Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, and the name of the island in Lake Washington on which the city sits. The city is within the Seattle Metropolitan Area. Mercer Island, commonly referred to as "The Rock" is primarily a residential community.
Well-known for its prime location and beautiful surrounding water views. Located in the middle of Lake Washington, Mercer Island is only 15 minutes away from both Seattle and Bellevue. Yet with its forested setting (there are 475 acres of parkland), it is a world removed from the bustle of the city. Views south from this 6.38 square mile island to Mt. Rainier, Seattle, the Cascades, and, of course, Lake Washington are spectacular. Most of the properties here are single family, residential homes, though apartments and condos are located at Mercer Island's small, north end business district.
Mercer Island is ideally situated just a two mile drive to either Seattle or Bellevue, approximately 15 miles from the airport and only about an hour's drive from great ski areas. Symphony, opera, theatre, exquisite cuisine, superb shopping malls plus boutique stores, fishing, boating, waterskiing, swimming, fantastic indoor and outdoor tennis facilities, and all manor of sports for children of all ages, are all nearby.
Mercer Island maintains it's rural setting by avoiding sidewalks, streetlights and straight roads. With lots of trees, parks and horse trails, it's a great place to get lost. Many residents live on the water with docks, water sports, boats and terrific views.
People are drawn to Mercer Island for many reasons. Many residents would say the Island's biggest asset is its’ school district - consistently top rated in Washington state. The highly acclaimed Mercer Island School District operates six Public schools on the island; one high school, one middle school, three elementary schools, and the alternative high school program known as Crest Learning Center. Mercer Island High School students score, on average, higher on the SAT than other Washington public schools. The public school district scores are top in Washington on the WASL. Private schools on the island are also very noteworthy. These include St. Monica Catholic School, French American School, Northwest Yeshiva, Privett Academy and many wonderful preschools.
Another hit with Islanders, as the residents like to call themselves, are the 475 acres of parkland and open space that the city owns and maintains. There are three large city waterfront parks – Luther Burbank Park, Clarke Beach and Groveland Beach Park. Mid island parks include Pioneer Park with its 120 acres of woodland trails, in addition to numerous other small neighborhood parks with tennis courts, baseball fields and extensive bike trails and picnic areas.
Housing Cost
Property here on the island is valuable, with premier luxury homes set on breathtaking waterfront and view properties. Three bedroom, two bathroom homes in Mercer Island will start at around $700k with two bedroom Mercer Island condos starting at $350k.
Demographics
Population in July 2008: 24,163. Mercer Island covers 6.38 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 75 feet above sea level. Zip codes: 98040 - Area code commonly used in this area: 425
Weather
Mercer Island, WA climate is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 60's and cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 40's.
The warmest month of the year is August with an average maximum temperature of 74.90 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 36.00 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be fairly limited during summer with a difference that can reach 18 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 12 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at Mercer Island is 38.25 Inches. Winter months tend to be wetter than summer months. The wettest month of the year is December with an average rainfall of 6.06 Inches.
Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com
