Statsraad Lehmkuhl visits Seattle, October 22–27, 2025
The story of Seattle is quite similar to that of the previous port, Vancouver in Canada, just a day’s sail further north through Puget Sound.
Good harbours
Indigenous peoples have lived in this region for thousands of years. Both cities offer excellent natural harbours, both were mapped by the British explorer George Vancouver at the end of the 18th century, both grew around the sawmill industry and mining in the latter half of the 19th century, and both were flooded with gold seekers for a few years - Vancouver during the 1858 gold rush, and Seattle during what became known as the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896.
The railway
Seattle and Vancouver each became the terminus for their own transcontinental railroads, Seattle in 1883 and Vancouver in 1886. The Canadian Pacific Railway runs coast to coast across Canada, north of the border, while the Northern Pacific Railway connects the coasts of the United States, south of the border.
In 1909, the two railway networks were linked, and today the train journey between the two cities takes only four hours.
Booms and busts
Seattle’s history has been shaped by dramatic economic ups and downs. The first boom came with the lumber industry - the first setbacks came with the fire that destroyed much of the city in 1889, followed by the depression of 1893. The gold rush brought the next wave of prosperity, turning Seattle into a key transport hub for people and goods bound for Alaska and the Yukon.
During World War I, shipbuilding expanded rapidly, but the boom turned to bust again during the Great Depression that struck the United States in 1929. World War II brought another period of growth, this time driven by the aerospace industry. The Boeing Company had its headquarters here until 2001.
A vital port
Today, Seattle is a major port, serving cargo ships crossing the Pacific, cruise ships bound for Alaska, and small passenger ferries linking the many islands and coastal towns of Puget Sound.
The city’s economy is a blend of traditional manufacturing and modern knowledge industries, and Seattle has become an important centre for education and culture.
Like Vancouver, Seattle has a large population of Asian descent, while more than 60 percent of its residents have European ancestry.
Earthquakes
On the far side of Puget Sound rise the Olympic Mountains, reaching 2,400 meters on the Olympic Peninsula, a vast nature reserve where large areas are covered in temperate rainforest.
The city itself is hilly and, like the rest of the Pacific coast, exposed to seismic activity. The last major earthquake struck in 2001, with a magnitude of 6.8, causing significant damage to both residential and industrial areas.
Just 95 kilometres south of the city rises Mount Rainier, a towering volcano that reaches 4,390 metres above sea level. Its proximity to Seattle makes it one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. The last major eruptions occurred between 1820 and 1854, and geologists fear that new eruptions may not be far off.
A mild climate
Seattle enjoys a mild, comfortable climate. In summer, maximum temperatures range between 20 and 25°C, while in winter they stay around 8 to 10°C. It rarely drops below -3 to -4°C.
Average annual precipitation is 999 millimeters, most of it falling as rain. Autumn and winter are the wettest seasons.
Normal maximum temperature in October: 15.8 °C
Normal rainfall in October: 99 mm