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Federal Way, Washington

Located between Seattle and Tacoma along I-5, Federal Way takes its name from Federal Highway 99 — the old Pacific Highway. Once a quiet logging area, it boomed in the 1960s-80s with the opening of Weyerhaeuser's headquarters and the SeaTac Mall, becoming one of Washington's largest cities.
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Founded 1929 | Population 101,000 | Peak 101,000 (2024) | County King County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Federal Way, Washington

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1929 Named: The community was named for Federal Highway 99, the main road connecting Seattle and Tacoma.
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1968 Weyerhaeuser HQ: Weyerhaeuser, one of the world's largest timber companies, moved its headquarters to Federal Way.
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1975 SeaTac Mall: SeaTac Mall (later The Commons at Federal Way) opened, establishing the city as a retail center.
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1990 Incorporated: Federal Way incorporated as a city, becoming the 6th largest in Washington.
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2007 Performing Arts Center: The Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center enhanced the city's cultural offerings.
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Latest News in Federal Way

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Complete Historical Timeline

1929 Transport
Named
1968 Business
Weyerhaeuser HQ
1975 Business
SeaTac Mall
1990 Government
Incorporated
2007 Culture
Performing Arts Center

Did You Know?

1
Named for Federal Highway 99, not the federal government.
2
Sits midway between Seattle and Tacoma.
3
Weyerhaeuser, one of the world's largest timber companies, was headquartered here.
4
Federal Way is located in King County, Washington.
5
Federal Way was founded in 1929.

Famous People from Federal Way, Washington

JM
Jaden McDaniels
Basketball Player · Born Sep 29, 2000 · Age 25
AK
Ariana Kukors
Swimmer · Born Jun 1, 1989 · Age 36
KR
Kelyn Rowe
Association Football Player · Born Dec 2, 1991 · Age 34
SK
Sam Kim
Singer, Songwriter · Born Feb 19, 1998 · Age 28
MM
Michael McGrady
Actor, Television Actor · Born Mar 30, 1960 · Age 65

Other Cities in Washington

View all Washington cities →
S
Seattle
Pop. 737,015
T
Tacoma
Pop. 232,425
S
Spokane
Pop. 231,311
V
Vancouver
Pop. 202,846
B
Bellevue
Pop. 155,672
K
Kent
Pop. 136,588
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