Redmond, Washington

Redmond is a city in Washington in the country of the United States. It is the home of the headquarters of both Nintendo and Microsoft. Redmond is located 15 miles east of Seattle, the state's largest city. As of 2019, Redmond has a population of approximately 71,929.

The area of Redmond was originally inhabited by Native Americans as early as 3000 or 4000 BC, according to archaeological evidence unearthed at the site in 1970. White English settlers first began arriving at the area of Redmond in the 1870s. They originally named the settlement Salmonberg, due to the large amount of salmon that populated the area's rivers. Later the name was changed to Melrose after a town inn, and then finally to Redmond in 1883. The city of Redmond was incorporated on December 31, 1912 after reaching a required minimum population of 300 people.

The construction of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge across Lake Washington in 1963 resulted in Redmond becoming a suburb of Seattle, which aided its population boom greatly. Redmond's population increased almost tenfold within a decade, rising from 1,426 in 1960 to 11,031 in 1970.

The city of Redmond is approximately 17.24 mi², of which 16.57 mi² is land. The city has expanded greatly from its original size due to multiple annexations; it was originally the size of three standard city blocks. Redmond is bordered by the towns of Kirkland, Bellevue, and Sammamish. It is 15 miles east of Seattle.

The median income in Redmond is $132,188, as of 2019. Many employers in Redmond are in the tech industry. Microsoft and Nintendo are two of the major tech companies headquartered in Redmond. As of 2020, Microsoft is the largest employer in Redmond with approximately 40,000 employees. Terex is the second largest, with over 2,200 employees. Nintendo has close to 900 employees.

Redmond holds Washington's only velodrome, the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome.