King County Comprehensive Plan
The central Puget Sound region is growing. Every day in 2019, the region gained 166 people. The Puget Sound Regional Council projects that the region will continue to grow and add another 1.8 million people and 1.2 million jobs by 2050.
The Comprehensive Plan is a key policy document that guides how growth and development will occur over the next 20 years. It guides County decisions and services such as:
- where homes, offices, or stores can be built;
- how roads, buildings and trees contribute to the look and feel of neighborhoods;
- investments in transit, sewers, and parks;
- protection of working farms and forests; and
- access to clean water, clean air, and a healthy environment.
Read a short FAQ about the Comprehensive Plan here.
The 2024 Update
King County has started a once-a-decade update to its Comprehensive Plan, which guides where people live, work, and play in unincorporated King County. While this is known as the "2024 Update" the process for developing the plan takes place over two years. Please see the planned timeline below.
To ensure that King County will be a welcoming community where every person can thrive, the 2024 update focuses on policies related to racial equity, affordable housing, and climate change. More details about the scope of the update can be found here. There will be many opportunities during the planning process for all county residents and the general public to provide input on the update, until it is adopted by Council in December of 2024.
Public Review Draft of the 2024 Update
In June and July 2023, King County shared a draft of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan, a 20-year plan that guides where people live, work, and play in unincorporated communities (places outside of city limits). Read the proposals below to learn more about the specific actions King County is considering to address social equity, affordable housing, and climate change in our region.
The comment period on the Public Review Draft is now closed. The Executive is currently reviewing the public input, which will inform the final the Executive Recommended Plan that will be submitted the King County Council in December 2023. Additional opportunities for public input will occur throughout 2024.
Appendix A - Capital Facilities and Utilities
Appendix B - Housing Needs Assessment
Appendix C - Transportation
Appendix C1 - Transportation Needs Report
Appendix C2 - Regional Trail Needs Report
Appendix D - Growth Targets and the
Urban Growth Area
Snoqualmie Valley/NE King County Community Service Area Subarea Plan
Vashon-Maury Island Community Service Area Subarea Plan Amendments
Land Use and Zoning Map Amendments
Proposed Ordinance with King County
Code Amendments
Supplemental Changes - Four-to-One Program:
Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC) Motion 23-3
Countywide Planning Policy Amendments
Comprehensive Plan Amendments
King County Code Amendments
Public Notice of Intent to Amend
Equity Impact Review Current Conditions Analysis
Summary of Snoqualmie Valley/NE KingCounty Subarea Plan Public Review Draft:
English
Spanish
Chinese
Area Zoning and Land Use Studies:
Black Diamond Urban Growth Area
Carnation Urban Growth Area Exchange
Kent Pet Cemetery
Maple Valley Industrial
Reports:
Middle Housing Code Study
Vashon P-Suffix Report
Vashon Affordable Housing Special District Overlay Report
King County wants to hear from you!
Please feel free to contact us with any comments, questions or requests. Regional Planning staff are looking forward to hearing from you.
- Send us an email at: CompPlan@kingcounty.gov
- Sign up for Comprehensive Planning Newsletter
Project Milestones
- Jan-Jun 2022: King County Executive staff begin the Comprehensive Plan update process.
- Jul 2022-Mid 2023: King County Executive develops and releases draft Comprehensive Plan.
- Mid 2023-Dec 2023: King County Executive staff edit the draft plan based on community input and transmit an Executive Recommended plan with a draft State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to the King County Council for review and approval.
- Jan-Dec 2024: The King County Council reviews, amends, and adopts the final Comprehensive Plan. Final EIS is issued.
What we’ve heard so far
King County is incorporating the results of public feedback to guide the refinement of policy proposals for the final Executive-Recommended Plan, along with a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The final Executive-Recommended Plan will be submitted to County Council in December 2023. There will be additional opportunities throughout 2024 to share your thoughts with County Councilmembers as they begin their review of the policies.
FAQs
King County’s planning role is complex in that it is responsible for regional services and is also the local government to unincorporated areas. Thus, King County’s Comprehensive Plan offers a vision for how unincorporated areas will grow and how regional services – such as transit, parks and solid waste – will be provided.
The policies throughout the plan support good planning principles such as directing new homes and jobs to areas near current and planned transit centers. Another is that rural and resource lands are protected through an urban growth boundary, which allows our region to keep working farms and forests.
Unincorporated areas are areas outside of city limits. If you live or do business in neighborhoods such as Skyway, White Center, Vashon-Maury Island, or Redmond Ridge, King County is your main provider of local government services.
Here are two ways to find out if you are located in an unincorporated area:
- Find or enter your address on this map. The green layer shows unincorporated King County.
- Enter your address in King County’s Parcel Viewer and see what’s listed as the jurisdiction.
There are three types of updates: technical adjustments, limited updates, and major updates.
- Every year, there is an opportunity to make technical adjustments to the plan and minor changes to land use designations and zoning classifications.
- Once every five years, a limited range of substantive changes can be considered. At this time, the county also conducts a study of how much of the predicted growth has happened and evaluates policies to see if they are effective at accommodating it. The next possible five-year update would be in 2029.
- Finally, at least once every ten years, King County is required to review and update the plan to ensure compliance with the goals and requirements of the GMA. These updates are also an opportunity to make in-depth and broad ranging policy changes that address changes in the community's growth and long-term needs, while advancing the County's policy goals.
- To submit specific policy recommendations or changes to land use and zoning, please use the docket application process.
- If you have general comments or suggestions for a current plan update (such as the 2024 update), please submit feedback to CompPlan@kingcounty.gov.
- King County planning staff are available to meet with community groups and other interested parties. Please submit requests to CompPlan@kingcounty.gov.
- Sign up for news about plan updates and Comprehensive Plan topics by joining our mailing list.
Resources
Proposing Changes (including Docket, Four-to-One Proposals, and site-specific zoning changes)
King County Code (including Title 20 Planning and Title 21A Zoning)
PSRC's VISION 2050