Tacoma, Washington

The city of Tacoma serves as the administrative centre of Pierce County in the state of Washington, United States. It is a port city that is located in Washington's Puget Sound, 32 miles (51 km) southwest of Seattle, 31 miles (50 km) northeast of Olympia, which is the capital of the state, and 58 miles (93 km) northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. According to the census completed in 2020, the population was 219,346. Tacoma is the city with the second-largest population in the Puget Sound region and the third-largest population in the state. In addition to this, Tacoma is the hub of commercial activity for the South Sound area, which has a total population of over one million people.

Tacoma was given its name in honour of Mount Rainier, which was known in the area by its original name, Takhoma or Tahoma. Because it was selected to be the western end of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 19th century, the region is often referred to as the "City of Destiny" by those who live there. The nearby deep-water port at Tacoma, which is called Commencement Bay, had a role in the choice that the railroad made. The city of Tacoma adopted its slogan, "When rails meet sails," when it completed the connection between the port and the train. The Port of Tacoma, the biggest port in Washington state and a hub for international commerce on the Pacific Coast, receives its cargo from Commencement Bay. The collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940 brought the city to national attention, and it became known by the moniker "Galloping Gertie."

Tacoma had a sustained decline throughout the middle of the 20th century due to suburbanization and divestment, much like the majority of other industrial towns. The central business district of Tacoma has been through a phase of renovation since the 1990s. The University of Washington Tacoma, Line T (formerly known as Tacoma Link), the first modern electric light rail service in the state, the state's highest density of art and history museums, and a restored urban waterfront in the form of the Thea Foss Waterway are some of the developments that have taken place in the downtown area.