Puyallup
Puyallup, in eastern Pierce County, mixes residential areas with agriculture and light industry.
Oregon Trail pioneer Ezra Meeker, who would become the city's first mayor, platted the community in 1877.
Named after the region's indigenous Native American tribe, Meeker called the community "Puyallup," which translates into "generous people."
Today, the city is home to the fifth-largest fair -- the Puyallup Fair -- in the United States. Each September, more than a million people "Do the Puyallup" and jam the fairgrounds to enjoy carnival rides, gadgets and guilds, farm animals and food.
Among other attractions, Puyallup features a spring bulb show, vegetable and fruit sales, teen dance nights, summer concerts and Friday night movies.