Issaquah Chamber of Commerce: Business, Community, and Chamber Information

Many Faces, One Heart

New neighbors from around the globe are discovering Issaquah’s incomparable combination of urban sophistication with small-town charm.

With Lake Sammamish for a front porch and backyard foothills framing Mount Rainier, Issaquah shares its verdant valley with bald eagles, great blue herons, and thousands of spawning salmon. Parks and trails provide abundant access to the natural world, while a technology-infused blend of business opportunities connects Issaquah to commerce.

Historic Front Street and the Civic Center are the vibrant heart of this hometown along with the best amenities of commerce and culture such as –

Innovative arts
Fine dining
Historic treasures
Extreme sports
Unique shops
A bounty of natural wonders

Business is Brisk

Issaquah has established itself unequivocally as a prime Northwest business location, attracting a mix of high tech firms, retail giants, and small business.

Issaquah is strategically located just 17 miles east of Seattle along the Interstate 90 business corridor.
Approximately 40 percent of the State of Washington’s six million people are located within a 40-mile radius of Issaquah, providing an expansive market for commerce.
Issaquah is located in close proximity to the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, with access to the Pacific Rim.

Issaquah Highlands, a Port Blakely Community, is one of the fastest-selling urban villages in the region. This award winning community has the following amenities –

All new homes meet Built Green™ standards and are certified ENERGY STAR® or equivalent.
Tree-lined streets and trails connect community parks, playgrounds, and Blakely Hall Community Center with 1,400 acres of permanently preserved open space.
A new fire station and elementary school.
A 1,000-car park-and-ride garage with express transit to Seattle.
A High Street shopping area with a hotel, high-end grocery, cinema, and office space are in the planning stages. Currently there are restaurants, a coffee shop, and dry cleaning, among other retail businesses.

East Lake Sammamish Center has transformed a former gravel pit into a major business complex just off Interstate 90. The development stretches up the south end of the Sammamish Plateau with glorious-view town homes, apartments and a new office building.

Pickering Place blends the charm of an historic dairy farm into professional office space, retail shops, restaurants, and a multi-screen cinema. At the heart of the center, a waterfowl refuge borders the offices of Costco international headquarters. More than 2,900 of its 136,000 employees work at the corporate facilities in Issaquah, managing the warehouse club’s 513 warehouses, 49 million members, and $60.2 billion in operating revenue in eight countries.

Historic Pickering Barn plays host to the Issaquah Public Market, offering local farm produce and specialty foods. Issaquah has attracted other high-tech industry leaders such as Microsoft Corporation and Siemens Medical Systems. Siemens Medical Systems is one of the largest suppliers of health care equipment in the world. Known primarily for its ultrasound technology, Siemens continues to develop innovative medical diagnostic tools, and is one of Issaquah’s larger employers. Swedish Medical Center operates a 24-hour free-standing emergency room near Lake Sammamish State Park, and Overlake Medical Center of Issaquah opened an Urgent Care Center in the north part of town.

At the western gateway to Issaquah, Rowley Properties has developed a 620,000-square-foot office/lodging business park, called Hyla Crossing.

Hyla Crossing includes Class-A office space, high-tech facilities and the new Hilton-Garden Inn. Interwoven with ponds, a salmon stream and native plants, the 46 acres of Hyla Crossing celebrates both industry and nature. The Hilton Garden Inn Seattle/Issaquah offers business travelers and visitors 177 guest rooms, banquet and meeting facilities, heated indoor pool, whirlpool, fitness room, and views of Cougar Mountain and Lake Sammamish. Tree-lined Gilman Boulevard is a bustling center for shops, offices, galleries and specialty boutiques, as well as a hub for favorite antique shops, medical facilities, sporting goods, clothing, and dining establishments. Gilman Village, a picturesque collection of 19th-century buildings from historic Issaquah, continues to attract shoppers for unique boutique shopping and dining.

The Issaquah Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Information Center are located on Gilman Boulevard in the beautifully restored historic farmhouse known as the Alexander House.

