Kirkland: Weather from Answers.com

Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle located on the Eastside (of Lake Washington). As of April 1, 2005, the city had an estimated population of 45,740, making Kirkland the eighth largest city in King County and the eighteenth largest city in the State.^[1]

Notable features of the city include its downtown, located on the lakefront (Kirkland is the only city on the Eastside with a waterfront downtown), with many restaurants and art galleries and a 400 seat performing arts center; numerous public parks, including a number of beaches; and a large collection of public art, primarily bronze sculptures.

Kirkland is the home of the Seattle Seahawks training facility. Warehouse chain Costco previously had its headquarters in Kirkland (now in Issaquah), hence the "Kirkland Signature" store brand. Several prominent companies like Bungie Studios (developer of the Halo, Marathon, Myth and Oni video game series) have headquarters in Kirkland; see List of companies based in Kirkland, Washington.

Kirkland had its moment in the limelight when the 1982 Kirkland National Little League team won the Little League World Series. It also was the home to Little League's 1992 Big League Softball World Series Champions Representing the Eastside District Nine Leagues. Since 1999 Kirkland has been the home of the Little League Junior Softball World Series held each August at Kirkland's Everest Park.

Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Kirkland ranks 13th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.

History

The land around Lake Washington to the east of Seattle, which would later be known as Kirkland, was first settled by Native Americans. English settlers did not arrive until the late 1860s when the McGregor and Popham families built their homesteads in what is now the Houghton neighborhood. Four miles to the north people also settled near what they would later call Juanita Bay, a favored campsite of the Natives because a type of wild potato, "wapatos", thrived in the region. The Curtis' arrived in the area sometime in the 1870s and, later, the French family in 1872. The Forbes family settled on Rose Hill in 1877. As time went by slowly more and more people arrived in the area and by the end of the 1880s a small number of logging, farming and boat-building communities had been established.^[2]

Kirkland in 1912, at the modern-day intersection of Fourth Avenue and First Street overlooking Lake Washington

In 1886, Peter Kirk, a British-born enterprising businessman seeking to expand the family’s Moss Bay steel production company, moved to Washington State after hearing that iron deposits had been discovered in the Cascade mountain range. Other necessary components such as limestone, needed in steel smelting, were readily available in the area. Further yet, a small number of coalmines (a required fuel source for steel mills) had recently been established nearby in Newcastle and train lines were already under construction. Plans were also underway to build the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

Kirk realized that if a town were built near the water it would be a virtual freshwater port to the sea, as well as help support any prospective mill. At the time, however, Kirk was not a U.S. citizen and could not purchase any land. Fortunately, Leigh S.J. Hunt, then owner of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, offered to partner with Kirk and buy the necessary real estate.

Map of Kirkland showing various notable locations.

Under their new venture, the Kirkland Land and Development Company, Kirk and Hunt purchased thousands of acres of land in what is now Kirkland’s downtown in July of 1888. Kirk and his associates started the construction of a new steel mill soon after, named Moss Bay Iron and Steel Works, on land east of Seattle, near Lake Washington. Thus founding the city of Kirkland in 1888, officially one of the earliest on the Eastside at the time, Kirk’s vision of a "Pittsburgh of the West" was beginning to take form.

However, the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad, which had recently been purchased by Tacoma-based Northern Pacific, had now refused to construct a rail line to the lake. This would, after all, have a negative impact on Tacoma, which was furiously competing with Seattle as the dominant Puget Sound seaport. The ensuing financial issues and numerous obstacles were also taking a toll on Kirk, who was running out of investors. Hunt was also in debt from the purchase of land.

Nevertheless, the plans continued and the steel mill was eventually completed in late 1892 on Rose Hill (a full two miles from the Lake’s shore). Unfortunately, before it would ever produce any steel, financial issues arose and due to the Panic of 1893 the mill subsequently closed without ever producing any steel. In spite of everything, Kirk was determined not to give up on his namesake town, and Kirkland was finally incorporated in 1905 with a population of approximately 532.

In 1900 the Curtis family, who had been living on the Eastside since the 1870s, had made a living operating a ferry-construction business on Lake Washington. Along with Captain John Anderson, the Curtis' were among the first to run ferries in the area. Leschi, first operated on December 27, 1913, was the original wooden ferry to transport automobiles and people between the Eastside and Madison Park until her retirement 1950. The ferry operations ran nearly continuously for 18 hours each day. However, the construction of the first Lake Washington floating bridge in 1940 made ferry service unprofitable and eventually led to its cancellation.^[3] Subsequent years saw wool-milling and warship-building become the major industries.

