Tacoma

There is a lot going on in the "City of Destiny." Stroll through the Museum of Glass or explore your wild side at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.

Amtrak moved into the new Tacoma Dome Station in the historic Freighthouse Square in the city’s Dome District on Nov. 18, 2021. This modern station replaced an older structure located about one-half mile to the northeast and was built as part of the Point Defiance Bypass Project. The 10,000-square-foot station, designed by VIA Architecture with community input, replaced an existing portion of the Freighthouse Square building. Soaring walls of glass, wood columns and terrazzo flooring create a bright and airy space for customers. A large, colorful tile art installation depicts the city’s railroad history through images of locomotives, cars, passengers and local scenery. Easy connections are available to Sounder commuter rail, Tacoma Link light rail and local and regional buses.

An arcade connects the station to the rest of popular Freighthouse Square, noted for its art galleries, specialty shops, restaurants and events spaces. The three-block-long green building has been a city landmark for more than a century.

The area that became Tacoma, at the head of Commencement Bay, has been occupied for many centuries, primarily by the Puyallup people prior to European settlement. The name, “Tacoma,” comes from the Native American term for Mount Rainier, “Tacobet,” meaning “Mother of the Waters.”

The city has been home to lumber and paper industries since its inception, including giants such as Weyerhaeuser—so much so that the city was known for its distinctive (foul) odor until in the late 20th century the paper mills reduced their sulfur emissions by 90 percent. U.S. Oil and Refining also operates an oil refinery on the tidal flats of the Port of Tacoma. Shipyards, especially since World War II, have also been major employers in the city.

Tacoma also hosts a major West Coast port that covers nearly 25,000 acres. In 2015 it formed a partnership with the Port of Seattle, and together they constitute one of the top five container ports in North America with strong trade connections to Asia and Alaska. In 2020, the ports handled about $66 billion in trade and more than 3.3 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent container Units).