Welcome to

Ballard

A SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS ONCE ITS OWN CITY

Just minutes from downtown Seattle, the Ballard neighborhood welcomes visitors and locals to explore curated boutiques, award-winning restaurants, and esteemed entertainment in a vibrant, historic setting.

Once its own city before being annexed to Seattle in 1907, Ballard is set uniquely apart through its historic architecture, maritime influence, and Scandinavian heritage.

Situated along a picturesque and bustling waterfront on one side and quaint historic neighborhoods on the other, Ballard boasts a thriving shopping and dining district that balances historic charm with modern sophistication, a brewery district, and a plethora of year-round activities and special events. Ballard is the perfect location for visitors and locals to experience a unique Seattle neighborhood vibe.
(Photo credit Aerolist Photographers, Inc.)

Ballard’S BACKSTORY

From its namesake, a sea captain who lost a coin toss but gained a city, to hosting European royalty at the National Nordic Museum, Ballard has an eclectic backstory.

The land surrounding what is now the Ballard neighborhood was originally natural terrain and waterways, inhabited by Coast Salish Tribes who had villages all along areas including Shilshole, Salmon Bay, and Lake Washington.

RAILWAYS AND WATERWAYS THAT SHAPED BALLARD’S History

Many factors and land deals spurred the town’s growth like the expansion of railroads, rich timber lands and waterways for transportation and the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. Captain William Rankin Ballard joined forces with John Leary, Charles Douglas Stimson, Judge Thomas Burke and Daniel H. Gilman to purchase land and a defunct sawmill along Salmon Bay. The area was transformed into what became known as the shingle-making capitol of the world or “Shingletown”.

The influx of commerce and industry to the natural area made Ballard an ideal location for timber production and commercial fishing fleets – which required workers. This was the beginning of Ballard’s Nordic roots. A large concentration of Scandinavian immigrants flocked to the jobs and opportunity to live and work in an area that reminded them of their ancestral countries.
(Photo Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives)

THE CITY OF BALLARD

The paperwork was drawn up in 1889 and in 1890 Ballard was incorporated. The city grew and was an economically vital part of the region. In 1900, it was the 7^th largest city in Washington State. With this growth came consequences and as demand for fresh water for this growing city and its residential community expanded, Ballard was forced to annex to the city of Seattle in 1907.

Today, there are still vestiges of Ballard’s past from the columns and bell of the iconic Centennial Bell tower that came from the original Ballard City Hall building to a nod to taverns of old that used to be a hub for wayward sailors to cobblestone streets that were once noisy streetcar lines and lots of Scandinavian traditions baked into Ballard’s annual events and festivals. Visitors and locals can view plaques on historic buildings that share more of about the people and businesses that used to call it home. Ballard is now a quaint yet vibrant Seattle neighborhood that locals like to call a “little city in the big city”.

Discover for yourself why there’s more to sea in Ballard!
(Photo Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives)

Building and Sustaining

a Vibrant Ballard Community

Visit Ballard is a program of Ballard Alliance. The Ballard Alliance works to ensure the neighborhood remains a unique and economically vital community for its visitors, residents, businesses and property owners. Through year-round programs to enhance and beautify our urban landscape, seasonal events that engage locals and visitors, and relentless advocacy on the issues that matter most, the Ballard Alliance is dedicated to making Ballard a thriving community.

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