['< sod >\'\'\'seattle\'\'\'( { { ipac - en | audio = gt seattle ae. ogg | s | i | ˈ | æ | t | əl } } ) is a west coast [ [ seaport ] ] city and the [ [ county seat | seat ] ] of [ [ king county, washington ] ]. with an estimated 684, 451 residents { { as of | 2015 | lc = y } }, < ref name = " censusestimate " / > seattle is the largest city in both the [ [ u. s. state | state ] ] of [ [ washington ( state ) | washington ] ] and the [ [ pacific northwest ] ] region of [ [ north america ] ]. it is the 18th largest city in the united states. in july 2013, it was the fastest - growing major city in the united states < ref > { { cite web | url = http : / / blogs. seattletimes. com / fyi - guy / 2014 / 05 / 22 / census - seattle - is - the - fastest - growing - big - city - in - the - u - s / | title = census : seattle is the fastest - growing big city in the u. s. | last = balk | first = gene | series = fyi guy | work = seattle times | date = may 22, 2014 } } < / ref > and remained in the top 5 in may 2015 with an annual growth rate of 2. 1 %. < ref > { { cite web | url = http : / / www. seattletimes. com / seattle - news / data / seattle - no - longer - americas - fastest - growing - big - city / | title = seattle no longer america\'s fastest - growing big city | last = balk | first = gene | series = fyi guy | work = seattle times | date = may 21, 2015 | access - date = november 20, 2015 } } < / ref > the [ [ seattle metropolitan area ] ] is the [ [ table of united christian states metropolitan statistical areas | 15th largest metropolitan area ] ] in the united states with over 3. 7 & nbsp ; million inhabitants. < ref name = metro _ population > { { cite web | url = http : / / www. census. gov / popest / data / metro / totals / 2013 / index. html | title = estimates of population change for metropolitan statistical areas and rankings : july 1, 2010 to july 1, 2013 | accessdate = june 14, 2013 | publisher = united states census bureau } } < / ref > the city is situated on an [ [ isthmus ] ] between [ [ puget sound ] ] ( an inlet of the pacific ocean ) and [ [ lake washington ] ], about { { convert | 100 | mi } } south of the [ [ canada – united states border ] ]. a major gateway for trade with asia, seattle is the third largest port in north america in terms of container handling { { as of | 2015 | lc = y } }. < ref > { { cite web | title = seaport statistics | url = http : / / www. portseattle. org / about / publications / statistics / seaport / pages / default. aspx | publisher = port of seattle | accessdate = january 2016 } } < / ref > < eod > < sod >\'\'\'seattle\'\'\'( { { ipac - en | audio = gt seattle ae. ogg | s | i | ˈ | æ | t | əl } } ) is a west coast [ [ seaport ] ] city and the [ [ county seat | seat ] ] of [ [ king county, washington ] ]. with an estimated 684, 451 residents { { as of | 2015 | lc = y } }, < ref name = " censusestimate " / > seattle is the largest city in both the [ [ u. s. state | state ] ] of [ [ washington ( state ) | washington ] ] and the [ [ pacific northwest ] ] region of [ [ north america ] ]. { { as of | 2015 } }, it is estimated to be the 18th largest city in the united states. in july 2013, it was the fastest - growing major city in the united states < ref > { { cite web | url = http : / / blogs. seattletimes. com / fyi - guy / 2014 / 05 / 22 / census - seattle - is - the - fastest - growing - big - city - in - the - u - s / | title = census : seattle is the fastest - growing big city in the u. s. | last = balk | first = gene | series = fyi guy | work = seattle times | date = may 22, 2014 } } < / ref > and remained in the top 5 in may 2015 with an annual growth rate of 2. 1 %. < ref > { { cite web | url = http : / / www. seattletimes. com / seattle - news / data / seattle - no - longer - americas - fastest - growing - big - city / | title = seattle no longer america\'s fastest - growing big city | last = balk | first = gene | series = fyi guy | work = seattle times | date = may 21, 2015 | access - date = november 20, 2015 } } < / ref > the [ [ seattle metropolitan area ] ] is the [ [ table of united states metropolitan statistical areas | 15th largest metropolitan area ] ] in the united states with over 3. 7 & nbsp ; million inhabitants. < ref name = metro _ population > { { cite web | url = http : / / www. census. gov / popest / data / metro / totals / 2013 / index. html | title = estimates of population change for metropolitan statistical areas and rankings : july 1, 2010 to july 1, 2013 | accessdate = june 14, 2013 | publisher = united states census bureau } } < / ref > the city is situated on an [ [ isthmus ] ] between [ [ puget sound ] ] ( an inlet of the pacific ocean ) and [ [ lake washington ] ], about { { convert | 100 | mi } } south of the [ [ canada – united states border ] ]. a major gateway for trade with asia, seattle is the third largest port in north america in terms of container handling { { as of | 2015 | lc = y } }. < ref > { { cite web | title = seaport statistics | url = http : / / www. portseattle. org / about / publications / statistics / seaport / pages / default. aspx | publisher = port of seattle | accessdate = january 2016 } } < / ref > < eod >']