Issaquah occupies a valley in east King County, Washington, roughly 17 miles east of downtown Seattle and just south of Lake Sammamish. Interstate 90 runs through the city, which sits between the Sammamish Plateau to the north and a cluster of forested foothills to the south known locally as the Issaquah Alps — Tiger, Squak, and Cougar mountains. The "Alps" nickname nods to the trio of peaks that rise abruptly from the valley floor, creating one of the Eastside's defining skylines. Issaquah's history as a small coal-mining and railroad settlement gave way over time to its role as a residential and corporate center on the Eastside. Before its corporate era, the city grew as a stop along the Lake Sammamish–Seattle corridor, with its downtown serving surrounding farms and later the region's expanding suburbs. Issaquah is best known today as the home of Costco Wholesale's worldwide headquarters, a major regional employer. Around that anchor, the city has grown into a full-service community with a historic downtown, master-planned neighborhoods, and one of the Seattle region's most highly regarded school systems. Recreation and natural surroundings are central to life in Issaquah. The Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, operated with the help of a local nonprofit, educates visitors about Pacific salmon and hosts the annual Salmon Days Festival each fall, when the city celebrates the returning fish runs. Lake Sammamish State Park provides a large public waterfront, while the Issaquah Alps offer extensive hiking and mountain-biking trails, including the popular Poo Poo Point paragliding launch on Tiger Mountain. Residents range from families drawn to the Issaquah School District and planned communities such as Issaquah Highlands and Klahanie, to those who value the older streets and storefronts of Olde Town and Gilman Village. The city's blend of preserved history and newer planned development offers housing choices across many eras. Its location along I-90 places Seattle, Bellevue, and the broader Eastside tech corridor within a straightforward commute, and the combination of mountain access, lake proximity, strong schools, and a major corporate employer makes Issaquah a sought-after Eastside community.