Mercer Island, Washington
Encyclopedia
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the name of the island in Lake Washington
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and...
on which the city sits. The population was 22,699 at the 2010 census.
Located in the Seattle Metropolitan Area
Seattle metropolitan area
The Seattle metropolitan area in the US state of Washington includes the city of Seattle, King County, Snohomish County, and Pierce County within the Puget Sound region. The U.S...
, it is the most populated island in a lake within the United States. The ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
98040 is unique to Mercer Island.
History
Mercer Island, named for the Mercer family of Seattle, was first settled between 1870 and 1880. The Mercer brothers often rowed between the island and Seattle to pick berries, hunt, and fish. Those brothers, Thomas MercerThomas Mercer
From An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. 1893 A portrait of Mr. Mercer appears between pages 588 and 589...
and Asa Shinn Mercer
Asa Shinn Mercer
Asa Shinn Mercer was the first president of the Territorial University of Washington and a member of the Washington State Senate....
, are members of the Mercer family of Virginia and are supposed relatives of The Shins
The Shins
The Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Mercer, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer Joe Plummer and bassist Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock, indie rock,...
frontman, James R Mercer
James Mercer (musician)
James Russell Mercer is an American guitarist and Alternative rock musician. He is a founding member and lead singer-songwriter of the Grammy-nominated indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger Mouse formed the side project Broken Bells, for which they released a...
. The first large settlement, East Seattle, was toward the northwest side of the island—near the McGilvara neighbourhood. During 1889, a C C Calkins built a large and gilded resort, the Calkins Hotel. The Hotel was patronised via steamboat
Steamboats of Lake Washington
Lake Washington steamboats and ferries operated from about 1875 to 1951, transporting passengers and vehicles, and moving freight and towing barges and log rafts across Lake Washington, is a large lake immediately to the east of Seattle, Washington...
between: Madison Park
Madison Park (Seattle)
Madison Park is an 8.3 acre park in the Madison Park neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, located between the western shore of Lake Washington on the east, 42nd Avenue E. on the west, E. Madison Street on the north, and E. Blaine Street on the south. 43rd Avenue E...
, Leschi Park
Leschi Park (Seattle)
Leschi Park is an 18.5 acre park in the Leschi neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, named after Chief Leschi of the Nisqually tribe. The majority of the park is a grassy hillside that lies west of Lakeside Avenue S...
, and the Eastside
Eastside (King County, Washington)
File:Seattle-lakewashington-lakesammamish.PNG|250px|right|The Eastside is to the right of Seattle.# rough city boundariespoly 137 256 148 256 158 194 172 179 172 237 212 266 133 266Renton...
. Burnt by a mysterious fire, the Hotel was razed during 1908.
The Calkins Landing continued service and assumedly aided location of a more permanent population. Residents would summer on Mercer Island, then most similar to the San Juan Islands
San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the northwest corner of the contiguous United States between the US mainland and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of the U.S...
and the Hamptons. A denser urban community with business district developed toward the central northern island between the McGilvara neighbourhood and Luther Burbank
Luther Burbank
Luther Burbank was an American botanist, horticulturist and a pioneer in agricultural science.He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 54-year career. Burbank's varied creations included fruits, flowers, grains, grasses, and vegetables...
Park, within the latter of which a boarding school was built, and now composes the majority of the island's crest through the Middle Island neighbourhood. To connect with a similar municipality, Bellevue
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, the East Channel Bridge
East Channel Bridge
The East Channel Bridge is a bridge carrying Interstate 90 from Mercer Island, Washington, to Bellevue, Washington, over the East Channel of Lake Washington, which separates Mercer Island from the rest of the Eastside....
was built and opened during 1928. George W Lightfoot
George Lightfoot
George Washington Lightfoot was most commonly known as the "father" of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge. Lightfoot was a very important citizen of early Mercer Island. He also was a vaudeville musician who performed under the stage name, "The Jolly Hobo Globetrotter".-References:* Gellay, J....
, during 1930, requested a bridge between Mercer Island and Seattle; the Lacey V Murrow Memorial Bridge
Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge
The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge is a floating bridge that carries the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Mercer Island, Washington. It is the second longest floating bridge on Earth at , whereas the longest is the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge just a few...
, second longest floating bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
on Earth, was built and opened during 1940. A second bridge, named for the sake of Albert D Rosellini, between Seattle and Medina
Medina, Washington
Medina is a city located in the Eastside, a region of King County, Washington, United States. Surrounded on the north, west, and south by Lake Washington, opposite Seattle, Medina is bordered by Clyde Hill and Hunts Point, as well as the satellite city of Bellevue. The city's population was 2,969...
