Pierce, Washington

Pierce County, Washington is Washington States second most populous county with 766,788 residents (2006 U.S. Census estimate).  Named for U.S. President Franklin Pierce, Pierce County was carved from then Thurston County in 1852 as part of the Oregon Territory legislation. Pierce County has a total land mass of approximately 1800 square miles. The largest city in the county is also the county seat, Tacoma.  The tallest mountain in the Cascade Mountain Range, Mt Rainer, can be found in Pierce County. While Mount Rainer hasn’t erupted since the early 1800’s, an extensive state of the art warning system has been on line since the millennium to provide emergency notice to the residents of the Puyallup River Valley. The county runs the gauntlet from mountain peaks to deepwater shipping ports. The Port of Tacoma is the sixth busiest container port in the US and 25^th busiest worldwide. With this type of traffic you would expect the port operations to be a major portion of the local economy and it is. Almost 30,00 people are employed in port operations of one kind or another.

Tacoma-Pierce County was named one of America’s Most Livable Communities by Washington D.C. based Partners for Livable Communities. Pierce County is the only community recognized in the Pacific Northwest and is one of five top-named regions in the nation. Aside from the natural beauty of the area in general and the numerous cultural and recreational amenities that abound in this region, there is a strong and diverse local economy and a well educated workforce. The Tacoma-Pierce Chamber of Commerce recognizes the fastest growing businesses in the area.  In 2007, six of the Top Ten had grown their business by over 15%.

The educational system in Pierce County is vast and well organized. With backing from the Pierce County Government there are numerous sustainable economic development programs to help budding entrepreneurs and established businesses alike. County government services are extensive in Pierce County, Washington with true involvement at junctures that other counties don’t even acknowledge such as the Pierce County Veterans Bureau that provides emergency assistance with food, rent, and utilities to qualified indigent veterans and family members.

Pierce Counties educational system takes full advantage of the state of the art communications infrastructure with their electronic classroom programs. Live interactive On Line tutoring is available for every grade and major subject with fees ranging from free to $5.00 per hour.

Many are attracted to Pierce County's rugged, rural, and Northwest Wilderness territory. But, while Mt. Rainer and the south east portion of Pierce County is served by moderate 2 lane county roads, modern two and 4 lane roadways abound in the area around the port city and county seat of Tacoma and the north west portions of the county (including two major Interstate Highways: I-90 and Interstate 5). Washington State Route 16 runs along a concrete viaduct through Tacoma's Nalley Valley, connecting Interstate 5 with West Tacoma, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and the Kitsap Peninsula. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport lies 22 miles (35 km) north, in the city of SeaTac.

Cultural attractions and events, outdoor activities, and historic sites abound in Pierce County, and they are so woven into the fabric of community life that many times the venues overlap. Biking in Pierce County  is popular and the Pierce County Bicycle Guide Map is written as a guide for bicyclists traveling to tourist attractions and museums in Pierce County; the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad is an historical and educational 15 mile ride on a steam engine train.  Also not to be missed are the Emerald Downs Race Track,  Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, and the Golden Pacific Railroad  (Voted the #1 attraction of the year by the Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitor Bureau).