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72-712: The Bellevue Police Department is located in Bellevue, Washington . As of 2024, there were 199 commissioned officers and 49 civilian employees. The department's annual operating budget is about $ 51 million. It services 152,700 people. The main Bellevue Police Station is located in Bellevue City Hall , at 450 110th Avenue Northeast. There are also two other substations throughout the city in Factoria and Crossroads . BPD patrols six districts. The current Chief of Police

144-456: A suburb , a boomburb , or an edge city . The population was 151,854 at the 2020 census . The city's name is derived from the French term belle vue ("beautiful view"). Bellevue is home to some of the world's largest technology companies. Before and after the 2008 recession, its downtown area has been undergoing rapid change with many high-rise projects being constructed. Downtown Bellevue

216-421: A Mayor from among its members (not by popular vote), who serves as council chair for two years but has no veto power. As of 2022 , the mayor is Lynne Robinson and the deputy mayor is Jared Nieuwenhuis. The mayor administrates council meetings, helps set the issues on the council's meeting agendas, and serves as the city's most visible spokesperson. Operational authority is held by the city manager , who administers

288-441: A community, consisting mostly of logging homesteaders, had established itself. Once the land had been logged, it was gradually cleared, largely by Japanese immigrant labor in the early 20th century, to support small-scale farming on leased land plots. By the early part of the 20th century, Bellevue had acquired a reputation as a weekend getaway destination for Seattle residents, who would arrive by ferry at Meydenbauer Bay and spend

360-685: A major engineering facility in downtown Bellevue. As of 2020 , there are several high-rise office buildings in Downtown Bellevue that are under construction or in active planning and design phases, including Bellevue 600 , part of a major Amazon campus. Several high-rise residential buildings are also planned in downtown, spurred in part by future light rail service, on former retail and low-rise commercial lots. As of 2024 , Amazon has 12,000 employees in Bellevue and has reduced its workforce in Seattle. By

432-459: A potential tunnel in the form of cash, services, free access to rights-of-way and one-time tax revenues that result from the East Link project. In November 2011, the city council signed an agreement with Sound Transit. Tunnel construction started in early 2016 while the remainder of downtown Bellevue construction began in mid-2017. As of July 2023, former Bellevue City Council member Claudia Balducci

504-435: A reading, writing, video and physical fitness test. Lateral officers apply through the recruiting website portal with a streamlined process that does not include a physical fitness test and only requires out of state applicants to travel once. Testing results and veteran's preference points are used to compose civil service eligibility lists from which open positions are filled. Civilian employees are recruited and hired through

576-476: A vibrant unofficial community center. By the early 2000s, Crossroads had become the second-most densely populated area of Bellevue, following the downtown area . The non-white population in the Crossroads neighborhood exceeded 60 percent by 2010. 47°37′16″N 122°08′38″W  /  47.621°N 122.144°W  / 47.621; -122.144 This King County, Washington state location article

648-425: Is Wendell Shirley. Bellevue became incorporated in 1953 and the police department was created by City Ordinance #8 on April 28, 1953. Chief G.L. "Jerry" Plowman was appointed as Chief of Police. By May 1953, staff included four officers (Chief Plowman, Sgt. George Whitman, and Officers Bob Sollitto and Jack Allen), and service was 24 hours per day. The first police headquarters was located at Chief Plowman's house in

720-593: Is currently the second-largest city center in Washington state, with 1,300 businesses, 45,000 employees, and 10,200 residents. In a 2018 estimate, the city's median household income was among the top five cities in the state of Washington. In 2008, Bellevue was number one in CNNMoney 's list of the best places to live and launch a business, and in 2010 was again ranked as the fourth-best place to live in America. In 2014, Bellevue

792-734: Is designed to examine successes of the past and current policies, practices, and procedures of the Bellevue Police Department, with an eye towards making lasting improvements for the future. The six citizen advisory councils incorporate a broad cross-section of the Bellevue community. The first Citizen Advisory Council formed in early 2016 with the African American Advisory Council. Since then, six additional councils have been formed: Muslim, Latino, LGBTQI, Interfaith, Asian and Pacific Islander, and South Asian. The advisory councils meet regularly and discuss how to improve

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864-490: Is located in Bellevue, serving students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8 . At the elementary level, Bellevue is home to several Montessori schools, the Eastside's only Waldorf education at Three Cedars School, as well as Bellevue Christian School . The Seattle Japanese School , a Japanese weekend supplementary school , holds its classes in Bellevue. Bellevue is an economic hub of the Seattle region's Eastside and home to