The first woolen mill in the state of Washington was built in Kirkland in 1892. The mill was the primary supplier of wool products for the Alaska Gold Rush prospectors and for the U.S. Military during World War I. By 1917, after the completion of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, the construction of ocean-going vessels had become a major business. By 1940, the thriving Lake Washington Shipyard had constructed more than 25 warships during World War II for the U.S. Navy, on what is now Carillon Point.

Annexations

Annexation Date	Sq Mi Annexed	Cumulative Sq Mi
Kirkland Annexations
1905 – 1910	0.88	0.88
1910 – 1920	0.00	0.88
1920 – 1930	0.01	0.89
1930 – 1940	0.00	0.89
1940 – 1950	1.00	1.89
1950 – 1960	0.11	2.00
1960 – 1970	3.39	5.39
1970 – 1980	0.84	6.23
1980 – 1990	4.19	10.42
1990 – 2004	0.00	10.42
ca. 2009*	7*	17*
* Proposed

Since the incorporation of Kirkland in 1905, the city has grown to approximately 12 times its original geographic boundaries, nearly doubling in size during the 1940s and 1960s.

Kirkland consolidated with the neighboring town of Houghton on July 31, 1968 to form one city of 13,500. It annexed the neighborhood of Totem Lake in 1974, and the neighborhoods of South Juanita, North Rose Hill, and South Rose Hill in 1988, which were the largest annexations undertaken in Washington in nearly two decades. This added a further 16,119 people to Kirkland's population and was responsible for 76 percent of Kirkland's population increase between 1980 and 1990.

Future annexations

This article or section contains information about scheduled or expected future events.
It may contain tentative information; the content may change as the event approaches and more information becomes available.

Kirkland has not annexed any additional land since 1988, although possible future annexations include the unincorporated communities of Finn Hill, North Juanita, and Kingsgate (collectively known as the Proposed Annexation Areas, or PAAs), which would potentially add nearly seven square miles of new land and an additional population of 33,000. If annexation were approved, Kirkland would become the State's 7th largest city.^[4]

In March 2006, Washington's legislature approved Senate Bill 6686, which would channel a portion of the State's sales tax to any city which annexes a region with more than 10,000 citizens. This incentive from the State is the impetus for Kirkland's current study of annexation.

In March of 2007, the City of Kirkland released a financial report on annexation.^[5] Several of the assumptions underlying the financial models, as well as the conclusions derived from the report, have been challenged by some Kirkland citizens.^[6]

In February 2005, the City of Kirkland commissioned a poll of the residents of the PAAs on a potential annexation. 71% of 400 adult respondents residing in Kingsgate, Upper Juanita and Finn Hill preferred to be annexed by Kirkland over Bothell and Woodinville. Financial issues aside, 57% thought that annexation to Kirkland was a "good idea." However, after cost and service issues had been brought to light, 62% said that they would favor annexation to Kirkland (30% definitely in favor; 32% probably in favor).^[7]

The City has not commissioned a poll of Kirkland citizens on potential annexation.

The City Council will make a go/no-go decision to proceed to "Phase 3" of the annexation process in the Autumn of 2007. If they choose to proceed, then the issue will be put to a vote in the PAA. The citizens of Kirkland will not get to vote on annexation. Citizens have petitioned the city to allow for an advisory election on annexation, yet the City Council has chosen not to do so.^[8]^[9]

Famous connections to Kirkland

Notable people

Paul Beyerl, religious leader
Deb Caletti, author
JoAnne Carner, pro golfer
Tom Evans, pro baseball player
Jimmy Gabriel, pro soccer player
Gil Haskell, pro football coach
Ken Hutcherson, religious leader and activist
Iikka Keränen, computer game designer
Peter Kirk, businessman and city founder
Sabrina Krievins and Erika Krievins, actors
Craig McCaw, telecommunications enterpreneur
Scott Mercado, musician, drummer
Layne Staley, grunge musician
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, actor
Steve Wiebe, competitive gamer

Notable businesses

Main article: List of companies based in Kirkland, Washington

References

^ City of Kirkland (July, 2005). 2004 Community Profile. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
^ Alan J. Stein (1998). A Short History of Kirkland.
^ Alan J. Stein (August 30, 2000). The ferry Leschi makes its last run, ending ferry service on Lake Washington on August 31, 1950. HistoryLink.org.
^ Washington Cities by Population. maps-n-stats.com (US Census data).
^ City of Kirkland Finance Dept. (February 20, 2007). Consolidated_Summary_of_Phase_1_Fiscal_Analysis. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
^ Online anti-annexation petition
^ Elway Research Inc. (February 2005). Public Opinion About Potential Annexations to Kirkland. Retrieved on 2006-06-28.

