The Redmond Chamber of Commerce strives to provide the most current material available in response to your requests. This general information section is designed to answer the most frequently asked questions about our area.
Quick Links: Employment; Business License Information; Emergency Services; Government; Geography/History; Libraries; Recreation & Culture; Transportation; Licensing Information; Utilities & General Information Numbers; Additional Resources
Incorporation
December 31, 1912
Size of Redmond
Encompasses an area of over 16.85 square miles.
Climate
Annual Mean Temperature: 52.8 degrees
Annual precipitation: 35.50 inches
Elevation
At City Center is 50 feet.
Population
approximately 51,890 in 2009
16th largest municipality in the state of Washington
7th largest municipality in King County
Median Household Income
Median Household Income: $78,000
Median Home Sales Price
Median Home Sales Price (February 2007): $499,975
Rentals
The average two-bedroom, two-bath apartment in Redmond rents for $1,055, which compares with the Eastside average of $1,011 and is above King/Pierce/Snohomish County's average of $832.
Property Tax Information
Retail Sales Tax: 9.5%
Education Statistics
With 53 schools and nearly 25,000 students, the Lake Washington School District #414, the school district for the city of Redmond, Sammamish and Kirkland combined, is one of the largest in the state. Scores on standardized tests place the district in the state's top 10 percent.
Number of public schools in the city limits: 9
--Elementary: 6
--Junior High: 2
--High School: 1
Number of students in city limits (10/07): 5,545
--Elementary: 2,640
--Junior High: 1,549
--High School: 1,355
--Family Learning Center (K-12): 230
--Stella Schola 90 (6-8)
Lake Washington School District #414
16250 NE 74th Street
Redmond, WA 98052
425-702-3200
A breakdown of diversity statistics according to the 2000 Census
White: 76%
Asian or Pacific Islander: 13%
Hispanic or Latino: 6%
Two or more races: 3%
Native American or other: 1%
Afro-American: 1%
Other key data
51% of Redmond residents have bachelor degrees
21% of Redmond residents are foreign born
14% of Redmond residents are not American citizens
Employment
Nearly half of all jobs in Redmond - which has a workforce of more than 85,775 people - are in the high-tech and financial services sector, stemming from strong housing market and the number of large corporations that have located all or part of their corporate operations in Redmond.
One of the nation's largest companies, Microsoft, is Redmond's largest employer. More than 25,000 full-time employees are assigned to the software giant's Redmond campus.
But Redmond is no longer dependant on one or two large employers - or even a small number of industries - to support its economic foundation. The diverse employment base is at the center stage of this sturdy economic base. The fundamental strengths in the resources and industries central to the Pacific Northwest - high technology, biotechnology, medical devices, manufacturing, telecommunications, and aerospace - all have a strong presence in the city.
High profile employers in Redmond include AT&T, Honeywell International Inc., and Data I/O Corporation. Eight of the 16 bio-medical companies based in the Puget Sound region call Redmond home, including ICOS, Alidex, Inc. and Medtronic/Physio-Control Corporation. Genie Industries employs more than 3,000 people at its headquarters and manufacturing facility on the east side of Redmond.
The Largest Employers in Redmond
Microsoft Corporation (includes M S N B C & Placeware)
AT & T Wireless
Genie Industries
Volt Technical Resources, LLC
Group Health Cooperative Hospital
Medtronic Emergency Response Systems
Honeywell International, Inc.
Nintendo of America Inc.
Eurest Dining Services
United Parcel Service
Advanced Digital Information Corp.
T T M Technologies
Aerojet
Siemens Business Services
American Building Maintenance
Interpoint
Concur Technologies
Zetron Inc.
Number of Active Business Licenses in Redmond (12/31/2008)
5,310
Number of FTE's (full-time equivalents) working in Redmond (12/31/2005)
(includes outside contractors, consultants coming to Redmond to do business)
82,073
Business License Information
State of Washington: 360-664-1400
King County: 206-296-3504
City of Redmond: 425-556-2193
Better Business Bureau : 206-431-2222
Emergency Services
The Greater Redmond area is served by 9-1-1 Center for Ambulance, Fire, Police and King County Sheriff emergencies. Air Life is also available.
Police
The Redmond Police Department is committed to "providing quality policing in partnership with the community." Please visit the following website for a customer service printable brochure about the Redmond Police Department.
Note: The Redmond Police customer service brochure is a PDF file. Viewing this file requires the free Adobe ® Acrobat ® Reader Software. Click the "Get Acrobat Reader" button to download this free software from Adobe.
Fire Department
The Redmond Fire Department responds to fire and medical emergencies within a 45-square-mile area that includes the City of Redmond and the surrounding area of unincorporated King County known as King County Fire Protection District 34.
Government
Redmond has a solid Mayor/Council, non-partisan government. The Mayor and seven council members are elected directly by the people for staggered, four-year terms, and each official represents the community at large.
Mayor's Office
Mayor's Office, 4NEX
City of Redmond
15670 N.E. 85th Street
PO Box 97010
Redmond, Washington 98073-9710
King County is divided into 9 districts, with districts 3 and 6 serving the Redmond area. The King County Courthouse is located in Seattle.
The capitol of Washington State is in Olympia, where the State Legislature meets annually beginning in early January. Redmond residents elect state senators and representatives in the 45th and 48th legislative districts. In Washington D.C., the 1st and 8th Congressional districts represent the Redmond area.
Geography
Redmond is bordered by Kirkland to the west, Bellevue to the southwest, and Sammamish to the southeast. Unincorporated King County lies to the north and to the east. The city is situated on the north end of Lake Sammamish, with the Sammamish River running through its center.
