Puyallup, Washington

Puyallup, Washington lies at the very foot of mighty Mount Rainier, an active Cascade Range Volcano which towers over 14,000 feet, and is encased in more than 35 square miles of glacial ice and snow. Puyallup residents regard the mountain as a symbol of their own rugged Pacific Northwest culture.

Puyallup covers 12.2 square miles in eastern Pierce County, with the glacier-fed Puyallup River winding through the heart of town.  Puyallup boasts an ideal business locale, with Tacoma only 15 miles to the west, Seattle 35 miles to the north, and Olympia, WA’s Capital City, 20 miles to the south.  Puyallup sits at the junction of SR167 and HWY512, two vital transportation routes lending easy access to Interstate 5. In the 2000 Census, Puyallup reported a population of 33,011, while 2006 estimates show an increase to 36,605, a reflection of the strong and stable economy of this flourishing community.

The Puyallup River’s many past floods have left behind remarkably rich soil throughout the surrounding Valley. The city of Puyallup began as an agricultural community, growing berries, hops, and flowers. Today’s residents continue to grow incredibly lush gardens, selling their produce at the widely popular Puyallup Farmer's Market each Saturday. The annual Daffodil Festival, which will celebrate its 75^th birthday in 2008, is a regional favorite weeklong event which culminates in a Grand Floral Street Parade winding through the communities of Orting, Sumner, Puyallup and Tacoma. Puyallup holds national recognition for the daffodils, roses, and tulips grown here.

Puyallup, WA hosts the renowned Puyallup Fair for three weeks in September and one week in April, attracting more than a million people annually. This is Washington’s largest state fair, and one of the ten largest fairs in the nation. The massive Puyallup Fairgrounds form the vital core of the community, but is separate from the historic Downtown District, where well-preserved buildings reflect Puyallup’s pioneer origins.  

The elegant Italianate Victorian Meeker Mansion, was built in Puyallupin 1871. Ezra Meeker, one of the founding fathers of “Daffodil Valley” and one of the town heroes, was a colorful and eccentric character, who made four separate journeys along the famed Oregon Traill before finally settling in Puyallup. Pioneer Park, covering two scenic acres of downtown, contains a bronze statueee of Meeker. The largest street festival in Pierce County is Meeker Daysys, presented by Puyallup’s Good Samaritan Hospital each June.

Puyallup houses the outstanding Karshner Museum, the only school-operated K-12 teaching museum west of the Mississippi. Since 1930, the museum has offered hands-on experience to students throughout the Puget Sound Region, and implemented a Discovery Kit program in the ‘70’s. Recently, they began an Indian Education Program, with Native American guest speakers and slideshows of regional Indian culture.

Puyallup, Washington provides a strong and stable base for small-city living, with major metropolises only a short drive away. Claiming a live volcano and daffodils as its city symbols, Puyallup creates a character all its own.