^ [http://web.mac.com/rob.butcher/iWeb/Save%20Kirkland/Annexation%20Blog/9B9227B9-F102-4ACF-8CC3-137E143B96CD.html

Kirkland culture

Today Kirkland is socially and economically integrated into the greater Seattle area. Like most of its Eastside neighbors, it is relatively affluent but dependent in large part on nearby technology firms such as Redmond-based Microsoft.

Parks

"http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/f/f2/250px-Kirkland_waterfront.jpg" alt="Marina Park in Kirkland" width="250" height="162" />

Marina Park in Kirkland

During the summer, local residents of neighboring cities flock to Kirkland to visit Kirkland's many waterfront parks on Lake Washington. Kirkland has many neighborhood parks as well, and abuts the equestrian Bridle Trails State Park.

Gentrification

Kirkland is a small, quiet town, with many retired people and apartment complexes. There are quite a few old, quaint houses, though many are being torn down. Currently the major areas undergoing gentrification are Houghton, Juanita, Norkirk, Rose Hill, West of Market, and the downtown area.

Nightlife

Kirkland also boasts a rather active nightlife in comparison to the rest of the Eastside. It has a variety of bars, clubs and dance clubs, most of which are located in downtown Kirkland's main strip, Lake Street.

Media

The Kirkland Courier, founded in 1978, is the city's primary newspaper, with a circulation of 23,000 monthly copies. In 1991, the Pacific Publishing Company acquired The Kirkland Courier, which is a directly-mailed product within Kirkland's incorporated communities. On April 30th, 2007 the Courier was purchased by King County Publications, who announced they will increase circulation and publish the paper weekly instead of monthly.

Arts

Kirkland has a thriving gallery district downtown. The Kirkland Performance Center hosts a number of performing arts events.

Teen Union Building

The Kirkland Teen Union Building in downtown Peter Kirk Park is supported by the city and a number of nonprofit organizations. It has two music stages, a recording studio, darkroom and year-round activities and programs for youth.[1]

Geography and climate

Kirkland is located at 47°41′9″N, 122°11′30″W (47.685821, -122.191729)¹. It is bordered to the west by Lake Washington, to the east by Redmond, to the south by Bellevue, and to the north by Kenmore and Bothell.

Kirkland is accessible via Interstate 405, which connects it with other Eastside cities, including Bellevue, Renton, and Bothell. Seattle, which is west of Kirkland, as well as Redmond to the east, are both accessible through State Highway 520.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.5 km² (11.0 mi²). 27.7 km² (10.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (3.00%) is water. The elevation varies from 14 to 500 feet above sea level.

Kirkland's average temperature is 46.8 °F, and the average annual precipitation 38.6 inches.

"http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/a/ac/250px-Sailer_sculpture_%28Kirkland%2C_Washington%29.jpg" alt="One of Kirkland's many sculptures." width="250" height="185" />

"Sailer sculpture (Kirkland, Washington).jpg">

"Enlarge" />

One of Kirkland's many sculptures.

Education

Kirkland is home to Lake Washington Technical College and Northwest University, formerly Northwest College of the Assemblies of God.

Kirkland is in the Lake Washington School District. Secondary schools located in the city include:

Government and politics

Kirkland 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 2006, the mayor is Jim Lauinger and the city manager is David Ramsay.

Year	Population	Population Increase	Land Area Increase
"http://www.who.int/bloodproducts/publications/en/bulletin_1998_76(5)_515-524.pdf" class='external text' target= "wpext">Kirkland Growth Trends
1910	532
1920	1,354	155%	0%
1930	1,714	27%	2%
1940	2,048	19%	0%
1950	4,713	130%	112%
1960	6,025	28%	6%
1970	15,070	150%	170%
1980	18,785	25%	16%
1990	40,052	113%	67%
2000	45,054	12%	170%
2001	45,770	2%	0%
2002	45,790	0.04%	0%
2003	45,630	-0.35%	0%
2004	45,800	0.37%	0%
2005	45,740	-0.13%	0%

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 45,054 people, 20,736 households, and 11,031 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,628.8/km² (4,220.3/mi²). There were 21,831 housing units at an average density of 789.2/km² (2,045.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.28% White, 1.59% African American, 0.53% Native American, 7.80% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 1.69% from other races, and 2.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.11% of the population.

