The central Puget Sound region, located between the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges and bisected by Puget Sound, faces significant transportation and infrastructure challenges driven by rapid population growth. The region's population grew from 1.5 million in 1960 to 3.2 million by 2000, with projections estimating 4.7 million residents and 2.6 million jobs by 2030. Economic expansion, particularly in aerospace and high-technology sectors, has been a primary driver of this growth, placing increasing demands on the region's transportation systems and natural resources.Open full document
Notes
Chapter 2 of the Destination 2030 regional transportation plan covers the geographic setting of Western Washington and the central Puget Sound region, describing how mountains, water, and terrain create transportation challenges. The chapter presents population, employment, and household growth data from 1998 projected through 2030, along with economic growth trends. It includes Map 1 showing the four-county Central Puget Sound Region and tables breaking down growth by subarea.