Bothell, Washington
city in King and Snohomish Counties, Washington, USA
Bothell () is a city in King and Snohomish counties in the U.S. state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area, situated near the northeast end of Lake Washington in the Eastside region. It had a population of 48,161 residents as of the 2020 census.
The city lies along the Sammamish River, the historic home of the indigenous Sammamish people, and is adjacent to Kenmore and Woodinville. It was established in 1870 and platted by David Bothell and his family in 1888, shortly before the arrival of railroads in the area. The town was incorporated in 1909 and originally relied on logging and farming; in the mid-20th century, it became a bedroom community for workers commuting to Seattle and later other Eastside cities. Interstate 405 connects the city to other areas of the Eastside and functions as a bypass of Seattle.
Bothell's modern economy is centered around biotechnology and high-tech companies that have facilities that were developed in the late 20th century along North Creek and in the Canyon Park neighborhood, which was annexed by the city in 1992. The annexation also expanded the city limits into Snohomish County. The University of Washington Bothell was established in 1990 and opened its permanent shared campus with Cascadia College in 2000.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Bothell, Washington” as city in King and Snohomish Counties, Washington, USA. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as city in King and Snohomish Counties, Washington, USA. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q303046. VIAF identifies the subject as 131042650. The Library of Congress control number is n83030191. Authority coordinates are 47.772, -122.204. 4 of 6 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020, 1870, 1888 and 1909.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Bothell, Washington”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Bothell, Washington primary sources, Bothell, Washington archive and Bothell research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Bothell, Washington”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Bothell, Washington” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.