Thurston County | |
|---|---|
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 Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Washington | |
 Washington's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 46°56′N 122°50′W / 46.93°N 122.83°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Washington |
| Founded | January 12, 1852 |
| Named for | Samuel Thurston |
| Seat | Olympia |
| Largest city | Lacey |
| Area | |
| • Total | 774 sq mi (2,000 km2) |
| • Land | 722 sq mi (1,870 km2) |
| • Water | 52 sq mi (130 km2) 6.7% |
| Population | |
| • Total | 294,793 |
| • Estimate (2023)[1] | 299,003  |
| • Density | 408/sq mi (158/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| Congressional districts | 3rd, 10th |
| Website | thurstoncountywa |
Thurston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 294,793.[1] The county seat and largest city is Olympia,[2] the state capital.
Thurston County was created out of Lewis County by the government of Oregon Territory on January 12, 1852. At that time, it covered all of the Puget Sound region and the Olympic Peninsula. On December 22 of the same year, Pierce, King, Island, and Jefferson counties were split off from Thurston County.[3][4] It is named after Samuel R. Thurston, the Oregon Territory's first delegate to Congress.[5]
Thurston County comprises the Olympia–Tumwater, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Seattle–Tacoma, WA Combined Statistical Area.
- ^ a b c "State & County QuickFacts: Thurston County, Washington". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Reinartz, Kay. "History of King County Government 1853–2002" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2007. Retrieved December 29, 2007.
- ^ "Milestones for Washington State History — Part 2: 1851 to 1900". HistoryLink.org. March 6, 2003.
- ^ "Thurston County Place Names: A Heritage Guide" (PDF). Thurston County Historical Commission. 1992. p. 87. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 18, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2018.