The Eastside is the collective term for the eastern suburbs of Seattle, Washington, United States. The name derives from the fact that these communities lie east of Seattle.
There is no formal definition of the Eastside and the exact cities and towns that comprise the Eastside are a matter of dispute. The following cities are included in most definitions: Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Newcastle, Mercer Island and Redmond.[1][2][3]Sammamish is most often grouped with these core cities, so that all of the cities and towns between Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish, as well as the Sammamish Plateau, are included within the Eastside.
The Northshore cities of Kenmore, Bothell, and Woodinville can be considered part of the Eastside, as each city has portions that are east of the lake and south of its northernmost tip. On the southeast tip of Lake Washington, Renton is also sometimes included for similar reasons.
The most expansive definitions of the Eastside can include one or more of the incorporated cities in the Snoqualmie Valley, including Duvall, Carnation, Fall City, North Bend, and Snoqualmie.
History
The cities on the Eastside mostly began as centers of logging or mining in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the years prior to World War II they became centers of dairy and berry farming. During the post-war boom, they became bedroom communities for Seattle. Currently, the area is growing several edge cities.
