Pierce County
- State
- Washington
- County Seat:
- Tacoma
- Year Organized:
- 1853
- Total Square Miles:
-
1806.442
- Population:
-
876764 (2017)
- Persons/Square Mile:
- 485
County structure
- Government Type:
- County
- Authority:
- Home Rule
- Legislative Body:
- County Council
- Size of Legislative Body:
- 7
Demographics
- 2018 Population:
- 876764
- 25 to 64 Years of Age:
- 53.83%
- 65 Years of Age and Older:
- 13.82%
Economy, 2018
- Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
- $39.6 B
- Labor Force:
- 424,137
- Unemployment Rate:
- 5.20%
Pierce County: It is one of the type known counties in the United States of Washington. Located between South and West of King and Yakima Counties, Pierce brags of breathtaking terrain and quality features. According to the county map, it sits on a 1,806 square miles (4,680 km2) area covered mainly by land and few water areas.
According to the latest population report by the 2010 Census, Pierce harbors 795,225 persons within her boundaries. This number qualifies it second in the list of most populated counties in Washington after King County and 61st in the entire United States.
A little history on Pierce County
Pierce County was formed on December 22, 1852, from Thurston County through a legislative procedure of Oregon Territory. It’s naming at the time was for Franklin Pierce, the then sitting U.S president. Its formation alternatively based on the fact that it was a Seattle metropolitan area formerly referred to as the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. During those days, Pierce was essentially a metropolitan statistical area.
Pierce County Today
Following the new administrative policies, Pierce County has developed to be one of the most recognized counties in Washington. Its very iconic County Seat is Tacoma. Currently, it is the largest city in the region, holding several socio-economic activities and amenities.
Governance: Who is in charge of Pierce County?
The Pierce County governance is based on Pierce County Council, an elective legislative body conducting its mandate according to a charter. According to the Washington State Constitution, this charter relates to section 4 of Article XI.
The Pierce County Council consists of seven elected members by the district. Key among their functions are making the governing laws for the county as granted by the charter and the state of Washington. Other obligations include policy setting through ordinances and resolutions adoption, approval of the annual budget, and giving directions on fund spending.
The election of the seven council members carries on from each of the seven contiguous districts. Each district, in this case, must meet a population threshold of about 114,000 to be represented by a council member. Once elected, a council member serves a four-year term, after which they may be re-elected based on specific merits such as better performances.
Under governance still, Pierce County holds a judicial department that enacts the laws ensuring fairness. The leading departments of these are the Washington Court of Appeals and the Washington Supreme Court. Under these two, there are other legal 22 departments headed by elected judges, clerks, and commissioners.
Security
It is always safe to be in the cities and towns of Pierce County. Security matters here come a long way into quality effectiveness. From the streets to residentials, learning institutions, and various public places, security is ever a priority.
Like in most counties in Washington, it is mainly the police who take charge of various security issues. Nonetheless, multiple security organizations work together with the federal and state police departments to resolve different insecurity turmoil.
Public records on security issues here majorly capture county lines, robbery among other manageable security hiccups.
An upgrade in the security department has better involved various stakeholders, including independent security firms and other local policing offices. Still, the cooperation between security departments within Washington adds to more significant advantage to the populace’s safety.
Who Habits Pierce County?
According to the 2010 census report, Pierce County is a metropolitan county. There are English speakers, Latin Americans, African American, Pacific Islanders, and other races. The largest occupants here are the white, holding up to 78.39% of the total population.
Transportation
Transportation in Pierce County involves land, air, and water. On the water, the reference mainly is with Port of Tacoma. It is the busiest container port in North America, ranking at number six and 25th globally. Port Tacoma covers about 2,400 acres and with this offers a variety of facilities and services;
- 34 Deepwater berths
- Warehouse and office space covering 2 million square feet (190,000 m2)
- 131 acres (530,000 m2) of industrial yard
According to its economic impact records, the port has created many jobs, 28,000 plus, all relating to matters port.
Airport
Transport via air is highly accessible in Pierce County. The general aviation airports Tacoma Narrows Airport and Pierce County Airport are pretty reliable in their means. Booking is available online for anyone planning travel to within or without destinations.
Land
For those who prefer land travel, Pierce County offers you options. You can either use a train or road. Typical transit operators in this region include the following;
- Pierce Transit: They provide paratransit, buses, and rideshare vehicles.
- Sound Transit: They operate the Tacoma Link light rail line and Sounder commuter buses. Their transportation covers various routes within and without cities and towns of the county.
Early booking on either transportation is always a safe play—nonetheless, it’s rare to miss on any of them considering the multiple alternatives.
Lifestyle
Pierce County is one of the admirable counties to stay or to visit in Washington. The general lifestyle is work, study, eat and enjoy. There are plenty of socio-economic amenities and facilities here that fully support the daily living standards.
Both native and international foods are available at various restaurants here. Clubs, hotels, hospitals, schools, and ports are major facilities that add value to residents.
Traveling around the cities and towns of this precious county is always much accessible same to other communication lines.
Most attractive features in Pierce County
A key landmark in Pierce County is Mount Rainier. It is not only the tallest but a volcano positioned in the Cascade Range.
Its activity was in between the years 1820 and 1854. The geologists show no signs of erupting again; however, chances are still available. The anticipated risks attached to this would involve lava, lahars, or pyroclastic flows to the surrounding area causing health risks and other physical damages. Nonetheless, the Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System established in 1998 takes a change of risk communication based on eruption possibilities. One of their actions has been evacuating residents of the Puyallup River valley.