936-503: Is planned to be completed in 2023. Some sections of the railroad in Bellevue were demolished in 2008 to make way for the expansion of I-405 and will require the construction of additional structures to supplement the existing right of way. The city once had an operating airfield named Bellevue Airfield , which shut down in 1983. Bellevue has a council-manager form of government with seven non-partisan council members elected at large for staggered four-year terms. The City Council selects

1008-510: The 2010 census , there were 122,363 people, 50,355 households, and 32,145 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,827.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,477.9/km ). There were 55,551 housing units at an average density of 1,737.6 per square mile (670.9/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 62.6% White, 2.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 27.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.0% of

1080-661: The Factoria Mall , and the other at the Crossroads Mall , where residents can ask questions, get information and report crimes. BPD also offers a Community Academy twice a year to engage the community and invite them take a deep dive behind the scenes and really learn what officers and specialties do. A 2020 survey showed that the public strongly supports the Bellevue Police department, and feels safe in Bellevue. More than 96% of people surveyed feel safe walking in Bellevue during

1152-515: The Mercer Slough , south of present-day downtown Bellevue. It was from this village that an attack on the settlers of Elliott Bay was staged. The Duwamish also had a village near Factoria called 'pah-pah-DEEL'. Bellevue was first settled by European Americans in 1869 by William Meydenbauer and Aaron Mercer, who claimed homestead tracts several miles apart. Both moved away within a few years, and permanent residents did not arrive until 1879. By 1882,

1224-576: The 1920s, farming had taken hold in the present-day Crossroads and Lake Hills areas, much of it conducted by Japanese immigrants. This agricultural activity was abruptly curtailed following the Japanese American Internment in 1942, and the farmland was quickly replaced by suburban housing during the post-war years. The Crossroads area was annexed by Bellevue in 1964. The Crossroads Shopping Center opened in 1962, and following revitalization efforts by Ron Sher starting in 1988, now serves as

1296-400: The Bellevue Police Department and is accomplished in numerous ways. The department's Sector Captain program puts residents directly in touch with Captains in charge of issues for the different sectors in the city. Six School Resource Officers are assigned to each of the four high schools in the city and two area assigned to the four middle schools. The department also has two substations, one at

1368-536: The Bellevue Police Department was nearly fully staffed, with only a few openings, mainly for newly non-commissioned employees. In spite of past staffing shortages, Bellevue residents experienced a decrease in property crimes for the fifth year in a row. In 2018, residential burglaries decreased by 21% and car prowls decreased 20% over 2017. Bellevue continues to enjoy a very low crime rate compared to similarly sized cities. The Bellevue Police Sector Captain program continues to successfully connect Bellevue residents with

1440-997: The City of Bellevue for positions in police records, data entry, the crime lab, and more. The Bellevue Police Department is hiring lateral police officers and new recruits. As of June 2021, entry level officers enjoy a starting yearly salary of $ 77,263, plus incentives. After three years, base pay increases to $ 100,231 annually, plus incentives and overtime. Lateral officers start at $ 94,061 annually and increase to $ 100,231 after three years. There are additional pay incentives for detectives, field training officers, motorcycle officers, bicycle patrol, K-9, bomb technicians, traffic collision investigators, SWAT officers, Crisis Response Team negotiators, and more. Longevity and education pay incentives are also available and may "stack" with other incentives. The Bellevue Police Department also offers excellent medical plans for employees and their family members, as well as dental and vision benefits. Retirement plans include

1512-559: The City's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are: The city has numerous thriving commercial districts, with four major shopping centers: Bellevue Square in the downtown area, Factoria Mall to the south, Crossroads Mall to the east, and the Overlake Shopping District in the north. As of 2018, one in three Bellevue residents was born outside the United States, most likely due to

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1584-550: The Downtown. Bellevue was also served by a railroad , a Burlington Northern branch line known as the Woodinville Subdivision , which included the historic Wilburton Trestle . The line is now disused, though part of the track bed at Wilburton Station will be reused by Sound Transit's light-rail construction. Construction of Eastrail , a rail trail on the abandoned Woodinville Subdivision right of way through Bellevue,

