5 Fun Facts About Seattle

Sure it’s fun brushing up on where to dine, what to do, and sights to see when planning your Seattle vacation. That’s half the fun of any trip. Seattle holds a wealth of interesting color, history, and information you may have never known. Here are a few fun facts that will make you feel like a local when you visit.

They’re Living in a Book-Lover’s Paradise

Seattle is the most literate city in the United States, and boasts not only the most book stores per capita, but the most libraries and library card-holders as well. If you’ve ever been accused of being a bookworm, these are your people.

We Built This City…On Another City

The Great Fire of 1889 wiped out most of the Emerald City, but being the industrious folk they are, Seattleites just built it again. They raised the street level and started over. The coolest part? If you take the Underground Tour you can still see parts of the old city. So why did they raise the street level? The Seattle sewer system flowed with the tides, which meant that at certain times of the day toilets operated more like fountains. While not necessarily a blessing, rebuilding after the fire allowed for Seattle to become more industrialized.

It’s Not as Rainy as You Hear

While it’s touted as being rainy all the time, Seattle actually sees less annual rainfall than the cities of Chicago, Houston, and New York City. Maybe even more surprisingly, residents of the city purchase more sunglasses per capita than any other city in the United States.

They’re Green and Healthy

Seattle has the most bikers in the US, and we don’t mean the leather-clad kind, either. More people ride their bikes to work here than in any other city. They were also the first to put cops on bicycles. The Pike Place Farmers Market is the longest continuously running farmer’s market in the country, making it the ideal place to purchase fresh fish and produce.

Seattle is Just the Most (and Sometimes the First)

Seattle boasts the most residents of houseboats in the world, and the largest houseboat population outside of Asia. The first gas station in the world opened on East Marginal Way. It was also the first US city to play a Beatles song on the radio. It’s the Northernmost city with a population over half a million. The restaurant atop the Space Needle was the first revolving restaurant in the country.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience.
By using this site, you agree to all cookies in accordance with ourCookie Policy