King County Archives

We are a repository of historical county government records, which are open to the public to view, by appointment only. Over three hundred collections, some dating back to 1853, serve as a permanent source of information about activities, programs, and decisions of King County agencies and elected officials. Our records are in many formats, including paper, photographs, maps, and audio-visual materials. All records are open to the public by appointment.

Historical King County government records are also held elsewhere in the county. Some of them can be found at the Puget Sound Regional Archives, a branch of the Washington State Archives in Bellevue, Washington. Many records are also still held by the county agencies that created them. On the King County Archives pages, you will see many links to pages outside of the King County Archives. We are at your service, and are happy to direct you towards the information you are seeking.

Historical King County Property Records

Many county records relate to property and the infrastructure. To facilitate research using older property records, the King County Archives maintains the Historical Property Records site; devoted to these types of records.