Seattle, located in the state of Washington, is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and is the hub for the Greater Puget Sound region. Arthur A. Denny first settled the city in 1851. Lumber was the predominant industry in the area until the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896, when Seattle became the main transport and supply point for those heading north. In the early part of the 20th Century, shipbuilding dominated the city's economics. Seattle again became a major point of departure during WWII for troops heading to the North Pacific and Boeing manufactured many of the fighters and bombers.

A major downturn in the 1960s and 1970s spurred local real estate agents to put up a billboard that read "Will the last person leaving Seattle turn out the lights?" Today, Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks headquarters are located in or near the city and Seattle's real estate values have soared. In 2006, Seattle's population was 582,000. Although Seattle has a reputation for frequent rain, the city receives less precipitation - just 37.1 inches - than New York City, Atlanta and Houston. Winter average lows are from 35 to 40 degrees and summer highs are between 75 and 80 degrees.