1656-583: The Puget Sound lowland, Bellevue has a mild oceanic climate . It also has frequent rain showers from October to May, with precipitation levels typically being over 2 inches (51 mm). On average, the hottest month is July, while January is the coldest. Bellevue gets an average of 32.02 inches (813 mm) of rain per year, based on data from 1981 to 2013. However, the city published an analysis of rainfall stating that 2016 saw an usually high 47.14 inches (1,197 mm) of rainfall, and that rainfall in 2014–2016

1728-552: The Sector Captains responsible for their defined area. Chief Steve Mylett began the program in 2015 when he saw a need for a direct point of contact for Bellevue residents or businesses with questions or concerns related to crime or police activity. The city is split into three sectors, North, West, and South. The Citizens Advisory Councils were formed as an important part of the Bellevue Tomorrows Program. The program

1800-530: The Sergeant's position was never reinstated, and first line supervisors in the department remain lieutenants. In 1973, the department grew to 106 personnel, including 26 civilian personnel. In May of that year, one person was killed and another injured by the "Bellevue sniper." The sniper was apprehended and later convicted for homicide. In June 1975, the department entered into a new phase of policing, called "team policing," in which officers worked more closely with

1872-579: The Surrey Downs neighborhood, where calls would be taken and the porch light turned on to notify Chief Plowman to stop by for orders. Police headquarters was moved to a rented space in the old V.F.W. hall, and in 1954 an old school at 100th Avenue and Main Street became the new home of the City of Bellevue. During the department's formative years, surrounding departments, including the King County Police and

1944-904: The Traffic Unit, is the largest and most visible section in the department. Other units within Patrol include the bike patrol, the Downtown Unit, the Community Stations in Crossroads and Factoria , the Bellevue Light Rail Unit (BLU) and the K-9 Unit. Specialty assignments in Patrol include Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Bomb Squad, Crisis Response Team, Crowd Control, Crime Scene Investigators (CSI), Field Training Officers (FTO), and Honor Guard. After several years of staffing challenges, in 2019

2016-532: The Washington State Patrol, helped the new staff at BPD to get started, and the city of Kirkland rented space in their jail for Bellevue to use in 1954. By 1955, the population of Bellevue was 9,000, and there were 10 Officers working for the department. In October 1960, the department moved into new quarters at 106th Avenue NE and NE 8th Street. By 1962, the population of Bellevue was 14,700, with department personnel numbering 22 sworn officers. In 1963,

2088-472: The academy have in-service training for six months. Bellevue Police is dispatched by NORCOM. They communicate using an 800 MHz trunked radio system called Eastside Public Safety Communications Agency (EPSCA). Bellevue Police radio channels: NCPOL-1, NCTAC-1, etc... Both Bellevue School Security and Bellevue College Security are approved to talk on BPDs main radio channel, though BC security has their own channel they do most communicating on (not on

2160-535: The app-based service is funded by the city's hotel room tax and fare-free for passengers. The 2 Line of Sound Transit's Link light rail system is planned to run from Seattle through Mercer Island and Bellevue before ending in Redmond. The $ 3.7 billion project was approved by voters in 2008 as part of the Sound Transit 2 ballot measure. It began construction in 2016 and was scheduled to begin service in 2023, but

2232-477: The area began to evolve into a bedroom community . In 1942, the Bellevue Strawberry Festival was cancelled. The primary reason was that some 90 percent of the agricultural workforce in the area was of Japanese ancestry, and all of these farmers and their families had been forcibly interned in camps following the start of World War II. The fair would not be revived for another 45 years. Following

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2304-403: The average family size was 2.93. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males. The median income for a household in the city

2376-487: The boundaries of Lake Washington School District , Renton School District and Issaquah School District . At the higher education level the city is home to Bellevue College , part of the Washington Community and Technical Colleges system. Bellevue is home to Open Window School , an independent school serving gifted students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle

2448-523: The building of developments such as Lincoln Square and the Bravern. Bellevue Square is located in downtown Bellevue and is now one of the largest shopping centers in the region. Opened in 1946, the mall has undergone several significant phases of expansion since the 1980s. The city's plans include the Bel-Red Corridor Project, a large-scale planning effort to encourage the redevelopment of

2520-604: The city is served by the Bellevue School District . There are four main public high schools – Bellevue High School , Interlake High School , Newport High School , and Sammamish High School – as well as two choice lottery high schools, International School and Big Picture School. Newsweek's 2015 ranking of U.S. public high schools placed Interlake at #359 and Newport at #391, with both schools noted for equitably helping low-income students meet average scores on standardized tests. Portions of Bellevue also lie within

