Renton is a metropolis within King County, within the state of Washington. Situated in an area called the Eastside, 21 km southeast of the city of Seattle, Renton is a manufacturing center with a population of around 91,000 residents. The city lies along lake Washington's southeast shore. Renton is the 9th biggest city in Washington and 4th most populous metropolis in King County.
Established during the 1860s, Renton was incorporated as a city in the year 1901. Coal was discovered here by Erasmus M. Smithers during the 1800s. Coal and timber resources were abundant, and both mining and timber processing became the main economic industries in the region. The city was a supply center for the Newcastle coal fields. Renton's proximity to the Black and Cedar Rivers made the city vulnerable to floods until the building of the Lake Washington Ship Canal during 1916 lowered the level of Lake Washington a few feet. The Cedar River was diverted to Lake Washington and eliminated the drainage through the Black River.
Renton ranks 100th of 522 areas within the state of Washington based on per capita income. The city has a lot of technology companies like for instance Boeing, Paccar, and some dot-com companies. IKEA moved to the city of Renton during 1994 and in the year 2007 a branch of the Federal Aviation Administration (or also called FAA) established itself here. In 2008, a new Federal Reserve Bank branch moved to the city of Renton.
There are a wide variety of residential and retail developments in the city and the city has just recently undergone some revitalization projects. One of the most important is the Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC), housing the Seattle Seahawks training facility and headquarters, finished in 2008. This is the 2nd biggest NFL facility. Located within north Renton, the Center has an area of 19,000 m2.