The irresistible Boehm’s Candies, a famous chocolate factory known worldwide for its award-winning hand-dipped confections, has attracted thousands of visitors annually to Issaquah since 1956. The manicured grounds are graced with fountains, a replica of a 12th-century alpine chapel, and the Swiss-style Edelweiss Chalet, which was the home of founder Julius Boehm.

Along Front Street, historic downtown Issaquah combines art galleries, restaurants, the 1900s Issaquah History Museums, and the WestFarm Foods creamery (formerly Darigold). The historic buildings, regionally known restaurants, generations of local merchants, and seasonal plantings reflect the close-knit community spirit of Issaquah.

Public Places

Issaquah’s Civic Center is perfectly placed in the old downtown. The four-block Rainier Avenue civic corridor, extending from the Issaquah Community Center to Memorial Field Park, includes City Hall, the Julius Boehm Swimming Pool, the Issaquah Valley Senior Center, Trails Center, and the historic Railroad Depot. Just a block away, the open-beamed public library fits seamlessly into the landscape.

The Issaquah Community Center offers year-round programming and activities for all ages. Among the offerings are preschool care, after-school youth programs, recreational and exercise classes, league activities, computer facilities, career counseling, and space for meetings and events, classes, lectures and exhibits.

Issaquah is making new regional connections with a number of transportation improvements. The Sunset Interchange and Sammamish Plateau Access Road provide fast and efficient access to the north side of town. New park-and-ride facilities in Issaquah Highlands and Sammamish link these growing communities to Seattle via express bus service. An expanded transit center is under construction at the western gateway to Issaquah. By 2008, a new road will connect commercial centers on the north and south sides of Issaquah across Interstate 90 via an underpass route now in development.

Living in Issaquah

Recent annexations and development of urban villages has boosted the population of Issaquah to more than 20,000. Next door, the City of Sammamish, incorporated in August of 1999, is now home to 38,640 residents and two commercial centers along the busy corridor between Issaquah and Redmond. New residential developments continue to add to the diversity of housing options in Issaquah, from high-density urban apartments to luxury homes on acreage, and everything in between.

Talus is a new 630-acre Issaquah master-planned community located just a mile from Interstate 90 on the west side of the valley. Currently under development, Talus combines urban proximity and amenities with instant access to a 20,000-acre public park system on Cougar Mountain. Neighborhoods offer a mix of apartments, town homes, single-family homes, and custom estates. A Talus business center will include up to 500,000 square feet of commercial office space, and 50,000 square feet of retail and common facilities. Its mountain-village design provides a seamless transition between commercial and residential areas. Trails connect residents to historic landmarks, nature-learning centers, and other recreational sites, as well as 200 miles of public green space and trails within the Issaquah Alps.

A Cultural Center

An abundance of cultural, historical and natural treasures defines Issaquah. The city, the Issaquah Chamber, and community groups actively support these treasures that enrich Issaquah as a place to live, work and visit.

Celebrating its 29th season, Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the popular Mainstage season, Village Originals has won national acclaim as one of the few programs dedicated to new musicals and the continued vitality of this truly American art form. KIDSTAGE and Pied Piper youth education programs serve more than 36,000 young people annually through classes and performance opportunities, as well as a full season of quality children’s programming featuring nationally and internationally renowned theatre, dance and music groups. It is no wonder these offerings make Village Theatre one of the top ten performing arts organizations in Washington.

The City Arts Commission sponsors numerous fine art exhibits and events, such as the rotating sculpture installation in the Rainier Corridor. Annual Downtown Art Walks give the community a chance to meet and celebrate many talented local artists.

Colorful murals give a vivid look into Issaquah’s past. The History of Dairying in the Issaquah Valley was completed in 1995 on the wall of WestFarm Foods creamery, formerly known as Darigold.

In 1997, Larry Kangas completed a mural near the center of downtown depicting The History of Logging in Issaquah.

Issaquah’s historic Railroad Depot was restored in 1994, displaying rail memorabilia and early photographs of Issaquah. It also has space available for special events. The Gilman Town Hall Museum is located in a small building downtown that housed the original Town Hall until 1928. The museum’s treasures include artifacts and photos from pioneer families, and a two-cell jail dating back to 1914.

