Redmond
When the first Europeans encountered the Sammamish River Valley in 1871, they found so many salmon that they called the place Salmonberg.
Twelve years later it was named officially for its postmaster at the time, Luke McRedmond.
Located along the Sammamish River at the eastern terminus of State Route 520, the 16.6-square-mile city lies at the north end of Lake Sammamish about 11 miles east of Seattle.
Salmon still migrate up the stream on their way into Lake Sammamish and to the creeks that feed it. But dikes and ditches built for flood-control contributed to a reduction in their numbers. Redmond is leading an effort to reclaim the river for fish.
Incorporated in 1912 at a time when logging and agriculture fed the town, Redmond today contains the world headquarters of Microsoft and the national headquarters for Nintendo of America.
Eddie Bauer, Safeco, AT&T Wireless and a host of medical companies, including Medtronic Physio Control and Space Labs Medical, have regional offices here or call Redmond home.
Dozens of small city parks and school yards combine to make Redmond a highly livable -- and walkable -- community.
In addition to Sammamish River Regional Park, the city's more major attractions include King County's sprawling Marymoor Park and the Willows Run golf course, bookends for the city south and north.
A complex of soccer fields known as Sixty Acres is just a chip shot east of the links on the river's flood plain.
Redmond has a council-mayor form of government with a full-time mayor and a part-time City Council.