University Place is a city in Pierce County, Washington, on the eastern shore of Puget Sound, about five miles northwest of Tacoma. Incorporated in 1995 from roughly eight square miles of unincorporated land, it is one of the region's newer cities, and its population is about 34,900. The city's name reflects its origins as a residential area associated with educational institutions in nearby Tacoma, and it grew through the late twentieth century as a suburban community on the hills above the sound. Its neighborhoods slope down toward the water, and many homes and parks offer views across Puget Sound toward the Kitsap Peninsula and the Olympic Mountains. University Place is best known today for Chambers Bay, a links-style golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 2007. The course, set on a former gravel mine overlooking the sound, hosted the 2015 U.S. Open and put the city on the national golf map. The surrounding Chambers Creek Regional Park provides trails, open space, and waterfront access. University Place School District serves local students. The city's position between Tacoma and Gig Harbor, with access to Interstate 5 and Joint Base Lewis-McChord nearby, makes it a practical residential base, while its waterfront setting and parks give it a distinctly Puget Sound character. For residents, the appeal is a family-oriented suburb with strong schools, well-kept neighborhoods, and genuine waterfront recreation, set within commuting distance of Tacoma and the larger Seattle region. The result is a community that pairs the quiet, well-planned character of a modern suburb with the natural beauty of the Puget Sound shoreline.