Neighborhoods in Seattle - Annexations

Annexations

Seattle annexed eight municipalities between 1905 and 1910, nearly doubling the area size of the city. Annexations by law were begun by the annexee and had to be approved by the Seattle City Council. The appeal of the inexpensive and accessible electric power and water system services of the public utilities were the primary motivations for the annexation movements.

Ballard was its own incorporated town for 17 years, annexed as its own ward. West Seattle incorporated in 1902, then annexed Spring Hill, Riverside, Alki Point, and Youngstown districts. It was the largest of the incorporated towns to be annexed. Southeast Seattle merged the towns of Hillman City and York with other Rainier Valley neighborhoods, then incorporated for the only reason of being annexed. Similarly, the town of South Seattle consisted of mostly industrial Duwamish Valley neighborhoods (except Georgetown); one enclave adjacent to Georgetown omitted at this time was annexed 1921; some land near the river in this area remains part of unincorporated King County. In 1910 Georgetown was the last of this sequence of small incorporated cities and towns to be annexed to Seattle before the 1954 annexation of Lake City.

The following previously incorporated cites and towns were annexed by Seattle. This list is in order of annexation. Other areas annexed to Seattle, were unincorporated before annexation. Examples of the latter include the northern part of Queen Anne Hill, the University District, and the northern aread of the city that were once part of then-unincorporated Shoreline.

• Town of South Seattle, incorporated 1905, annexed 20 October 1905.
• City of Columbia (Columbia City), incorporated 1892, annexed 3 May 1907
• Town of Ravenna, incorporated 1906, annexed 15 January 1907
• Southeast Seattle—Hillman City, York, and other Rainier Valley neighorhoods except Columbia City—incorporated July 1906, annexed 7 January 1907
• Town of South Park, incorporated 1902, annexed 3 May 1907.
• City of Ballard, incorporated January 1890, annexed 29 May 1907
• City of West Seattle, incorporated April 1902, annexed 24 July 1907
• City of Georgetown, incorporated 1904, annexed 4 April 1910
• Lake City, incorporated township 1949, annexed January 1954