The Eastside is the collective term for the highly independent, affluent eastern King County. It is comprised of 19 incorporated cities and unincorporated suburban and rural communities. The name derives from the fact that these communities all lie to the east of Lake Washington, except for Mercer Island, which lies within the lake itself. Its independent spirit is manifest in the two attempts in the recent past to secede from King County.

From the Cascade Mountains’ western foothills to an industrious high-tech and retail corridor, King County’s Eastside offers a range of communities. Bellevue is the hub city of the Eastside with a well developed highrise downtown, renowned arts community and world class schools and infrastructure. Redmond is a rapidly growing suburb that is the worldwide headquarters of Microsoft. Artsy lakefront Kirkland is the lakeside neighbor to both Bellevue and Redmond. Upscale Mercer Island is more residential, as are Newcastle, Issaquah and Sammamish. Just beyond, ascending into the fir-green Cascades are the hamlets of Snoqualmie Valley and North Bend.

In the mountain’s valleys, lush farmland surrounds Carnation, just outside suburban Woodinville and Bothell, a blend of business parks and quiet cul-de-sacs. The climate in the lowlands is temperate with the winter temperature lows averaging about 40° and the precipitation about five inches per month. In the summer the temperature averages around 70° and the precipitation about one inch per month. Home to world-class restaurants, eye-popping museums, renowned zoos, theaters, lakes, rivers, trails, shopping, and galleries, the Eastside is connected west to Seattle by two floating bridges, SR 520 and I-90. It is also served by the north to south corridor, I-405, a loop route of Interstate 5 that runs to the east of Lake Washington from Tukwila to Lynnwood.

As major American technology center Eastside is home to many large high-tech companies, including Microsoft, T-Mobile USA, Nintendo, AT&T Wireless, Alltel, Vulcan Ventures, Expedia.com. Companies like Boeing, Verizon Wireless, Google, Walt Disney, and FOX Sports also have major divisional or regional offices in the Eastside. It is also a hub for biotech and medical companies including Amgen, Icos, and Merck. Many local magnates, including Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Ballmer, John Staton, and Craig McCaw, live in the Eastside’s more exclusive suburbs. Many of the area’s most affluent neighborhoods lie on the Eastside, including Mercer Island and the “Gold Coast” communities.