Hailstone Feed Store and Shell gas station on Front Street, restored to its 1940s glory, is a tribute to Issaquah’s motoring history on the route to Snoqualmie Pass.

The Issaquah Valley Trolley is a unique and timely project of the Issaquah History Museums, utilizing the abandoned Burlington Northern rail line that was acquired by the City of Issaquah. The organization has obtained three historic trolleys and grant funds to refurbish equipment. Following fundraising efforts and renovation of the trolleys and tracks, the trolley project will offer regular rides on the old mile-long track through the middle of town for a one-of-a-kind tour.

Keeping the Salmon Coming Home

Each fall, the Washington State Salmon Hatchery in the center of historic downtown overflows with visitors awed by the spectacular return of the salmon to Issaquah Creek. It is the most-visited hatchery in the state and provides year-round information about the miraculous life cycle of the salmon. The state’s only hatchery in an urban setting, the Issaquah facility offers up-close observation of chinook, coho and sockeye salmon returning from the Pacific Ocean and spawning in the gravel of the creek bed.

Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (F.I.S.H.) have worked to preserve and develop the hatchery, and to educate students throughout the region. This non-profit citizens’ coalition works directly with local, state, Native American and environmental groups to enhance public awareness about habitat protection.

Outdoor Abundance

Issaquah is surrounded by 200 miles of gentle and rugged hiking trails established by members of the Issaquah Alps Trail Club. Within minutes of downtown Issaquah, hikers can leave behind urban stress for delightful forest adventures on Cougar Mountain, Squak Mountain and Tiger Mountain, commonly known as the Issaquah Alps. Paragliders have discovered the perfect launch spot at Poo Poo Point, a cliff at the 1,800-foot level on the west side of Tiger Mountain. On summer weekends, dozens of thrill-seekers arrive at the landing zone along Issaquah-Hobart Road just south of town, and hike or drive to the top to launch themselves into the atmosphere.

Swimmers, water skiers, boaters, anglers and picnic enthusiasts enjoy nearby Lake Sammamish State Park. Snow skiers, snowboarders and sledders flock to Snoqualmie Pass ski areas – just 30 minutes east. World-famous Snoqualmie Falls with its spectacular vistas and easy walking trails is just minutes away.

Most recently, Issaquah recreation opportunities now are connected to Seattle via the East Lake Sammamish Trail. The regional trail for joggers, walkers and cyclists uses the former Burlington Northern Railroad grade along the lakeshore, connecting Lake Sammamish State Park with the Burke-Gilman Trail at Marymoor Park in Redmond. Development of a connector with the Issaquah-Preston Trail is underway.

The Cougar Mountain Zoological Park specializes in threatened and endangered species such as macaws, Siberian reindeer and lemurs, in addition to local wildlife such as cougars. It also serves as a unique teaching zoo. The scenic and natural habitats provide an excellent environment for education, research, captive breeding, conservation, recreation and exhibition.

Community Celebrations

The aquatic visitors start arriving around Labor Day, thrashing and digging in the shallow waters of Issaquah Creek. From bridges and backyards, residents gauge the arrival of fall with the return of the magnificent chinook salmon, some of them weighing in at well over 30 pounds. A few weeks later, the smaller high-leaping coho arrive, along with the bright red sockeye, each angling for a patch of gravel where they can lay their eggs. Issaquah celebrates this remarkable odyssey with the annual Issaquah Salmon Days Festival, the city’s most treasured event. More than 125,000 visitors flock
to town during the free two-day event, which serves as the Chamber members’ primary fund-raising activity. The focus for promotion of Issaquah’s image is as a family-oriented town committed to cultural growth and environmental preservation and education.

