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King County Archives
Preserving and providing access to County records of enduring historical value.
ABOUT THE ARCHIVES
Government records are essential for increasing government transparency and protecting the rights of citizens. King County Archives holds historically relevant records created by King County government employees, offices, and agencies. Records range from County Council meeting minutes, County Executive orders, photographs, reports, maps, and project files.
RECORDS AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE
King County Archives holds many county records, but not all of them. Name changes, divorce decrees, birth and death certificates, and court case files are some of the records not available at the Archives. Visit the Records Not at the Archives page for more information about documents that are held by other county or Washington state government offices and how to access them.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
RESEARCH GUIDES
King County Archives has created the following research guides that recommend archival records, additional resources, and search strategies to help you locate information on a specific topic. The Seattle / King County Building History guide was produced by Seattle Public Library in collaboration with the Archives.
BROWSE MORE RESOURCES
COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS
NEWS AND EVENTS
2023: NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK
Image of King County Archives renovated research lobby. Photo Credit: Matthew S. Browning.
2022 was a year full of change and transformation for King County Archives. We moved back into our renovated building, moved 8,000 boxes of records back on-site, opened to the public for limited in-person research, welcomed two new Assistant Archivists, and increased access to the recorded documents collection for the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project researchers.
This year, to match our renovated building, we've renovated our website with more information about the records in our holdings and beautiful images of our collections. These images are courtesy of Records Center Technician Matthew S. Browning. In addition to working for King County, Matt is a professional photographer with more than 15 years of experience. He specializes in event, portraiture, and editorial photography, and since 2014, he is a frequent contributing photographer for Real Change Newspaper.
We are thrilled to feature Matt's photos of our historical records and newly renovated space, and we appreciate the teamwork and support of the entire King County Records Center team: Matt, Coley, Patrick, and Scott.
Photographer Matthew S. Browning
Image of King County Archives renovated closed stacks. Photo Credit: Matthew S. Browning.
FEATURED EXHIBITS
WHAT OUR PATRONS SAY
"This is the second time I've accessed the Archives. Both times, [I've been] blown away at the level of service."
"Thank you, King County Archives, for your service to our community."
"Thanks for looking into my question and giving me a sense of what's in the Archives. These are exactly the materials I'm trying to track down."
"After visiting the Archives and doing my own research, I have a new appreciation for what archivists do."
"Thank you for responding to [my] request so promptly. I really appreciate the support the Archives provides."
TTY Relay 711
For information about our open business hours, please go to our Visit the Archives page.