There were 20,736 households out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.8% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the city the population was spread out with 18.5% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 38.1% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $60,332, and the median income for a family was $73,395. Males had a median income of $50,691 versus $39,737 for females. The per capita income for the city was $38,903. About 3.9% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Sister city

Kirkland has one sister city, Emmerich, Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/usa/WA|publisher=Sister Cities International|title=Washington sister cities}}</li> <li id="wp-_note-8">'''[[#wp-_ref-8|^]]''' {{cite web|url=http://www.ltgov.wa.gov/International/Washington%20Organizations/Sisters/|author=Washington State Lieutenant Governor's Office|title=Sister Relationships}}</li></ol></ref>

"Kirkland: The Little City That Could" Retrieved December 22, 2005.

External links

Coordinates: 47.685821° N 122.191729° W

- Nearby hiking trails on Hikipedia

	State of Washington Olympia (capital)
Topics	State Government \| Cities \| Towns \| Congressional Delegation \| City Governments \| Governors \| History \| Legislative Initiatives \| Popular Initiatives \| Legislature \| Music \| Parks \| Highways \| Symbols
Regions	Cascade Range \| Central Washington \| Columbia Gorge \| Columbia Plateau \| Columbia River \| Eastern Washington \| Inland Empire \| Kitsap Peninsula \| Long Beach Peninsula \| Okanogan Country \| Olympic Peninsula \| Palouse \| Puget Sound \| San Juan Islands \| Skagit Valley \| Tri‑Cities \| Western Washington \| Yakima Valley
Larger Cities	Seattle \| Spokane \| Tacoma \| Tri‑Cities \| Vancouver \| Bellevue \| Everett
Smaller Cities	Aberdeen \| Anacortes \| Arlington \| Auburn \| Bainbridge Island \| Battle Ground \| Bellingham \| Bonney Lake \| Bothell \| Bremerton \| Burien \| Camas \| Centralia \| Cheney \| Cle Elum \| Covington \| Des Moines \| East Wenatchee \| Edmonds \| Ellensburg \| Enumclaw \| Federal Way \| Fife \| Fort Lewis \| Grandview \| Issaquah \| Kelso \| Kenmore \| Kennewick \| Kent \| Kirkland \| Lacey \| Lake Forest Park \| Lakewood \| Longview \| Lynden \| Lynnwood \| Maple Valley \| Marysville \| Mercer Island \| Mill Creek \| Monroe \| Moses Lake \| Mountlake Terrace \| Mount Vernon \| Mukilteo \| Oak Harbor \| Olympia \| Pasco \| Port Angeles \| Prosser \| Pullman \| Puyallup \| Redmond \| Renton \| Richland \| Sammamish \| SeaTac \| Sedro-Woolley \| Shelton \| Shoreline \| Spokane Valley \| Sunnyside \| Tukwila \| Tumwater \| University Place \| Walla Walla \| Washougal \| Wenatchee \| West Richland \| Woodinville \| Yakima \| Zillah
Counties	Adams \| Asotin \| Benton \| Chelan \| Clallam \| Clark \| Columbia \| Cowlitz \| Douglas \| Ferry \| Franklin \| Garfield \| Grant \| Grays Harbor \| Island \| Jefferson \| King \| Kitsap \| Kittitas \| Klickitat \| Lewis \| Lincoln \| Mason \| Okanogan \| Pacific \| Pend Oreille \| Pierce \| San Juan \| Skagit \| Skamania \| Snohomish \| Spokane \| Stevens \| Thurston \| Wahkiakum \| Walla Walla \| Whatcom \| Whitman \| Yakima

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Donate to Wikimedia

Friday		HI: 72°F / 22°C LO: 53°F / 11°C
Saturday		HI: 72°F / 22°C LO: 53°F / 11°C
Sunday		HI: 76°F / 24°C LO: 55°F / 12°C
Monday		HI: 74°F / 23°C LO: 53°F / 11°C
Tuesday		HI: 70°F / 21°C LO: 53°F / 11°C

kirkland	glucosamine kirkland
Kirkland Acetaminophen	kirkland signature

		Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more
		Weather. © 2008 AccuWeather, Inc. Read more
		Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Kirkland, Washington". Read more

Kirkland