Thurston

Formed January 12, 1852 (4^th county)

Thurston County (252,264), Olympia (46,478)

The Modern concrete and glass courthouse replaced a 1930 masonry structure.  The courthouse is on Lakeridge Drive at Deschutes Parkway.  United States Highway 101 is three blocks to the south of the site.  MSGS and Bennett, Johnson, Slenes & Smith combined on the designs.  There were 1892 and 1901 versions previously.  Thurston County was formed on January 12, 1852 from Lewis County as the 4^th county with Olympia as the only county seat.  The county is named for Territorial Congressman Samuel Thurston.  The county seat was named for the Olympic Mountains. 

Thurston County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Eight Superior Court Judges and Three District Court Judges serve Thurston County.  The county is in the western part of the state.  Seattle, Washington is northeast and Portland, Oregon is south of the county.  The county center is 11.8 miles South-Southeast of Olympia nearer Offut Lake.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Pierce, Lewis, Grays Harbor, and Mason counties. 

The area of the county is 774 square miles.  It is 32 out of 39 in the state.  It ranks 6 out of 39 in population in the state.  It has a density of 325.92 persons per square mile making it 5 out of 39 in the state.  Thurston County has 46.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 comes into the county from the northeast, Pierce County, and goes to the south, Lewis County.  United States Highway 12 enters joined with Interstate Highway 5 from Lewis County, and exits to the west into Grays Harbor County.  United States Highway 101 comes from the northwest, Mason County, and terminates.  The Washington state capitol is located in this county.  The county is shaped like a sled.  Olympia is located in the northern quarter of the county.  Olympia is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 18.4% of the county population.  This county is in the Olympia Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Yelm