Olympia << oh LIHM pee uh >> (pop. 55,605; met. area pop. 294,793) is the capital of the state of Washington. An important port city, Olympia lies at the southern tip of Puget Sound.
Pioneers first settled the area in 1845. Edmund Sylvester founded Olympia in 1850. It became the capital of the Washington Territory when the territory was created in 1853. The city was incorporated in 1859. Olympia was named the state capital when Washington became a state in 1889. The city is the seat of Thurston County and has a council-manager form of government.
For hundreds of years, the Squaxin, Nisqually, Chehalis, Suquamish, and Duwamish people shared access to abundant shellfish and salmon in the area. Today, the Olympia oyster is an important local export.
Olympia began as a shipping center for the area’s products, including lumber, sandstone, coal, and grain. Over the years, lumber mills and fruit canneries developed, attracting new immigrants as workers.
Today, many Olympians work for the state government. The State Capitol sits on a bluff above Budd Inlet, south of downtown. Completed in 1927, the Capitol’s 287-foot (87-meter) white dome towers over the area.
Area schools include the Evergreen State College and St. Martin’s University. Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a combined U.S. Air Force and Army base, lies between Olympia and Tacoma.
In February 2001, a powerful earthquake struck western Washington. Olympia suffered much damage to property, including the State Capitol and other buildings in the city center.
In 2004, Olympia’s downtown became a national historic district. The Bigelow House Museum, home of the pioneer legislator Daniel R. Bigelow, is dedicated to Olympia’s early history.
