City Profiles Map

Since its incorporation in 1891, Auburn has become one of the fastest growing areas in the Puget Sound region and is the home to over a million residents. In the last five years, about 10,000 new residents moved into the Auburn area and another 9,655 is projected to move into the area by 2010. With a total land area of 13,138 acres, more than one-third of the city’s land is developed, which provides many different industrial and business opportunities. The remaining undeveloped land is considered to be one of the more affordable lands in the county.

Within the last 10 years, Auburn has saw the development of a new YMCA, a new Justice Center, the Super Mall of the Great Northwest, Emerald Downs Race Track, Muckleshoot Casino, Auburn Performing Arts Center, the White River Valley Museum, the White River Amphitheatre, the Washington National Golf Course, a commuter rail station and also a new Safeway Distribution Center. In addition to these developments, the city is currently developing a new project in the downtown area. The new development, named the Ace Project, is an $11 million project and when finished, will offer a full service hotel, a 5000 square foot indoor water park, a 2000 square foot conference center, a 2000 square foot spa, a 3000 square foot working turn of the century hardware store and museum, 2 restaurants, and 40 condominiums. Other than this new development, the area around the Supermall and the 277^th Street business corridor in Northern Auburn are also being revitalized.

Auburn has one of the more elaborate transportation systems in the county. With a combination of rail and highway transportation, there is ready access to the county’s regional and international markets. The city is bisected by state routes 18 and 167, which are two major arterials that connect to Interstate 5. Two of the states’ major railroads, the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railways, also run through Auburn. In addition, the city opened a new commuter rail station in 2001. There are five trains coming to and from Auburn on a daily basis and carry commuters from Tacoma through Auburn to Seattle. There are currently plans to add more trips and to also extend their services north to Everett and south to Lakewood. About 500 people board Sounder trains from Auburn each morning during the week. In addition, the bus routes are synchronized with train arrivals, which make the rail system a very convenient mode of transportation for those who live and work in Auburn. Next to the rail station is a 6 story commuter-station parking garage, which houses about 550 vehicles.    

Auburn is located along the South King and North Pierce county line. It is located about 15 minutes from Sea-Tac International Airport and the Port of Tacoma and 20 miles from the Port of Seattle, the closest deep water port to the Far East and Alaska.

For more information:

Dave Baron, Economic Development Manager

25 W. Main Street

Auburn, WA 98001

(253) 804-3101

dbaron@auburnwa.gov This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Corresponding with the increasing number of people moving into the region, the number of housing units has also increased. From 2000-2003, the number of housing units grew from 59,296 to 63,475, and an estimated 3,837 is projected to be built by 2010. Auburn is an attractive place for residents due to its location and also the low  cost of the housing market. Homes in the Auburn area cost about 70% less than the median price of a single family home in King County.