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Bellevue, Washington
A great place to live, work and play
 Welcome to the City of Bellevue. Just four miles east of Seattle and within minutes of the Microsoft Campus, Bellevue has transformed itself in twenty short years from a suburban bedroom community to the second largest employment center in King County. At the same time, it retains its reputation as one of the most livable communities in the northwestern United States.
A dynamic, knowledge-based economy attracts the best and the brightest to Bellevue. 135,000 people work in Bellevue every day and 117,000 call it home. And while population growth approached or exceeded 20 percent in each of the last three decades, employment growth surpassed it with a 51 percent increase in jobs between 1990 and 2000 alone.
Bellevue has the critical mass to attract, retain, and grow new economy and knowledge-based firms. As a location of choice, Bellevue's economy is largely driven by finance, insurance, real estate, and services (the FIRES sector). Many Bellevue corporations, such as T-Mobile, Verizon, Expedia, Esterline, Eddie Bauer, Microsoft North American Sales Headquarters, Puget Sound Energy, Paccar, Penford, Symetra and Infospace, are leaders in their fields. Bellevue is also home base for businesses to pursue lucrative trade opportunities, taking advantage of its optimal Puget Sound location and alliances with the Trade Development Alliance, Japan-America Society, Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Port of Seattle and King County to access the Pacific Rim.
 Overlooking picturesque Meydenbauer Bay, downtown Bellevue is both a regional employment center and a transportation hub. Major bridges, roadways, and transit connect Bellevue to Seattle and to all parts of the region. Along with its award-winning architecture, the downtown boasts a variety of exceptional cultural and entertainment venues, such as the Bellevue Philharmonic, which performs regularly at Meydenbauer Convention Center; numerous restaurant and shopping venues; the Bellevue Collection which includes Bellevue Square, one of the largest and most successful shopping malls on the West Coast; and new upscale housing options. Bellevue is becoming the premier shopping destination for the Northwest. For more about Bellevue's newest downtown live/work neighborhoods and exciting entertainment and shopping, link to Bellevue Downtown Association.
Bellevue offers a range of office environments, from downtown high-rises to freeway-oriented spaces along the I-90, I-405 and SR 520 corridors, to contemporary office complexes close to urban amenities. They serve the needs of both start-up and mature businesses of virtually any size, from small firms to large corporate headquarters.
 The dynamic business climate is complemented by the relaxed Pacific Northwest lifestyle, symbolized by the majesty and serenity of the surrounding natural landscape. Bellevue lies between two major lakes--Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish--and two mountain chains, the Cascades and the Olympics which are within a two hours drive of the city. Outdoor recreational opportunities are a major reason why people choose to live in Bellevue.
Quality neighborhoods have for years received approval ratings in the 90th percentile from Bellevue residents based upon safety, upkeep, and amenities. Bellevue's moniker, "City in a Park," attests to the 90 parks and 50 miles of trails that thread through these exceptional suburban residential havens.
Bellevue attracts highly skilled workers from all over the world, a reflection of Bellevue's knowledge-based economy and the academic institutions from elementary school through post-graduate educational programs that fuel it. Newsweek magazine recently recognized the Bellevue School District as one of the top school districts in the country. In addition, Bellevue Community College and the King County Library System (with four branches in Bellevue) are nationally recognized as leaders in their fields. Bellevue is one of the most highly educated communities in the nation with 59% of those over 25 years of age having at least a college degree. In addition, Bellevue’s diversity places it as the number one city in the state for percentage of non-white population and population with foreign born residents.
The Bellevue business community is welcoming and inclusive and is a seedbed for innovation. Continuing education programs at Bellevue Community College and City University retool workers and keep them abreast of new development. And business incubators such as the Washington Technology Center help entrepreneurs to advance new business concepts. The University of Washington campuses in Bothell and Seattle and Bellevue Community College have joined forces with all levels of government, banks, and other private interests to establish the Bellevue Entrepreneur Center, a source of business counseling and financial resources for new business that focuses on women and minority business needs. In addition, Bellevue business groups have created aggressive small business development and international trade programs. These all contribute to Bellevue’s reputation for innovation and new business creation.
A great economic climate is the goal of Bellevue's city government. The City of Bellevue understands that business needs do count. Infrastructure, quality services, and reasonable regulations are in place to help businesses be successful. A fiscally conservative city, Bellevue maintains an AAA Bond Rating from Moody's Investment Services and an Aaa Bond Rating from Standard & Poors.
For more information about the Bellevue business climate and for relocation assistance, please link to the following:
Bellevue Advantage - The web site of the Bellevue Economic Partnership, a partnership of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Bellevue Downtown Association, Meydenbauer Convention Center, Port of Seattle, and City of Bellevue.
City of Bellevue Demographic Information
Bellevue Chamber of Commerce
Bellevue Downtown Association
Meydenbauer Convention Center
Bellevue Community College
City University
City of Bellevue, Office of Economic Development
Robert S. Derrick, 425.452.5256, rderrick@bellevuewa.gov
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