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"Medina, WA" redirects here. For the place in Western Australia, see Medina, Western Australia.
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Medina
City
Medina, pictured front just after the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, with the Bellevue skyline behind
Medina, pictured front just after the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, with the Bellevue skyline behind
Official logo of Medina
Logo
Location of Medina, Washington
Location of Medina, Washington
City limits of Medina
City limits of Medina
Country United States
State Washington
County King
Platted 1914
Incorporated August 19, 1955
Named for Medina, Saudi Arabia
Government
 • Type Council–manager
Area
 • Total 4.83 sq mi (12.51 km2)
 • Land 1.44 sq mi (3.72 km2)
 • Water 3.39 sq mi (8.79 km2)
Elevation
69 ft (21 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,915
 • Density 2,291.29/sq mi (884.44/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98039
Area code(s) 425
FIPS code 53-44725
GNIS feature ID 1512453

Medina (Listeni/məˈdaɪnə/) is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States. The mostly residential city is on a peninsula in Lake Washington, on the opposite shore from Seattle, bordered by Clyde Hill and Hunts Point to the east and water on all other sides. The city's population was 2,915 at the 2020 census. Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, along with a number of billionaires and executives for tech companies, have homes in Medina.

History

The eastern shore of Lake Washington between Meydenbauer Bay and Evergreen Point was a sparsely-populated area that was cleared for its timber in the 1870s. Seattle businessman Thomas Dabney established a claim on the south side of modern-day Medina in 1886, becoming the area's first permanent white settler. Dabney built a ferry dock in 1890, naming it Dabney's Landing, while the surrounding area was turned into berry farms and fruit orchards. Other settlers arrived at Dabney's Landing, which was briefly named Flordeline by its founder until objections were raised by a group of women who proposed the Arabic name "Medina" in 1891. After a series of debates and sign-switching incidents, Medina won and was adopted as the name of the town.

Medina was platted in 1914 and officially incorporated on August 19, 1955. The town's first mansions were built in the 1920s by wealthy Seattle businessmen, encouraged by the arrival of direct ferry service, and led to the nickname of Washington's "Gold Coast". The area's farmers, mostly of Japanese descent, were evicted during the 1940s internment and their farms were turned over for redevelopment.

Surveillance

In 2009, Medina, with the "wide support of residents", installed cameras at intersections along roads entering the city. The cameras are used to capture the license plate number of every car, and a security system automatically notifies local police if the captured number is recorded in a database. Travelers are notified of the presence of the system with signs that read "You Are Entering a 24 Hour Video Surveillance Area"; according to Medina's police chief, all captured information is stored for 60 days even if nothing negative is found in the database, allowing police to mine data if a crime occurs later. One of the city's council members said the system was motivated by the belief that the need for crime prevention "outweighs concern over privacy". The system was inspired by that used in adjacent Hunts Point, a town of about 500 residents which has not had a break-in for more than three years after installing their system.

Tree Code

Designated as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation since 2006, Medina has always been a leader in urban tree codes. Since 1972, the City of Medina has codified the value that trees bring to a community, and the Tree Code ordinances have consistently been modified throughout the years. Major revisions in 2000, 2003 and 2006 have improved the code such that it is one of the most extensive in the region. The current code (2006 edition) protects large trees and requires significant mitigation if they are removed.

In 2011, the City Council directed the Planning Commission to update the existing tree code. Dividing the task into two phases, the Planning Commission brought Phase I, which were largely administrative changes, to Council in 2014, where it was passed into law. Phase II changes have been underway since then, with much work and input from the community, an ad hoc tree committee, the Planning Commission and City Council. It is anticipated that the new code will be adopted in mid-2015.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.79 square miles (12.41 km2), of which, 1.44 square miles (3.73 km2) is land and 3.35 square miles (8.68 km2) is water.

Medina is connected to Seattle, on the western shore of Lake Washington, by State Route 520 on the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, the longest floating bridge in the world.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Medina has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1960 2,285 —
1970 3,455 51.2%
1980 3,220 −6.8%
1990 2,981 −7.4%
2000 3,011 1.0%
2010 2,969 −1.4%
2020 2,915 −1.8%
2021 (est.) 2,886 −2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
2015 Estimate
Medina1915
Medina in 1915

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 2,969 people, 1,061 households, and 865 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,061.8 inhabitants per square mile (796.1/km2). There were 1,162 housing units at an average density of 806.9 per square mile (311.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.5% White, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 11.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.

There were 1,061 households, of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.1% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 18.5% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.13.

The median age in the city was 45.5 years. 29% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.1% were from 25 to 44; 32.8% were from 45 to 64; and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Notable people

Education

Public education is provided by the Bellevue School District, with schools within Medina and in nearby Bellevue.

Residents are zoned to Medina Elementary School (K to 5), Chinook Middle School, and Bellevue High School.

There are two private schools in Medina:

  • Bellevue Christian School - Three Points Elementary (private, K to 6)
  • Saint Thomas School (private, pre-K to 8)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Medina (Washington) para niños

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