Bordering the city of Seattle to the north, the suburban district of Tukwila lies in King County, Washington State. It’s elongated north to south, with the Duwamish River carving through its heart as it flows into Elliott Bay.

Tukwila grew from a small village into an important agricultural and trade centre, situated at the confluence of two rivers, major freeways and the Interurban Railroad. In recent years it has developed into an important commercial and tech hub, home to the largest shopping centre in Puget Sound, Westfield Southcenter, which dominates the south of the suburb, together with Microsoft and Internap data centres. Many of Seattle’s workers live in the neighbourhood and commute north for work, while the adjacent Seattle-Tacoma International Airport makes it an ideal overnight base for those with early flights. The Museum of Flight lies in the far north of Tukwila, adjacent to Boeing Field, and is the largest private air and space museum in the world. There are more than 150 aircraft on display, together with a Full Fuselage Trainer used for Space Shuttle astronauts which today can be visited on special group tours.

Tukwila is situated only five minutes from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to the west, as well as the King County International Airport to the north. Rail services travel north from the Tukwila Station to Seattle, as do public bus routes.

The Duwamish indigenous people were the first to inhabit the riverbanks here, and the name “Tukwila” comes from the Chinook word for “nut” in reference to the hazelnut trees that once grew in the region. A Canadian pioneer, Joseph Foster, was the first non-indigenous settler, going on to become known as the “Father of Tukwila”, and his former home is still visible at Fort Dent Park today.