The city of Kent, Washington serves a population of about 120,000. The city of Kent is the third largest city in King County and is a suburb of Seattle. The population has just grown, but due primarily to annexation, not to an influx of new inhabitants. Nearby towns comprise Auburn, Federal Way, part of Covington to the South, unincorporated King County, Federal Way, Des Moines and Sea Tac to the west, Renton and Tukwila towards the north, and Covington to the east. Mt. Rainier could be seen towards the southeast.
Kent City is composed of three parts: West Hill, East Hill and the Valley. The downtown center lies within the Valley. The city of Kent has a total area of 73.2 km2, of which 0.6 km2 is water and 72.6 km2 is land. Kent has the 2nd biggest warehouse district within the country. The Green River runs north through the city of Kent on its way to Puget Sound. The East Hill area has a big lake referred to as Lake Meridian.
The Kent region was originally known as Titusville when it was originally settled by European-Americans during the early part of the 1860s. A 'Titusville Station' sign can still be seen on Gowe St. The production of hops was a primary source of earnings in the 1880s. In Europe, an aphid infestation had destroyed hops crops, boosting the value of hops from the Puget Sound region where hops were shipped by rail or river transportation from Titusville. A local invasion of aphids eventually brought at end to the production of hops in the valley. Titusville was given a different name, after Kent County within England. Kent was incorporated as a city during the year 1890 with a population of 793.
Companies like for instance Seattle Bicycle Supply, REI and Oberto Sausage Company have their head offices within the city of Kent. The city likewise has a large Boeing plant. The fertile valley before is currently covered with various warehouses due partially to Kent's part as a hub for transportation routes. The sprawling warehouse district is used for regional distribution by companies like for example General Electric Appliances and Whirlpool Corporation.
The city of Kent has just gone through a revitalization drive with the development of the Kent Station and the ancillary shopping area.