2592-479: The city's day-to-day activities. The city manager is also elected by the seven members of the council instead of by popular vote. Politically, the city leans strongly Democratic, much like the Seattle/King County area as a whole. Of the 61,742 residents who cast ballots in the 2016 U.S. presidential election , 66.11% voted for Hillary Clinton , compared to 24.58% for Donald Trump . The vast majority of

2664-412: The city, through annexation, had grown to be the 4th largest city in the state of Washington, and the department had 92 personnel. In 1971, the department formed the vice and narcotics detail, as well as the harbor patrol. In 1972, the rank of Sergeant was eliminated as part of a motion to combine the police and fire departments. The potential merger drew intense criticism and was eventually scrapped, but

2736-409: The city. The population density was 3,563.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,375.8/km ). There were 48,396 housing units at an average density of 607.7/km (1,574.0/mi ). The racial makeup of the city was 74.33% White, 1.99% African American, 0.32% Native American, 17.39% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 2.54% from other races, and 3.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.32% of

2808-487: The community than they had in the past. In order to meet the increased demands on the patrol section, 10 new positions were added in 1981. The city's public safety training center became a reality in 1983. The training facility houses a firing range, exercise facility, classrooms, drill tower, and K-9 area, as well as a large paved parking lot which is used for motorcycle officer training and re-certification. The decade between 1975 and 1984 saw many advances and changes with

2880-621: The day and more than 80% feel safe after dark. BPD officers regularly partner with community organizations to serve food, distribute free groceries, and collect and deliver furniture to those in need. Each year, officers participate in "Shop with a Cop", the Child Safety Fair, and National Night Out. BPD offers a crime map on their website through CrimeMapper: The Bellevue Police Department recruits and hires both entry level and experienced (lateral) police officers. Entry level applicants are screened through NationalTestingNetwork.com, and take

2952-499: The day at nearby Wildwood Park. After the ferry landing was moved to Medina , however, tourism to Bellevue waned. To counter this decline, the Bellevue Strawberry Festival was conceived of in 1925, and by the 1930s it had grown to attract as many as 15,000 visitors. At the time, Bellevue was still a small town with around 2,000 residents. Prior to the opening of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge in 1940, Bellevue

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3024-461: The delivery of services that the Bellevue Police Department provides to the community. The councils collaborate with the department on projects and provide guidance to the Chief of Police on best practices and approaches. They also help to identify barriers that exist between police officers and members of the community and develop strategies to eliminate the barriers. Community policing is a main focus of

3096-418: The department had its first dispatch center. In 1964, the department moved to 116th Avenue SE and Main Street, where it remained until 2006. In 1965, the department created a traffic division, and assigned 5 officers to Traffic enforcement duties. Also in 1965, Bellevue experienced its first homicide. In 1968, Bellevue had 49 sworn officers. That same year the college incentive program was offered. By 1970,

3168-845: The department. During those years the crime prevention unit was formed, uniformed officers took a greater role in investigations, the Tactical Arms Group was formed, and the crime analysis unit was formed. 1986 saw the beginning of the Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) role. 7 officers received the initial training, which involved crime scene and evidence processing. CSI officers gather evidence at major crime scenes, resulting in faster and more thorough crime scene processing. In 1990, there were 144 police officers in Bellevue. A 1991 survey of Bellevue residents found that 85.7 percent of respondents reported feeling very safe or moderately safe in their neighborhoods. Also in 1991 there were, for

3240-543: The department. In September 1997 the department began the School Resource Officer (SRO) program, placing officers in each of Bellevue's 4 high schools. In 1998 the traffic division was moved under the umbrella of the patrol section, and the department also formed its honor guard that year. The department moved into the new Bellevue City Hall located at 450 110th Avenue NE in April 2006. Patrol Operations, which includes

3312-548: The downtown business district and is connected to Interstate 405 by NE 6th St. and a direct-access Texas T HOV ramp. Local buses run into Kirkland , Redmond , Issaquah , Renton , and the University District ; regional buses go to Bothell , Lynnwood , Everett , Seattle , Renton , Kent and Auburn , among other cities. An electric microtransit shuttle service operated by Circuit, Inc. began operating in August 2023;

