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Tacoma, WA

Tacoma, Washington
City
City of Tacoma
Tacoma skyline and I-705 from the East 34th Street Bridge.jpg
Flag of Tacoma, Washington
Flag
Official seal of Tacoma, Washington
Seal
Nickname(s): City of Destiny, Grit City
Location of Tacoma in Pierce County and Washington State
Location of Tacoma in
Pierce County and Washington State
Tacoma, Washington is located in the US
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 47°14′29″N 122°27′34″W / 47.24139°N 122.45944°W / 47.24139; -122.45944Coordinates: 47°14′29″N 122°27′34″W / 47.24139°N 122.45944°W / 47.24139; -122.45944
Country United States
State Washington
County Pierce
Incorporated November 12, 1875
Government
 • Type Council-manager
 • Mayor Marilyn Strickland (D)
Area
 • City 62.34 sq mi (161.46 km2)
 • Land 49.72 sq mi (128.77 km2)
 • Water 12.62 sq mi (32.69 km2)
Elevation 243 ft (74 m)
Population (2010)
 • City 198,397
 • Estimate (2015) 207,948
 • Rank US: 106th
 • Density 3,990.3/sq mi (1,540.7/km2)
 • Metro 3,733,580 (US: 15th)
Demonym(s) Tacoman (plural: Tacomans)
Time zone PST (UTC−8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC−7)
ZIP codes
Area code 253
FIPS code 53-70000
GNIS feature ID 1512713
Website www.cityoftacoma.org

Tacoma (/təˈkmə/ tə-KOH-mə) is a mid-sized urban port city in and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, 32 miles (51 km) southwest of Seattle, 31 miles (50 km) northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and 58 miles (93 km) northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to the 2010 census. Tacoma is the second-largest city in the Puget Sound area and the third largest in the state. Tacoma also serves as the center of business activity for the South Sound region, which has a population of around 1 million people.

Tacoma adopted its name after the nearby Mount Rainier, originally called Takhoma or Tahoma. It is locally known as the "City of Destiny" because the area was chosen to be the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 19th century. The decision of the railroad was influenced by Tacoma's neighboring deep-water harbor, Commencement Bay. By connecting the bay with the railroad, Tacoma's motto became "When rails meet sails." Today, Commencement Bay serves the Port of Tacoma, a center of international trade on the Pacific Coast and Washington State's largest port.


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