Introduction Sometimes the best reminder of why GIS matters comes from seeing it through fresh eyes. Recently, an energetic 8th grader with a real passion for maps and geography visited the King County GIS Center with his mom for a lunchtime learning adventure. His excitement, curiosity, and thoughtful questions made it a memorable visit with…
December 2025 saw record-breaking flooding in the Pacific Northwest. With some areas seeing over 15 inches of rain in 72 hours, our region saw damage to more than 400 residences, two levee failures, and several major road closures. The Regional Communication and Emergency Coordination Center (RCECC) requested 24-hour GIS coverage beginning on December 10, 2025.…
Data / Employee Spotlight / General News / GIS for Best Run Government / GIS Management Best Practices / Project Spotlight / Regional GIS
In 2025, the King County GIS Center received dual Enterprise GIS Awards from Esri, honoring more than three decades of leadership and excellence in GIS. Recognized at both the CIO Summit and the Esri User Conference, KCGISC continues to deliver countywide value, from emergency response to public health, with a projected ROI of $3 billion by 2025 that underscores its sustained innovation and collaboration.
King County is proud to have been honored with the 2025 Exemplary Systems in Geospatial (ESIG) Award in the Single Process Systems category by the Geospatial Professional Network (GPN, formerly URISA). This recognition honors our innovative AI-GIS Strengthened State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Response Letter Generator, a novel system that integrates geographic information systems (GIS)…
The King County GIS Center faced performance issues with the Districts and Development Conditions report, particularly for parcels with multiple Shoreline Management Designations, resulting in slow loading times and timeouts. By upgrading server resources and optimizing queries, they reduced load times from over 20 seconds to approximately 2 seconds, enhancing public service efficiency.
In a recent web newsletter (“May 2025 Unincorporated Area Community News“), the King Co. Dept. of Local Services highlighted a series of community conversations for which the KCGIS Center provided support. GIS Analysts Chris Landback, Josh Popelka, Toni Carpenter and Paul McCombs implemented invaluable materials for these meetings. Community members were invited to share their…
The King County GIS Center received the 2024 URISA Exemplary Systems in Government award for its new interactive Aerial Imagery Program web application, improving the management and ordering of high-resolution aerial imagery. This streamlined process has saved over one hundred hours of staff time, enhancing efficiency for local jurisdictions.
In October, I attended the URISA annual GIS-Pro Conference in Portland, where URISA rebranded as the Geospatial Professional Network. A personal highlight was receiving the ESIG Award for King County’s SOGIS. The new Esri ArcGIS Hub platform improves access and engagement, streamlining the preparation of GIS documentation significantly.
King County aims to address equity issues through its Equity and Social Justice Plan. To measure its success, it has identified 15 conditions and uses StoryMaps, Dashboards, and Instant Apps to present the data. The Determinants of Equity data tool has been successful, leading to the development of training sessions for users.
Climate change is a growing concern due to extreme weather events and infrastructure damage. Trees play a crucial role in mitigating this by absorbing CO2 and producing oxygen. High-resolution LiDAR data is used to create tree canopy models to track changes in tree cover, vital for environmental and economic well-being. An estimate of over 101 million trees in King County underscores the importance of accurate inventory and conservation efforts.
Today, we are excited to announce the availability of our new Districts and Development Conditions Report. We’re proud to deliver a good experience on phones and tablets in addition to the modern look-and-feel that you’ve come to expect from the new kingcounty.gov.
King County GIS Center is launching the new Districts and Development Conditions Report (also referred to in short as the Districts Report) application to the public and King County internal staff!
Victor High, a Principal GIS Specialist at the King County GIS Center, recounts his journey from watching the moon landing to pioneering GIS technology. His career shift from technical illustration to GIS enabled him to work on beneficial projects and leave a lasting legacy. After 33 years, he passes the torch to Valerie Bright, confident in the future of GIS at King County.
The King County GIS Center is featuring 19 women in GIS from several agencies, highlighting the broad applications of GIS. These women express their passion for GIS and how it has shaped their careers and perspectives. GIS professionals in various fields highlight the power and versatility of GIS and its potential to influence decision-making and create meaningful visualizations for communities. They underline the importance of staying updated with GIS technology and collaborating with colleagues and GIS communities. These women are paving the way for GIS enthusiasts and emphasize the broad range of opportunities in the GIS field across different industries.
GIS, or Geographic Information System, is often misunderstood by non-GIS professionals. To address this, resources like short videos and articles from Esri provide fun and accessible introductions to GIS. These materials cover topics such as location intelligence, data sharing, GIS in education, and support for various business functions. Additionally, publications are available for further exploration.
GIS & You 