A 400 mile corridor with eight million residents stretches from Eugene, Oregon, through Seattle, Washington to Vancouver, B.C. The Pacific Northwest region accounts for more than $250 billion in annual economic output and if ranked as a nation-state would be the 10th largest economy in the world. Put this against a backdrop of dramatic alpine peaks and glittering waters, and you have the present day “American Northwest”.
Our home city of Seattle is most well-known nickname is “the Emerald City,” in reference to the lush evergreen forests of the area. The Port of Seattle, which also operates Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, is a major gateway for trade with Asia, and is one of the largest port in the United States in terms of container capacity. The city is home to the prestigious University of Washington as well as Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, City, University of Seattle and Antioch University Seattle. Seattle has a century-long history of innovation, infused with the spirit of adventure, driven by cultural and economic diversity, and fueled by creativity and a keen sense of community.
47% of adults living in Seattle have a bachelor’s degree. This ratio is the highest in big cities in the United States and nearly double the national average of 24.4%. For this reason, CNN calls Seattle the smartest city in America.
The two largest technology companies in the world are headquartered in the Seattle area Microsoft and Amazon. Each offers an amazing array of products and services supporting business and government operations. Gartner estimates that business will direct more than $1 trillion of cash toward cloud computing between now and 2020. Seattle is at the forefront of this revolution, largely thanks to Amazon and Microsoft.
The last 10 years have seen the rise of a new breed of large Seattle-based tech companies – this includes public companies such as Expedia, Zillow, Tableau, and Zulily, Along with older companies such as Adobe and Real, the home-grown tech industry in Seattle now has a sizeable number of companies not only at the $100 billion valuation, but throughout the $10 billion, $1 billion, or $100 million valuation ranges.
The other important city in the Washington state is Tacoma. The city is on Washington’s Puget Sound, 32 miles (51 km) southwest of Seattle.
Tacoma is home to a vibrant, creative community of writers, artists and musicians, photographers, filmmakers, passionate entrepreneurs and business owners.
Since the 1990s, developments in the downtown core include the University of Washington Tacoma; Tacoma Link, the first modern electric light rail service in the state; the state’s highest density of art and history museums; and a restored urban waterfront, the Thea Foss Waterway. Neighborhoods such as the 6th Avenue District have been revitalized. With over $1 billion having been invested in downtown Tacoma alone, private investment has surpassed public investment by a ratio of almost 4:1
Another important city; Portland is the largest and most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of 2017, Portland had an estimated population of 647,805, making it the 26th most populated city in the United States, and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest (after Seattle)
Portland’s location is beneficial for several industries. Relatively low energy cost, accessible resources, north–south and east–west Interstates, international air terminals, large marine shipping facilities, and both west coast intercontinental railroads are all economic advantages. Portland’s access to the Pacific Ocean via the Willamette and Columbia rivers, as well as its easy access to the agricultural Tualatin Valley via the “Great Plank Road” (the route of current-day U.S. Route 26), provided the pioneer city with an advantage over other nearby ports, and it grew very quickly.
The average income of a Portland resident is $32,438 a year. The US average is $28,555 a year.