Kirkland’s popular downtown is directly on the shore of Lake Washington — which makes it a highly sought-after location by retailers, restaurants, businesses, and residents. It’s as much a destination as it is a place to call home. Most Kirkland residents commute to nearby cities for work, but there are several pockets of business and retail space around town, with more developing in downtown and the Totem Lake neighborhood. 

The long-term vision for Kirkland is to develop more mixed-use spaces where housing, retail, entertainment and business tenants will make up one large urban center. The idea is to create more jobs and shopping experiences nearer to homes getting more commuters off the road.

The household-name companies already established in Kirkland include Bluetooth and Google. Bluetooth HQ is in Kirkland, while Google has a large regional campus on the water, offering sweeping views to its employees. EvergreenHealth is one of the most comprehensive healthcare providers in the region, located in Kirkland and employing many of the residents. You’ll also find plenty of tech firms offering software programs for anything from gaming to financial solutions and more.