3384-549: The expulsion of the ethnic Japanese farming community, a large quantity of farmland became available for development. This made way for the initial development of the Bellevue downtown area. Bellevue incorporated as a third-class city on the March 31, 1953. Following the 1963 opening of a second bridge across the lake, the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge , the city began to grow more rapidly. The Crossroads community

3456-419: The first time in nearly two decades, no fatal traffic collisions. The first citizens academy graduated in 1992, and has been an important community outreach program that continues to this day. In 1994 and 1995, the department went through several changes, including the opening of the Factoria substation, the initiation of a summer park patrol program, and the receipt of a federal grant which added 4 officers to

3528-460: The headquarters of various sizes, including the U.S. operations for many international firms. Since 2005, the city has become a hub for software engineering and other technology development centers. These include PACCAR Inc , T-Mobile US , Eddie Bauer , SAP Concur , and Symetra . Bellevue hosts a number of satellite offices for large technology companies such as eBay , Meta , ByteDance , Oracle , Salesforce , Google , and Microsoft ; Microsoft

3600-523: The incorporated city. South of I-90, the city continues up Cougar Mountain , at the top of which is an unincorporated King County location called Hilltop. To the west of Cougar Mountain, Bellevue includes the Coal Creek , Somerset, and Factoria neighborhoods. Bellevue is bordered by the cities of Kirkland to the north and Redmond to the northeast along the Overlake and Crossroads neighborhoods. Across

3672-453: The large Bel-Red section of the city bordering the adjacent city of Redmond which is a major employment area in the city. Patterned after the redevelopment of the downtown core, plans include superblock mixed-use projects similar to Lincoln Square , premised on private construction and the development of infrastructure such as the 2 Line of Link light rail that will extend to the Eastside. Bellevue lies between Lake Washington to

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3744-523: The last weekend in July. The biennial Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition draws thousands of visitors to the Downtown Park to view up to 46 three-dimensional artworks from artists around the country. Crossroads, Bellevue The Crossroads area was originally referred to as "Highlands". During the latter half of the 1800s and into the early twentieth century, its land was largely used for timber harvesting. By

3816-514: The late 2010s, Microsoft had become the largest employer in Bellevue, where it had several offices to supplement its headquarters campus in Redmond. The company's workforce in the city peaked at 9,300 in 2021 and later declined as it consolidated offices at its headquarters and vacated its leased offices pace in Downtown Bellevue and Eastgate. Other technology companies, including ByteDance and The Pokémon Company International, have since expanded their office leases in Downtown Bellevue. According to

3888-408: The population. There were 45,836 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and

3960-441: The population. There were 50,355 households, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.2% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

4032-400: The prevalence of multinational technology companies in the city. Around 23% of Bellevue's well-educated workforce are in engineering or science-related industries. About half of its residents identify as a person of color or ethnic minority. According to a 2018 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $ 113,698. In a 2020 survey of Centers for Disease Control data, Bellevue

4104-785: The short East Channel Bridge , I-90 connects Bellevue to Mercer Island to the southwest. Issaquah is to the east, down I-90 at the south end of Lake Sammamish. The city is bordered to the west by many affluent suburbs such as Medina , Clyde Hill , Hunts Point and Yarrow Point . The south end of Bellevue is bordered by the city of Renton , and to the southeast, the relatively recently incorporated city of Newcastle . Neighborhoods within Bellevue include Bellecrest, Bel-Red , Bridle Trails , Crossroads , Eastgate /Cougar Mountain, Enatai, Factoria , Lake Hills , Newport , Newport Hills, Northeast Bellevue, Northwest Bellevue, Overlake , Sammamish/East Bellevue, Somerset , Sunset, Tam O'Shanter, West Bellevue, Wilburton , and Woodridge. Like much of

4176-649: The state LEOFF pension plan and the MEBT plan available to all City of Bellevue employees. All equipment and uniforms are provided and some plainclothes positions are given a clothing stipend as well. Bellevue Police have a training center that they share with the Bellevue Fire Department , located at 1838 116th Ave NE. New recruits train at the Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien. Those who pass

4248-560: The trunked system). Bellevue, Washington Bellevue ( / ˈ b ɛ l v j uː / BEL -vew ) is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington , United States, located across Lake Washington from Seattle . It is the third-largest city in the Seattle metropolitan area , and the fifth-largest city in Washington . It has variously been characterized as a satellite city ,