Presented the first full weekend of October since 1970 and free to the public, some of Salmon Days Festival highlights this year include:

300 artists and crafters, many featuring salmon-related arts
Field of Fun giant children’s area
Grande Parade
Foods of the World
Entertainment on four stages
Kiwanis Salmon Barbecue
Rotary 5/10K Run
Salmon Open Golf Tournament
60 local non-profit and service organizations

The Issaquah Salmon Days Festival has been recognized for its outstanding promotional and marketing campaigns with numerous national and international awards.

Summer Activities in Issaquah

May – September

Art Walks, sponsored by the Downtown Issaquah Association, features regional artists, music and entertainment throughout historic downtown Issaquah.
Farmers Market at Pickering Farm

June

Tastin’ and Racin’ limited hydroplane races on Lake Sammamish, headquartered at Lake Sammamish State Park.
Mountains to Sound Greenway Days encourages participation in outdoor activities along the 100-mile Greenway.

July

Down Home Fourth of July and Heritage Festival is like a walk back in time. The annual event features Kids, Pets ‘n Pride Parade with costumed children on decorated bikes and wagons accompanied by a menagerie of cuddly creatures, old-fashioned games and races, historic activities, and a Pie-Eating Contest.
Tuesday evenings, starting in July, throughout the summer are dedicated to outdoor concerts, as families gather (rain or shine) to eat, dance and socialize on the Community Center lawn.

August

Two of Issaquah’s favorite tastes complement each other perfectly at the Chamber’s annual Chocolate, Wine and All That Jazz event, at Boehm’s Candies Alpine Chapel grounds.
Triple XXX Car Shows held many weekends throughout the year at the last remaining 1950s-style Triple XXX Root Beer restaurant in the United States.

Quality Education is a Core Value

Over the last ten years, the Issaquah School District has earned voter support for more than $150 million in modernization and new construction projects – necessary because of dramatic growth in that decade. Today, over 15,000 students attend four high schools, a freshman campus, four expanded middle schools, and 13 elementary schools.

Strong community support for students and schools has solidified Issaquah as a district with modern, efficient, and cost-effective schools, high student performance, exemplary staff, and a straightforward goal of well-rounded acadamia.

Issaquah has a strong relationship with Bellevue Community College (BCC), located less than ten minutes away. BCC is the state’s largest community college, serving 19,000 students. Issaquah residents also have easy access to Renton Technical College, Lake Washington Technical College in Kirkland, City University in Bellevue, a branch of the University of Washington in Bothell, and several other main and branch campuses of area colleges and universities.

Private schools located in Issaquah include Cougar Mountain Academy, Sunnybrook Montessori, and St. Joseph’s Catholic School.

A Diverse
and Colorful History

The only thing certain about the long-debated origin of the name Issaquah is that it’s a Native American term. It is said that migratory peoples gathering food in and around Lake Sammamish would imitate the sound of local waterfowl squawking while taking flight. The name appears to be an Anglicized version of the Native American’s spoken word isquoh, meaning the sound of the birds.

The town originally was incorporated under the name Gilman, honoring Daniel Hunt Gilman who was responsible for bringing the railroad to the area in 1889. It wasn’t until 1899 that the town requested permission from the Washington Legislature to change the name to Issaquah.

In 1862, L.B. Andrews located outcroppings of coal along Issaquah Creek, and the area soon became a center for mining, farming and
lumber-jacking.

After Issaquah’s incorporation in 1899, the first 70 ordinances passed dealt with liquor, wandering animals, and unruly public officials. Tiny Issaquah boasted between ten and 12 saloons during those days.
Despite the steady growth, Issaquah remained a relatively isolated community until the 1940 opening of the Lake Washington floating bridge. Before 1940, the population fluctuated between 500 and 1,000. By 1962 Issaquah had 2,000 residents, and by 1968 it jumped to more than 3,500.

Issaquah’s history and heritage are prominently visible among longtime residents, annual celebrations, historic landmarks, and the many streets named for local trees, early settlers, prominent citizens, and the Issaquah families who make this community a unique place.
Today Issaquah is located at the heart of King County, the 14th-largest county in the United States. Whether relocating a business or a family, or just searching for a weekend destination, Issaquah is the authentic and uncompromising face of the Great Northwest.

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