In the shadow of Mount Rainier, Federal Way lies 32 kilometres south of Seattle and 12 kilometres north of Tacoma, snuggled in the south-west corner of King County, Washington, on the west coast of America. With a population of 89,000, Federal Way is a quieter alternative to nearby cities, popular with locals escaping the urban streets to enjoy the magnificent and extensive waterfront of Puget Sound.

One of the main attractions of Federal Way is Wild Waves Theme Park, the largest amusement centre in the Pacific Northwest, where visitors can enjoy over 40 attractions, including a water park and various carnival games. Nearby, visitors can also experience the King County Aquatic Centre, which hosts an Olympic swimming pool, or head downtown for any number of shows, concerts or performances that happen in the city centre. Natural beauty surrounds Federal Way, including the Olympic Mountains range and the scenic coastline, in addition to hosting botanical gardens, Powell’s Wood and the Pacific Bonsai Museum. There are various public parks and green spaces scattered around the city, including many on the lakefront, and Celebration Park, with an abundance of forest trails, playgrounds and sports fields.

Visitors can reach Federal Way via the Sound Transit, an express bus that travels between the city and neighbouring Seattle, where there is the nearest airport. Drivers can travel to Federal Way from throughout the state of Washington by taking Interstate 5 which passes the city, and there are local buses available once in the city centre.

The history of the city began in 1929 when officials named the small logging settlement following the development of its school district, “Federal Way”. The timber industry has been a large part of the city’s development, and it is now home to the largest owner of softwood timberland, the private company of Weyerhaeuser.