Why hasn't the land west of Seattle been built up? (Redmond: houses, movies)

[Traxan]

I was looking around the Seattle area on Google Earth and it struck me how little development has gone on from Seattle to the Pacific. Any cities of note stop after the last water pathway along the area of the 101 freeway. Usually beachfront property gets built right up; look at California. Instead, development as moved east toward Redmond and Issaquah.

It's no big deal, I'm just curious.

[Aquamarineblue]

Um there's a mountain or two in the way over there. Also it rains constantly once you get close to the Pacific coast as clouds dump their rain as they hit said mountain range.

[Botev1912]

the weather west of Seattle is much gloomier and wetter

[DevanXL]

Simple answer is there is no connecting bridge to the seattle area. Its too disconnected to be built up if you are refering to kitsap county area.

[NWbyNW]

Very rugged country, a national park, and lack of economic interest to build out on the Washington Coast. It is sunshine and fun like the California coast. The Washington beaches are more rocky, with pockets of sandy areas. Once you past Washington's Port Angeles from the north, or Aberdeen area from the south, it is mostly undeveloped except for a few exceptions. Just tiny pockets of life exist in the form of small villages, many of whom even locals don't know exist, such as Taholah, La Push, Neah Bay, and some even smaller ones. The only one that is fairly well known is Forks thanks to a book series and a slew of movies.


(The Olympic Mountains)

Development stopped pretty much in Kitsap County except for small pockets like Shelton or tiny Hoodsport. Further west from Hoodsport will take you into one of the few remaining areas of the Lower 48 that has nearly no roads. You can not drive from eastern 101 to western 101 over the Olympic Mountains. It is a natural, pristine area, rarely touched by man. It was quite the mysterious area during the pioneer days of early Washington. That mystery continued well into the 1900s.

The Washington Coast is beautiful with the ragged and jagged Olympic Mountains, the rough battered coast, and impressive Cape Flattery. Certainly worth a visit, but plan to stay in a camp ground or tiny motel.

[CityWok]

In fear of upsetting Sasquatch

[NewbiePoster]

The PacNW isn't California. Look at the Oregon coast--also sparsely developed. For that matter, look at the coast in the northernmost part of California--same deal. Beachfront property is not built up. Your statement doesn't even hold true for California, let alone the NW. There's a reason for that. Even west of the Bay Area, the coast isn't built up. There are hundreds of miles of beach with no houses, no community, between Pacifica (south of San Fran) all the way down to Monterey, there are only a few very small communities, a couple of them being agricultural. Miles of artichoke fields, lol!

OP, it sounds like you could use a course in geography.

[Traxan]

Understood. Can't get everything from Google Earth. Thanks everyone.

[homesinseattle]

We love that it isn't built up, amazing nature there. Besides what you have noted, there is no development (unlike Oregon) along the whole Olympic Peninsula Pacific Ocean side, with the exception of Native American settlements. It was preserved many years ago and will stay that way. Wild and wonderful, come see it.

[Traxan]

Well the military is out there. I spotted two nuclear submarines off the coast at a base station. I would have thought the Navy would hide the boomers a little better but I guess not.