Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city of 99,493 people in King County, Washington, founded in 1929.
Why visit Federal Way
Townapedia lists 28 museums and landmarks, 79 parks and trails, 254 places to eat, 17 places to stay and 12 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Browns Point Light, Century Federal Way, Auburn Masonic Temple and Auburn Public Library.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 77°F; December lows average 37°F.
Weather in Federal Way
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Federal Way
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States, and part of the Seattle metropolitan area. It is 25 miles (40 km) south of Seattle and had a population was 101,030 at the 2020 census. Federal Way is the 10th most populous city in Washington and the fifth most populous in King County.
From the Wikipedia article Federal Way, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do12
Browns Point Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 5.0 mi
Lighthouse in Washington, United States
MaST Center Aquarium
Zoo and aquarium · 2.6 mi
28203 Redondo Beach Drive South, Des Moines
Sa 10:00-14:00
The MaST Center Aquarium
Zoo and aquarium · 2.7 mi
28203 Redondo Beach Drive South
Sa 10:00-14:00; Jun-Aug Th 16:00-19:00
Santafair
Monument and historic site · 1.3 mi
Former amusement park in Federal Way, Washington
Museums and landmarks28
Auburn Masonic Temple
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.3 mi
Historic building in Auburn, Washington, United States
Auburn Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Former Carnegie library in Auburn, Washington
Erick Gustave Sanders Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.6 mi
Private residence located in the Green River Valley outside of Kent, Washington
Fire Station No. 15
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Fire station in Tacoma, Washington, United States
Fireboat Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.9 mi
Historic fire station in Tacoma, Washington state, USA
Murray Morgan Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 5.9 mi
Bridge in Tacoma, WA
MV Kalakala
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Ship
Old Auburn Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Historic post office building in Washington state, USA
Oscar Blomeen House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Historic house in Washington, United States
Point Robinson Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 5.6 mi
Lighthouse in Washington, United States
White River Valley Museum
Museum · 5.7 mi
History museum in Auburn, Washington
16 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds79
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Wild Waves Theme Park
Sports field and stadium · 2.9 mi
Amusement park and water park in Federal Way, Washington, United States
36201 Enchanted Parkway South, Federal Way
Celebration Park, Federal Way
Park · 0.9 mi
Park in Federal Way, Washington
67 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes254
Baskin-Robbins
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 1.4 mi
1946 South Seatac Mall, Federal Way
Mo-Th 10:00-19:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-20:00; Su 11:00-18:00
Legendary Doughnuts - Federal Way
Cafe · Donut · 1.1 mi
32085 Pacific Highway South, Federal Way
Su-Th 05:00-18:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-19:00
Thai Bistro
Restaurant · Thai · 1.9 mi
34817 Enchanted Parkway South, Federal Way
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:00
Katsu Burger
Restaurant · Japanese, Burger · 1.3 mi
1706 South 320th Street, Federal Way
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Sunright Tea Studio
Cafe · Bubble Tea · 1.1 mi
32225 suite 103 Pacific Highway South
Su-Th 12:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-23:00
Black Angus
Restaurant · Steak House · 1.7 mi
2400 South 320th Street, Federal Way
Mo-Fr 15:00-21:00; Sa,Su 12:00-21:00
242 more on the map.
History
Originally a logging settlement, the area was first called "Federal Way" when a consolidated school district was established in 1929. The name derived from U.S. Route 99 (now State Route 99 or Pacific Highway South), a federally-designated highway which ran through the state and connected Seattle to Tacoma. It followed an earlier road between Fort Steilacoom and Fort Bellingham that was completed in the 1850s and later became known as Military Road. The first homestead in the area was established in 1871 by Sam Stone near modern-day Redondo and was followed by other settlers. Five existing school districts consolidated operations into School District No. 210 in 1929 and planned construction of Federal Way High School, which opened in 1930 and gave its name to the school district. The local chamber of commerce adopted the name in the early 1950s.
From the History section of Federal Way, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay17
Best Western Evergreen Inn
Motel and hotel · 1.7 mi
32124 25th Avenue South, Federal Way
Clarion Hotel
Motel and hotel · 1.4 mi
31611 Pete Von Reichbauer Way South, Federal Way
Federal Way Motel
Motel and hotel · 2.0 mi
29815 Pacific Highway South, Federal Way
Quality Inn & Suites
Motel and hotel · 1.8 mi
1400 South 348th Street, Federal Way
Churches and places of worship51
Federal Way Church Of Christ
Church · Church Of Christ · 2.5 mi
30012 Military Road South, Federal Way
All Nations Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 1.0 mi
810 South 312th Street, Federal Way
Calvary Lutheran Church / Steel Lake Presbyterian Church / Chinese Church 城南教会
Church · Lutheran · 1.7 mi
2415 South 320th Street, Federal Way
Christ Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.3 mi
2501 Southwest 320th Street, Federal Way
Shopping41
Gas and EV charging30
Schools, colleges and libraries72
Healthcare30
Virginia Mason Federal Way Medical Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.8 mi
33501 1st Way South, Federal Way
Bloodworks Northwest Federal Way Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.0 mi
1414 South 324th Street, Federal Way
Seattle Children's South Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.0 mi
34920 Enchanted Parkway South, Federal Way
MultiCare Tacoma General - Federal Way Emergency
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.0 mi
29805 Pacific Highway South, Federal Way
Pacific Medical Centers
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.8 mi
31833 Gateway Center Boulevard South, Federal Way
Map of Federal Way
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 37°F | 6.0 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 37°F | 4.0 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 40°F | 4.4 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 44°F | 3.4 in |
| May | 66°F | 49°F | 2.0 in |
| Jun | 71°F | 53°F | 1.4 in |
| Jul | 77°F | 57°F | 0.6 in |
| Aug | 77°F | 57°F | 0.8 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 53°F | 1.6 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 47°F | 4.1 in |
| Nov | 52°F | 40°F | 6.5 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 37°F | 6.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Tacoma #1 (6 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
King County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2025-12-12: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2024-04-28: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2022-09-10: Bolt Creek Fire (Fire)
- 2020-04-23: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Des Moines 5 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Auburn 6 mi east, about 10 min by car
- Edgewood 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Tacoma 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Kent 8 mi northeast, about 13 min by car
- Burien 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- Bonney Lake 11 mi southeast, about 18 min by car
- Covington 12 mi east, about 19 min by car
- Renton 13 mi northeast, about 22 min by car
- Fairwood 13 mi northeast, about 21 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Five Mile Lake Park, Auburn, WA, Ron Clausen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wild Waves Theme Park - Federal Way WA, Jessica Spengler from Hove, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0
- Tacoma Fireboat Station 2, Benjamin Cody, Public domain
- Browns Point Light (2011), Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lodge picture1, Hadrian1982, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Auburn, WA - former post office 01A, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Auburn, WA - Auburn Dance Center 02, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Point Robinson 01-smaller, bengrey, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Auburn, WA - Oscar Blomeen House 01, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Erick Gustave Sanders Mansion (Kent, Washington), Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
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