoned there and subsequently to Highline High School given the proximity of that area to Burien.

Tyee Educational Complex housing three independent schools: The Academy of Citizenship and Empowerment, and Odyssey: The Essential School. It then has been transformed back to Tyee High School - a single school in the 2017–18 school year.

In 2004, Highline Public Schools reorganized some of its high schools, including Tyee, into having smaller programs on larger campuses.

Small portions of SeaTac are in the Kent School District and the Renton School District.

Parks and recreation

thumb|[[Angle Lake, Washington|Angle Lake]]

The city operates seven city parks and operates two community center facilities.

Angle Lake Park, a park at Angle Lake, has a barbecue area, a boat launch, a fishing pier, playground equipment, an open recreation area, swimming facilities, a stage, toilet facilities, and a spray park. In the swimming area lifeguards are on duty during the summer months.

Transportation

SeaTac is served by three major highways: State Route 99 (International Boulevard), State Route 518, and the Airport Expressway. Portions of Interstate 5 and State Route 509 also lie within the city limits.

Airports

The city is served by the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, located within city limits. some Sound Transit Express regional bus routes terminate or serve the SeaTac area, primarily the airport and other transit hubs.

Notable people

Mark Driscoll, evangelical pastor
Mia Gregerson, member of the Washington House of Representatives
Tally Hall, soccer player
Julia Patterson, former member of the Washington State Legislature and King County Council
Adam Smith, member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Doug Sutherland, former mayor of Tacoma and Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands