Why Is Seattle Called the Emerald City?

Seattle is called the Emerald City because of its abundant parks and greenbelts, which give it a vibrant, lush appearance year-round. In addition to ample vegetation within the city itself, Seattle is surrounded by areas of great natural beauty, including the densely forested Olympic Peninsula and the Cascade Range.

(Learn more about the city in Seattle: 10 Claims to Fame.)

Seattle is able to stay green all year because its climate is temperate, with cool summers and mild winters. To the west, the Olympic Mountains provide protection from the heavy winter rains that frequently inundate the Pacific coast of Washington, while the tall Cascades to the east shield the city from midcontinental extremes of heat and cold.