University of Washington

ASTRONOMY DEPARTMENT

Along with neighboring Portland, OR and Vancouver, BC, Seattle has become one of the most desirable large cities in North America in which to live. It's not hard to understand why--for starters, check out these pictures of the city and of the surrounding region. You can also take a virtual tour of the city.

The geological variety of the region is illustrated by the relief map. Note Mt Rainier 100 km south of Seattle, Mt Baker 120 km north of Seattle, the Cascade Mountains east of Seattle, and the Olympic Range west of Seattle. Ferries connect the Seattle region with the San Juan Islands, the Olympic Peninsula, and Victoria, B.C. Whales abound in the spring, eagles in the summer, mushrooms in the fall, and salmon in the winter. Ducks, geese and slugs are permenant residents.

Metropolitan Seattle is surrounded by water. Lakes and the Puget Sound wind through the area, as seen on the regional and inner city maps below.

Maps of Western Washington and the Seattle area.

The picturesque University of Washington is located on a spacious, park-like campus about 5 km from the downtown area and the Seattle Center. Bike trails lace the region. Housing is relatively easy to find throughout the city. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (one of the city's major newspapers, along with the Seattle Times and the alternative weekly The Stranger) has a helpful guide to neighborhoods in Seattle. Each neighborhood has a unique character, so you can match your living environment to your personality and interests.

The University of Washington campus in the region of the Physics-Astronomy Building.
Click on the map to go to the UW campus map page.

The Seattle area offers a rich combination of big-city attractions and outdoor-oriented activities. We are justifiably well known for hiking, climbing, skiing, biking, boating, kayaking, among other activities--much of this within a two-hour drive.

The arts and culture scene is also lively, with more theaters per capita than New York City! The lifestyle is diverse, the natives are very hospitable, the restaurants are among the best in the country, the night life is vibrant, and public transportation to the campus is easy and plentiful.

The weather is highly temperate and perhaps not as bad as we try to portray to visitors. Spring begins in February and lasts until the snow melts in the alpine trails in June. Summer days are long, temperate, and glorious. Snow is rare in the city. The area does, however, become a bit soggy during the winter months--which is when the coffee comes in handy.

If you're planning to visit, check out the City of Seattle Tourism site for all the latest information about what's happening in the Emerald City. It might be helpful to see our site for visitors. Bruce Balick maintains a listing of fun things to do near campus and around the town.