Seattle is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It serves as the county seat of King County, which is the most populous county in Washington. The city is situated on an isthmus between Puget Sound, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and Lake Washington. It is the northernmost major city in the United States, located approximately 100 miles south of the Canadian border.

Native Americans inhabited the area for at least 4,000 years before European arrival. Arthur A. Denny and his group arrived at Alki Point on November 13, 1851, later moving to Elliott Bay and naming the settlement Duwamps. David Swinson Maynard advocated naming it after Chief Seattle, and the city was incorporated in 1869. It grew rapidly during the Klondike Gold Rush and later became a center for aircraft manufacturing due to Boeing.

The city features a vibrant mix of districts including Downtown, Capitol Hill, and the International District. Its character is defined by evergreen trees, pristine waters, and snowy mountains surrounding metallic skyscrapers. This landscape earned it the nickname Emerald City, officially adopted in 1982 after previously being known as the Queen City. The area includes historic sites like Pioneer Square and the University of Washington campus.

Seattle's culture is heavily defined by its musical history, including jazz clubs along Jackson Street and the origin of grunge rock. Visitors explore diverse neighborhoods, parks, beaches, and architecture. The city attracts people with its cosmopolitan atmosphere, progressive downtown, and ethnically diverse southern neighborhoods. It is also home to competitive megacorporations like Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing.

Seattle had a population of 737,015 as of 2020. Its economy has evolved from logging to technology, with Microsoft establishing its headquarters in the region. The Port of Seattle is the fourth-largest port in North America for container handling. Alaska Airlines is based at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. The city experiences boom-and-bust economic cycles but maintains solid infrastructure.