Bellevue is a rapidly growing city located in King County, Washington, USA, 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.
Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Bellevue ranks 15th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
Bellevue is located at 47°35'51" North, 122°9'33" West (47.597554, -122.159245).
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.
South of I-90 the city's Eastgate neighborhood continues up Cougar Mountain. At the far west of Cougar Mountain Bellevue includes Coal Creek and Factoria (an unincorporated neighborhood.).
The cities of Kirkland borders to the north-west, Redmond to the north-east bordering long the Overlake neighborhood. Across the short East Channel Bridge, I-90 connects Bellevue to Mercer Island to the south-west. Issaquah is to the east, down I-90 at the south end of Lake Sammamish. The city is also boarded to the west by the extremely wealthy suburbs of Medina, Hunts Point, Washington and Yarrow Point.
As of the census of 2000, there are 112,344 people, 45,836 households, and 29,060 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,411.4/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.
Bellevue is now home to the headquarters of many small and large businesses. 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 tiny but extremely affluent Lake Washington Gold Coast district (Medina, Hunts Point, Clyde Hill, and Yarrow Point), whose residents include Bill Gates and control a large portion of the local wealth.
Companies include:
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 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. More recently, an expansion to Bellevue Square along Bellevue Way called "The Lodge" and the new One Lincoln Tower promise to solidify downtown Bellevue as the main center of shopping and restaurants on the eastside.
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Bellevue, WA
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