List of municipalities in Washington
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Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it is the 13th-most populous state, with Template:Nts inhabitants, and ranked 18th by land area, spanning Template:Convert of land.<ref name="2020Pop">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Washington is divided into 39 counties and contains 281 municipalities that are classified into cities and towns.<ref name="MRSC-2022">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Approximately Template:Percentage of the state's population lives in incorporated municipalities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The most populous municipality in Washington is Seattle with 737,015 residents, and the least populous municipality is Krupp with 49 residents.<ref name="2020Pop"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The state has ten cities with populations greater than 100,000 residents and sixteen with populations between 50,000 and 100,000 residents; the majority of cities have fewer than 5,000 residents.<ref name="AWC">Template:Cite web</ref> Seattle is also the largest municipality by land area, at Template:Convert, while Beaux Arts Village is the smallest at Template:Convert; both are located in King County.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> The oldest municipality is Steilacoom, which was incorporated in 1854;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the most recent municipality to incorporate was Spokane Valley in 2003.<ref name="MRSC-Forms">Template:Cite web</ref> Five municipalities have also been disincorporated with their governments dissolved; the most recent was Westlake in 1966.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The state has five categories for its 281 municipalities that vary based on population at the time of incorporation or reorganization. Template:As of, 197 are code cities, 10 are first-class cities, 5 are second-class cities, and 69 are towns; one city remains unclassified.<ref name="MRSC-2022"/> All municipalities have an elected city or town council and an executive—either a mayor or manager—to oversee administration of the government. The municipal government generally provides some emergency services, a court system, road maintenance, planning and permitting, parks and recreation, and some utilities.<ref name="AWC"/>
Classification of municipalities
There are four classifications for municipalities in the state of Washington: code city, first-class city, second-class city, and town. Municipalities can also be unclassified if they did not organize under these classifications. Each has their own powers and limitations that vary and are defined by state laws in Titles 35 and 35A of the Revised Code of Washington.<ref name="MRSC-Classification">Template:Cite web</ref> These powers include the ability to collect general taxes to fund municipal services and specialized taxes for specific uses; providing emergency services, urban planning, and water treatment among other services; and enforce laws passed by the city council.<ref name="AWC"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After Washington was admitted as a U.S. state in 1889, the state legislature created classifications for local municipalities, each with a population threshold.<ref name="MRSC-Handbook">Template:Cite web</ref> First-class and code cities with populations greater than 10,000 are authorized under the state constitution to adopt a charter that grants home rule powers at the local level.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:As of, Washington has ten first-class cities that are permitted to adopt and operate under a home rule charter; they are required to have a population of at least 10,000 residents at the time of their incorporation or reorganization. The state has five second-class cities that have limited authority and can only use powers granted by the state legislature; they are required to have at least 1,500 residents at the time of their incorporation or reorganization.<ref name="MRSC-Classification"/> There are 68 towns that also have a limited authority and had fewer than 1,500 residents at the time of their incorporation or reorganization. In 1994, the minimum population to incorporate a municipality was raised from 300 to 1,500 by the state legislature, which has prevented the creation of new towns.<ref name="MRSC-Classification"/><ref name="Lundin">Template:Cite book</ref>
The state legislature created another classification—the code city—in 1967 to grant greater control to cities, who sought expanded home rule authority to address complex issues as they urbanized. Template:As of, the state has 197 municipalities that are code cities—the most of any classification.<ref name="MRSC-2022"/> They are authorized to perform any function not specifically restricted in the state constitution or by state law. Any area with 1,500 residents is allowed to incorporate as a code city, and any code city with at least 10,000 residents are allowed to adopt a charter.<ref name="MRSC-Classification"/><ref name="Lundin"/> Existing cities and towns are allowed to reorganize as a code city if they meet the population threshold and the change is approved by voters.<ref name="MRSC-Classification"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:As of, one city remains unclassified—Waitsburg, in Walla Walla County—and continues to use the 1881 territorial charter under which it was organized.<ref name="MRSC-Classification"/> It is allowed to exercise the powers of a code city under a 2003 law passed by the state legislature.<ref name="Lundin"/>
Non-charter cities and towns are authorized to adopt one of three forms of government for day-to-day municipal operations: commission, mayor–council, council–manager.<ref name="MRSC-Forms"/> The most common form is mayor–council, which has an elected mayor who takes office separately from the elected city council. The council–manager form is used by some municipalities and has a hired city manager as the chief executive of the government, while the mayor holds a ceremonial role and presides over city council meetings.<ref name="MRSC-Forms"/> Template:As of, a total of the 227 municipalities that use a mayor–council system comprise 58Template:Nbsppercent of Washington residents in incorporated areas; the 54 municipalities that use a council–manager system, which are all code and first-class cities, comprise 42Template:Nbsppercent of residents in incorporated areas.<ref name="MRSC-Forms"/> The city commission system—which assigns its three elected commissioners as the heads of municipal departments—was last used by Shelton in 2017 and not adopted by another municipality.<ref name="MRSC-Forms"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
List of municipalities
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Downtown skyline of Seattle, the most populous city in Washington -
Aerial view of Spokane, the second-most populous city in Washington -
Skyline of Tacoma, the third-most populous city in Washington -
Skyline of Vancouver, the fourth-most populous city in Washington -
Aerial view of Bellevue, the fifth-most populous city in Washington -
Aerial view of Kent, the sixth-most populous city in Washington -
The skyline of Everett, the seventh-most populous city in Washington
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| Template:Dagger | County seat<ref name="Capitol-Arc">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
|---|---|
| Template:Double dagger | State capital and county seat<ref name="Capitol-Arc"/> |
See also
- Washington (state) statistical areas
- List of counties in Washington
- List of census-designated places in Washington
- List of unincorporated communities in Washington
Notes
References
External links
- Title 35 RCW (governing all cities)
- Title 35A RCW (governing code cities)
- Association of Washington Cities
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