Redmond is located at 47°40'10" North, 122°7'26" West
History
The City of Redmond sits in a fertile basin created by ancient glaciers that once covered much of King County. Thousands of years before the first fur trappers entered the area's dense forests, the rich bottomland of the Sammamish Valley provided shelter and food for the local Indians. These Native Americans gave assistance and friendship to the newcomers who were largely of European descent. For fifty years after the first settlers arrived, the abundance of dog salmon in the Squak Slough, or Sammamish River, was so great that men were said to rake the fish from the water, and thus, the frontier settlement that eventually came to be called Redmond was first known as Salmonberg.
With its independent economic and cultural heritage of logging and agriculture, Redmond has never been a bedroom community to Seattle, but from the days of the earliest steamboats and local horse-drawn stagecoaches, the natural progression of better roads and dependable transportation has facilitated the City's growth. Although Redmond is keenly challenged by its own success at present, its residents have a long tradition of community pride, participation, and pioneer resourcefulness.
For more information, please visit the Redmond Historical Society's website.
Libraries
Redmond Regional Library
15990 N.E. 85th * Redmond 98052
425-885-1861 * TTY 425-895-7951
Monday - Thursday 10am-9pm; Friday 10am-6pm;
Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 1pm-9pm
Recreation & Culture
There is much to see and do in Redmond and the surrounding area. As for leisure, Redmond offers a multitude of attractions to suit all tastes and budgets. Redmond's community identity as the Bicycle Capital of the Northwest is represented with the penny-farthing on a sign that welcomes visitors. Redmond's bicycle heritage includes its long-standing summer Derby Days celebration featuring a bicycle derby, a Velodrome for summer races, and many miles of trails. The 21 City Parks include a working farm as well as a beach on Lake Sammamish. Find out more here.
Transportation
Redmond is served by State Routes 520, 908 and 202, providing Redmond residents with quick access to the Eastside communities of Bellevue and Kirkland as well as the Evergreen Point Bridge for the commute into Seattle. SR 520 also connects with Interstate 405, which runs along the east side of Lake Washington. Interstate 405 connects with Interstate 5 in Renton to the south and Lynnwood in the north.
Metro Transit and Sound Transit offer local and express service from Redmond to hubs of employment on the Eastside and downtown Seattle. Major Park-and-Ride lots are located in downtown Redmond, east Redmond, and in the Overlake area. Carpool and vanpool information are available through Metro by calling 206-625-RIDE.
Depending on the weather, as many as 2,000 people ride their bicycles to work in Redmond, with Metro buses providing special bike racks for cyclists. There are more than 28 miles of designated bike paths on the Eastside, about 20 miles of on-street bike lanes, and more than 90 miles of bike routes across the region.
Transportation Information:
| Metro Bus Service: | 206-553-3000 |
| Car Pooling & Van Pooling: | 206-625-4500 |
| SoundTransit Express Bus Service: | 888-869-6368 |
| Lee Johnson Auto License: | 425-828-4661 |
| Bel-Red Auto Licensing: | 425-747-0444 |
| Department of Motor Vehicles | |
| 10639 NE 68th, Kirkland | 206-553-3000 |
| 525-156th Avenue SE, Bellevue | 425-649-4281 |
| Emissions Testing | |
| 18610 NE 67th Court, Redmond | 425-882-3317 |
| SoundTransit Express Bus Service: | 888-869-6368 |
| Lee Johnson Auto License: | 425-828-4661 |
| Bel-Red Auto Licensing: | 425-747-0444 |
| Electricity/Natural Gas: Puget Sound Energy |
888-225-5773 |
| Telephone: Verizon |
800-483-4100 |
| Cable TV: Comcast |
877-824-2288 |
| Water: Utility Billing: Sewer Repair: |
425-556-2152 425-556-2840 |
| Waste Management: Waste Management – SnoKing: Transfer Station/Landfill: Health Department: |
425-814-9240 206-296-6540 206-296-4920 |
| Recycling: Department of Ecology: King County Recycling: Redmond Recycling: |
800-RECYCLE 206-296-4466 425-556-2832 |
General Information:
| City Information: |
|
| Community Affairs: | 425-556-2408 |
| Emergencies: | 911 |
| Fire Department (Non-emergency): |
425-556-2200 |
| Police Department (Non-emergency): |
425-556-2500 |
| General Information: | |
| City of Redmond: | 425-556-2900 |
| Library: | 425-885-1861 |
| Mayor's Office: | 425-556-2101 |
| NE District Court: | 206-296-3667 |
| Pets & Licenses: | 206-296-7387 |
| Post Office: | 800-275-8777 |
| Redmond Community Center: | 425-556-2300 |
| Redmond Senior Center: | 425-556-2314 |
| Teen Center – Old Firehouse: | 425-556-2370 |
| Family Resource Center: | 425-869-6699 |
Puget Sound Regional Council - Regional data and publications on population, housing, economy and transportation in the central Puget Sound region.
Office of Financial Management - Provides estimates, forecasts, and reports on the state's population, demographic characteristics, economy, and state revenues.
Census Bureau - Census data for other states.
Consumer Price Index - Current and Historical CPI data for the U.S. and other major cities.
EconData.Net - Source of socioeconomic data for economic development analysis.
Washington Labor Market Information - Provides current employment information on Washington and its labor market areas.
State and County Tax Rates - Look up tax rates for the state of Washington and counties using GIS mapping and searching tools. Click on Tax Rate Look Up Tool.
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