This section of the
Washington Visitors Network focuses on the Puget Sound region of Washington. The Puget Sound region is an inland area of the Pacific Northwest including Puget Sound, the Puget Sound lowlands, and the surrounding region roughly west of the Columbia Basin and east of the Olympic Mountains. The urban region designated the Puget Sound Region is centered on Seattle, Washington, and consists of five counties, (for our purposes), two urban center cities and four satellite cities making up what has been dubbed "Pugetopolis". Both urban core cities have large industrial areas and seaports plus a high-rise central business district. The satellite cities are primarily suburban, featuring a small downtown core and a small industrial area or port. The suburbs consist mostly of residences, strip malls, and shopping centers. The region is also home to numerous ports. The two largest and busiest are the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma, which, if combined, comprise the third largest container port in North America after Los Angeles/Long Beach and New York/New Jersey.
A state-run ferry system, Washington State Ferries, connects the larger islands to the Washington mainland, as well as both sides of the sound, allowing cars and people to move about the greater Puget Sound region.
