Bothell
The city of Bothell was incorporated in 1909 and is currently home to over 31,000 residents. Originally a steamboat stop along the Sammamish river, it was also a great farming community known for its dairy production and other crops. When Lake Washington’s water level was dramatically lowered with the installation of the Chittenden Locks in Ballard, the Sammamish river was a navigable waterway in Bothell no longer.
Present day Bothell, like many cities along the I-405 corridor, has grown along with the tech industry. In fact, Bothell promotes itself as the "gateway to the state's high-tech corridor,” and it is home to many of the region’s leading bio-tech firms. Bothell is also home to a University of Washington extension campus and Cascadia Community college and as such, the city is well connected by public transit.
Despite the fact that Bothell has embraced high-tech as an economic driver for the city, Bothell has also managed to preserve its rural character to some extent. Popular attractions like the Country Village, and its history, with the log cabin, museum and schoolhouse at Bothell Landing continue to attract annual visitors. And like many cities in the Puget Sound area, Bothell residents still have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors – especially with access to such well established trails such as the Sammamish River Trail, which connects with Seattle's Burke Gilman Trail.