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Newcastle, Washington
Newcastle welcome sign on a snowy day
Newcastle welcome sign on a snowy day
Location of Newcastle in King County and Washington
Location of Newcastle in
King County and Washington
Country United States
State Washington
County King
Government
 • Type Council–manager
Area
 • Total 4.46 sq mi (11.55 km2)
 • Land 4.45 sq mi (11.52 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation
561 ft (171 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 10,380
 • Estimate 
(2019)
12,292
 • Density 2,762.87/sq mi (1,066.79/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes
98056, 98059
Area code(s) 425
FIPS code 53-48645
GNIS feature ID 1512503

Newcastle is an Eastside city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,380 at the 2010 census and an estimated 12,292 in 2019.

Although Newcastle was not incorporated until 1994, it has been an important settlement and town since the late 19th century and played a major role in the development of Seattle and the surrounding region. Newcastle was one of the region's first coal mining areas and its railroad link to Seattle was the first in King County. Timber also played a role in the early history of Newcastle. Coal delivered by rail from Newcastle's mines to Seattle fueled the growth of the Port of Seattle and attracted railroads, most notably the Great Northern Railway.

The Newcastle coal mine began producing coal by the 1870s. More than 13 million tons of coal had been extracted by the time the mine closed in 1963. The history of Newcastle's coal mining industry and the legacy of the mines' many Chinese laborers are memorialized in place names such as Coal Creek, Coal Creek Parkway, and the Coal Creek and China Creek golf courses.

Based on per capita income, Newcastle ranks 11th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked. In CNN Money's 2011 rankings of best places to live in the United States, Newcastle was in the top 20, along with nearby Sammamish. It ranked 17th in Newsweek's 2009 rankings of best places to live in the United States.

History

Newcastle was named after Newcastle upon Tyne in England, as it was originally a coal mining town founded in the 1870s. Coal was discovered along Coal Creek in 1863. The surveyors Philip H. Lewis and Edwin Richardson made the discovery while surveying the area for the General Land Office. By 1872 75-100 tons of coal per day were being produced at Newcastle. About 60 men worked at the mines. The Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad, the first railroad in King County, was built from Seattle to Newcastle in the late 19th century. Coal mining ended in 1963.

The area was an unincorporated area within King County until it incorporated as a city on September 30, 1994. Currently the city is a suburban community. Based on Newcastle's location north of Renton, south of Bellevue, and across Lake Washington from Seattle, these are the communities in which most of the residents of Newcastle work. East of southeast Lake Washington is a large quantity of hilly terrain, which creates opportunities for view properties. This created the impetus for the location of the Newcastle Golf Course, along with many high value homes at higher elevations with views of downtown Bellevue, Seattle, and Mercer Island, as well as the Olympic Mountains. Notable attractions of the area include the Golf Club at Newcastle, a brand new Family YMCA, Lake Boren Park, a well developed trail system, and nearby Cougar Mountain in the east of Newcastle.

Newcastle trails

The city has an active trail building community, creating a system of trails that are being integrated into new housing developments and parks. Most of the trail-work has been completed by volunteers and the Washington Conservation Corps, or WCC, sponsored by the City of Newcastle. The trail system will eventually lead all the way to Lake Washington to the west, in conjunction with Renton, and is already connected to Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park to the east, which is in unincorporated King County.

Geography

Newcastle is located at 47°32′00″N 122°10′20″W / 47.533215°N 122.172101°W / 47.533215; -122.172101 (47.533215, -122.172101). Coal Creek flows through the city from the Issaquah Alps to Lake Washington.

Bordering Newcastle to the north is Bellevue, to the south is Renton, to the east is Issaquah, and to the west is Lake Washington.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.46 square miles (11.55 km2), of which, 4.45 square miles (11.53 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.

Newcastle is near the Seattle Seahawks Headquarters and training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton.

Climate

Climate data for Newcastle, Washington
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 64
(18)
71
(22)
81
(27)
86
(30)
93
(34)
100
(38)
104
(40)
99
(37)
96
(36)
86
(30)
78
(26)
69
(21)
104
(40)
Average high °F (°C) 48
(9)
51
(11)
56
(13)
61
(16)
67
(19)
72
(22)
78
(26)
78
(26)
72
(22)
62
(17)
52
(11)
46
(8)
62
(17)
Average low °F (°C) 36
(2)
36
(2)
39
(4)
42
(6)
48
(9)
53
(12)
56
(13)
56
(13)
51
(11)
45
(7)
39
(4)
35
(2)
45
(7)
Record low °F (°C) −10
(−23)
−5
(−21)
10
(−12)
25
(−4)
27
(−3)
33
(1)
38
(3)
34
(1)
28
(−2)
24
(−4)
−1
(−18)
3
(−16)
−10
(−23)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.8
(120)
3.4
(86)
3.5
(89)
2.8
(71)
2.2
(56)
1.6
(41)
0.8
(20)
1.0
(25)
1.5
(38)
3.4
(86)
5.8
(150)
5.4
(140)
36.2
(920)
Source: Weather.com

Surrounding cities and neighborhoods

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1980 12,245
1990 14,736 20.3%
2000 7,737 −47.5%
2010 10,380 34.2%
2019 (est.) 12,292 18.4%
source:
U.S. Decennial Census

Although the present-day African American population of Newcastle is small, in the 1880s when it was a mining center, Newcastle had the Puget Sound area's largest African American population, greater even than that of Seattle.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 10,380 people, 4,021 households, and 2,860 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,332.6 inhabitants per square mile (900.6/km2). There were 4,227 housing units at an average density of 949.9 per square mile (366.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 65.4% White, 2.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 24.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 1.6% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population.

There were 4,021 households, of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.9% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.

The median age in the city was 38.7 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.1% were from 25 to 44; 29.7% were from 45 to 64; and 9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

The median income for a household in the city was $109,833. The per capita income for the city was $58,118. The median home cost in Newcastle is $511,500.

City landmarks

The City of Newcastle has designated the following landmarks:

Landmark Built Listed Address Photo
Newcastle Cemetery c. 1870 1982 SW of 69th Way off 129th Avenue SE
Pacific Coast Coal Co. House#75 1870s 1982 7210 138th Avenue SE
Thomas Rouse Road 1880 1984 136th SE & 144th Place SE


Notable residents

Newcastle has been a preferred residence of numerous current and former Seattle Seahawks players, coaches, and front office personnel due to its close proximity to the NFL franchise's headquarters and practice facility on Lake Washington at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC) in Renton.

  • Gus Bradley, former defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks.
  • Nate Burleson, former NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks and NFL commentator. He was a wide receiver.
  • John Carlson, former NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, and Arizona Cardinals. He was a tight end.
  • Kam Chancellor, NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks. He is a strong safety.
  • James Hasty, former NFL player for the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets.
  • Steve Hutchinson, former NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks. He was an offensive guard and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
  • Julian Peterson, former NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks. He was a linebacker.
  • Dan Quinn, former defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks.
  • Mack Strong, former NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks. He was a fullback.
  • Marcus Trufant, former NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks. He was a defensive cornerback.
  • Alan White, drummer for the progressive rock band Yes

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Newcastle (Washington) para niños

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