Bellevue, Washington
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Bellevue is a city located in King County, Washington, across Lake Washington from Seattle. In 2003 the Census Bureau estimated the city had a total population of 112,344, making it the fifth largest city in the state and the largest on the Eastside.
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History
Bellevue was founded in 1869 by William Meydenbauer, and was officially incorporated on March 21, 1953. Prior to the opening of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge in 1940, this was a rural area with little development. Once the bridge opened, access from Seattle improved and the area gradually grew into a bedroom community.
Following the opening of a second, Evergreen Point Floating Bridge in 1963, the city began to grow more rapidly. It became one of the largest cities in the state, with multiple high-rise structures and a burgeoning business community. Reflective of this growth is the Bellevue Square, now one of the largest shopping centers in the region. This center was begun in 1946, and in the 1980s underwent a significant expansion.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 87.8 km² (33.9 mi²). 79.6 km² (30.8 mi²) of it is land and 8.2 km² (3.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 9.29% water.
The name is derived from a French term for "beautiful view". Under favorable conditions, scenic views of the Olympic Mountains and Cascade Mountains can be viewed from hill tops within the incorporated city.
The city lies between Lake Washington to the west and the smaller Lake Sammamish to the east. It is bisected by Interstate 405 running north-south, and crossed from west to east by Interstate 90 in the southern portion.
Seal_of_Bellevue,_Washington.png
Government and politics
Bellevue has a non-partisan council-manager form of government, with seven council members elected at large for staggered four-year terms. The city council selects a mayor from among its members, who serves as council chair but has no veto power. As of 2005, the mayor is Connie Marshall and the city manager is Steve Sarkozy.
Education
Bellevue is home to City University and Bellevue Community College.
The city hosts the Bellevue School District, with four main public high schools: Bellevue High School, Newport High School, Interlake High School, and Sammamish High School. All four were included in Newsweek's listing of the Best High Schools in America (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7761678/site/newsweek/site/newsweek/100) in 2005, with the first three ranked in the top 50. Bellevue also has two alternative high schools, International School (which also made the list) and Robinswood High School.
Economy
The headquarters of Expedia.com, PACCAR, drugstore.com, Attachmate, InfoSpace, Valve Software and T-Mobile USA are located in Bellevue. With its immediate proximity to Redmond, home of Microsoft, and direct highway access to Seattle via Interstate 90 and Washington State Route 520, it is home to a large number of technology companies, most started in the 1990s. The city has numerous thriving commercial districts. It also immediately borders the Lake Washington "Gold Coast" district of tiny but extremely affluent towns (Medina, Hunts Point, Clyde Hill, and Yarrow Point), whose residents include Bill Gates and control a large portion of the local wealth.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 109,569 people, 45,836 households, and 29,060 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,375.8/km² (3,563.6/mi²). There are 48,396 housing units at an average density of 607.7/km² (1,574.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 74.33% White, 1.99% African American, 0.32% Native American, 17.39% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 2.54% from other races, and 3.19% from two or more races. 5.32% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 45,836 households out of which 27.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% are married couples living together, 7.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% are non-families. 28.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.37 and the average family size is 2.93.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $62,338, and the median income for a family is $76,868. Males have a median income of $56,456 versus $37,124 for females. The per capita income for the city is $36,905. 5.7% of the population and 3.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 5.7% of those under the age of 18 and 6.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Culture
Bellevue is the site of the popular annual Bellevue Arts & Crafts Fair. This tradition was begun in 1947, and is held each year at the end of July.
The Bellevue Arts Museum first opened in 1975, then moved to the Bellevue Square in 1983. In 2001 the museum moved into its own building, but ran into financial difficulties. They are planning to reopen to the public in the spring of 2005.
External links
- Official site (http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/)
- Seattle Eastside (http://www.seattleeastside.net/)
- Bellevue Community College (http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/)
- Bellevue Arts Museum (http://www.bellevueart.org/)