, Governor Albert D Rosellini Bridge—Evergreen Point
Evergreen Point Floating Bridge
The Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge—Evergreen Point is the longest floating bridge on Earth at and carries State Route 520 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Medina.The Evergreen Point of the bridge's original name is the westernmost of the three small Eastside...
, longest floating bridge on Earth, was built and opened during 1963. A third bridge, fifth longest floating bridge on Earth, Homer M Hadley Memorial Bridge
Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge
The Third Lake Washington Bridge, officially the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge, is the fifth-longest floating bridge in the world, at 5,811 feet...
, was built parallel to the Lacey V Murrow Memorial Bridge and opened during 1989. The East Channel Bridge, Lacey V Murrow Memorial Bridge, and Homer M Hadley Memorial Bridge, carry Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
.
The City of Mercer Island was incorporated from East Seattle on 5 July 1960 and all island less the 70 acre (280,000 m²) business district. Just over one month later, 9 August, the Town of Mercer Island was incorporated from that business district. The two aforementioned municipalities merged as the City of Mercer Island 19 May 1970.
Geography
Mercer Island is located at 47°34′9"N 122°13′56"W (47.569271, -122.232337).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 12.986 square miles (33.63 km²). 6.286 square miles (16.28 km²) of it is land and 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²) of it (51.33%) is water.
Education
The Mercer Island School DistrictMercer Island School District
The Mercer Island School District is a public U.S. school district in Washington. Located in an affluent bedroom community of Seattle, Mercer Island, it has a strong academic reputation...
overviews six common schools on the island: three primary schools (Lakeridge Elementary, Island Park Elementary and West Mercer Elementary); one Middle school (Islander Middle School); one High school (Mercer Island High School
Mercer Island High School
Mercer Island High School is a public high school located in Mercer Island, Washington in the U.S., as part of the Mercer Island School District....
); one alternative secondary school (Crest Learning Center).
Mercer Island is also home to the St. Monica School(K-8), the French American School of Puget Sound (P-8), and the Northwest Yeshiva High School
Northwest Yeshiva High School
Northwest Yeshiva High School is a Jewish high school in Mercer Island, Washington. It is Washington's only Jewish high school. The head of the school is Rabbi Bernie Fox, and the school colors are navy blue, white, and Vegas Gold. The sports teams go by the name "the 613s".-External links:*...
http://www.nyhs.net/main/index.php (9-12).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 22,036 people, 8,437 households, and 6,277 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,452.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,333.6/km²). There were 8,806 housing units at an average density of 1,379.5 per square mile (532.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.09% White, 1.14% African American, 0.16% Native American, 11.87% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.86% of the population.
There were 8,437 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $151,904, and the median income for a family was $190,830. The average household income in 2004 was $169,841. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $123,799. About 0.9% of families and 0.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2009, the 98040 zip code had a median house sale price of $1,084,627, placing it at #215 in a list of the most expensive zip codes in America.
Washington State's Office of Financial Management also publishes per-county, per-city population statistics of its own. Its 2009 estimate was 22,720.
Parks
Luther Burbank Park covers 77 acres (311,608.2 m²) of land and has 0.75 miles (1.2 km) of waterfront. The park has a public boat dock and fishing pier, a swimming beach, an amphitheater, tennis courts, barbecues and picnic facilities, and an off-leash dog area. The city assumed maintenance of the park on January 1, 2003 from King County, which had purchased the park land in 1969.The Park on the Lid is atop the I-90 tunnel entrances. This park has softball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, picnic shelters, and the Freeway Sculpture Park.
Pioneer Park covers 113 acre (0.45729518 km²) and has equestrian, bicycle, and hiking trails. Deane's Children Park, also known as "Dragon Park", is a small park with playground equipment.
Sister cities
Mercer Island's sister city, as designated by Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
, is Thonon-les-Bains
Thonon-les-Bains
Thonon-les-Bains is a town in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-History:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Annual events
- Mercer Island is focal to annual performances by the Blue AngelsBlue AngelsThe United States Navy's Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, was formed in 1946 and is currently the oldest formal flying aerobatic team...
during Seattle's summer SeafairSeafairSeafair is a summer festival in Seattle, Washington, USA that encompasses a wide variety of small neighborhood events leading up to several major city-wide celebrations...
celebration. - Summer Celebration is a celebration once a year on the weekend after the 4th of JulyIndependence Day (United States)Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
. The celebration ends with fireworks.
Famous Citizens
Financial Billionaire Paul Allen , the 23rd Rich List Person on the Forbes USA 400with an estimated personal net wealth of 13.2 Billion United States Dollars
External links
- Mercer Island Reporter Local newspaper