4320-639: The upper reaches of Bellevue. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 37.505 square miles (97.14 km ), of which 33.468 square miles (86.68 km ) is land and 4.037 square miles (10.46 km ) is water. The city's name is derived from a French term for "beautiful view". Under favorable weather conditions, scenic vistas of the Olympic Mountains and Cascade Mountains can be viewed from hilltops (and strategically positioned high-rise buildings) within

4392-568: The west and the smaller Lake Sammamish to the east. Much of Bellevue is drained by the Kelsey Creek watershed, whose source is located in the Larsen Lake and Phantom Lake green belt and whose outlet is near where Interstate 90 meets Lake Washington's eastern shore. The city is bisected by Interstate 405 running north–south, and the southern portion is crossed from west to east by Interstate 90. The State Route 520 freeway roughly delineates

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4464-470: Was $ 62,338, and the median income for a family was $ 76,868. Males had a median income of $ 56,456 versus $ 37,124 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 36,905. About 3.8% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over. Bellevue is the site of the annual Bellevue Arts and Crafts Fair (originally Pacific Northwest Arts and Crafts Fair), held since 1947 during

4536-438: Was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 38.5 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 13.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 109,569 people, 45,836 households, and 29,060 families residing in

4608-463: Was 4,538.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,752.2/km ). There were 64,688 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 44.7% White , 2.6% African American , 0.4% Native American , 40.6% Asian , 0.2% Pacific Islander , 3.4% from some other races and 8.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.3% of the population. 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18, 4.9% were under 5 years of age, and 14.6% were 65 and older. As of

4680-585: Was a member of the Sound Transit Board of Directors. The City of Bellevue has undertaken an extensive "Bel-Red Area Transformation" process which seeks to plan some 900 acres (3.6 km ) in the Spring District in the city's northern portion, all of which has been premised on the extension of light rail to the Eastside under Sound Transit 2. The top-down and highly integrated land use and transportation planning has been similar to earlier planning for

4752-407: Was annexed in 1964. Lake Hills was annexed in 1969. By the 1970 census, Bellevue had become the fourth most populous city in the state of Washington, behind only Seattle, Spokane , and Tacoma . Bellevue remains one of the largest cities in the state, with several high-rise structures in its core and a burgeoning business community. The city experienced a building boom during the mid-2000s, with

4824-427: Was at one point headquartered in Bellevue but has since moved to the neighboring community of Redmond, Washington . Celebrated video game companies Valve , Bungie , Sucker Punch Productions , and The Pokémon Company International are also based here. In 2019, Amazon and Facebook announced plans to open large engineering centers in Bellevue with plans to add several thousand employees. In 2018, Google also opened

4896-484: Was later delayed to 2024 due to construction issues. The first section, from South Bellevue station to Redmond Technology station in Overlake, opened on April 27, 2024. The Bellevue City Council lobbied Sound Transit, the regional transit authority, to construct its light rail line underground through Bellevue's rapidly growing downtown. The city government promised to devote between $ 104 million and $ 150 million toward

4968-526: Was mostly rural farmland area with little development. Although it was small, developers were pushing to change that; in the 1920s, James S. Ditty predicted that it would become a city with a population of 200,000. He envisioned plans that included the bridging of Lake Washington and an area filled with golf courses and airports. His map with these visions was published in 1928. Once the Murrow Memorial Bridge opened, access from Seattle improved, and

5040-446: Was ranked as the second-best place to live by USA Today . More than 145 companies have been located in Bellevue; companies currently headquartered there include PACCAR Inc , T-Mobile US , and Valve . The technology company Amazon was founded in Bellevue by Jeff Bezos . The Duwamish , whose main settlements were located in present-day Renton and Seattle, maintained a small outpost settlement called Satskal ( SAH-tsah-kahl ) along

5112-407: Was ranked first among small U.S. cities with the highest percentage of physically active adults, with 86 percent reporting that they exercise. In 2006, Bellevue was rated one of the 25 safest cities in America, based on the per-capita incidence of violent crime. As of the 2020 census , there were 151,854 people, 60,953 households, and 39,419 families residing in the city. The population density

5184-407: Was trending unusually high. The wet season of 2017, defined as the period from October through April, saw a similar rainfall of 47.26 inches (1,200 mm). Bellevue is the main Eastside hub for both the local transit authority, King County Metro , and Sound Transit , the regional transit system. The Bellevue Transit Center , which serves both Metro and Sound buses, is located in the heart of

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