Conveniently Accessible Location

Kent Valley’s transportation infrastructure, affordable lifestyle, and proximity to major metropolitan markets makes the area the best city for startups and an ideal location for people and companies looking to experience the best of the Pacific Northwest.

Pacific Northwest Lifestyle

Nestled halfway between Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma, Kent Valley provides a wide variety of neighborhood and lifestyle choices. There is an array of affordable housing options, ensuring that home ownership is attainable for much of the workforce in the tech and manufacturing industry. Kent Valley also provides easy access to the outdoors, a coveted benefit of Pacific Northwest living.

Airport and Port Access

Kent Valley is conveniently located only 12 miles from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which offers numerous domestic and international flights. The region also lies within close proximity to other major airports and shipping ports.

Sound Transit Lightrail

Expanding Transit Options Connect People to the Region

Kent Valley is one of the most connected regions of Washington State. Commuter rail connects the cities of Auburn, Kent, and Tukwila to downtown Seattle and downtown Tacoma. Link Light Rail is available in Tukwila, connecting the Kent Valley to downtown Seattle and the University of Washington. In 2024, Link Light Rail will be extended to Kent Valley and the thriving eastside communities of Bellevue and Redmond.

Quick Commute

Much of Kent Valley’s tech and manufacturing industry workforce lives in communities surrounding the Valley including Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma. Kent Valley is easily accessible from these areas due to multiple freeways and arterials that run through the region. Many of those who drive to work enjoy a reverse commute with less drive time.

Driving Distances

Map of Kent Valley
FromToDistance
SeattleKent20 miles
Sea-TacKent12 miles
KentTukwila9 miles
KentAuburn7 miles
RentonTukwila4 miles
RentonPacific17 miles
AuburnTukwila16 miles

Fun Fact:

Harvey’s Skin Diving of Kent, Washington is one of the oldest wetsuit manufacturers in the United States. For over 50 years, Harvey’s has maintained its reputation as the finest manufacturer of American made wet and dry suits.

Kent Valley is home to the original Starbucks coffee roasting plant – one of only five in the world.

From the Lunar Rovers developed at Boeing’s Space Center to the creation of next-generation rockets at Blue Origin, brilliant scientists and engineers are building the world’s most advanced vehicles in Kent Valley.

Accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington is North America’s first sports and entertainment facility to be certified LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Nonprofit FIRST Washington in Kent inspires kids in the sport of science, technology, and teamwork! Using competitive robotics, kids experience the thrill and excitement of playing a sport, while developing skills needed to become part of our future workforce.

Kent Valley is home to one of three national offices of the Robbins Company. This “underground rock star” built the tunnel boring machines used in the construction of the English Channel Tunnel, a 31-mile undersea tunnel linking Great Britain to France.

Kent’s Lake Fenwick is the namesake for Fenwick Fishing Rods where in 1952, a group of five avid fly fishermen formed a fishing rod company in their friends’ unused garage. Today, these sought-after Fenwick rods are known as “the most thought-out fishing rods in the world.”

Qi2 of Kent, Washington is the third generation of one of the world’s most influential innovators in industrial tool development. Founded in 1970 as Flow Research, the company is the source for invention of commercialized wind power and water jet cutting technology.

Even before Neil Armstrong, Hexcel materials made the first footprints on the moon. The foot-pads on the Apollo 11 Lunar Module were made of a crushable honeycomb foil made by Hexcel in Kent, Washington.

Kent Valley is home to Oberto, the nation’s leading all natural jerkey brand, who for over 100 years has made delicious and healthy protein-packed snacks.

Mary Wilson of Renton became the first female voter in Washington state when she voted on whether Renton should form Waterway District No. in 1910.

Renton is home to Jimi Hendrix’s Memorial; he is buried at Greenwood Memorial Park.

In its Renton factory, the Boeing Company produced its first B-29 in 1942; the Superfortress airplanes flew in World War II.

Renton is home to Wizards of the Coast, the nation’s leading publisher of fantasy and science fiction games. Some of their products include: the original run of Pokémon cards from 1998-2003, and Magic: the gathering which is distributed since 1993

Renton’s IKEA, the first one in the Pacific Northwest, has the largest Solar Array in the Washington state and produces 1.2 million kilowatt hours per year.

Renton produces the Boeing 737, the most produced large commercial jet in history.

The Virginia Mason Athletic Center is the headquarters and practice facility of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, in Renton. The second largest training facility in the NFL, it is situated on 19 acres of industrial property on the southeastern shore of Lake Washington.