Nicknames for Olympia include “Oly” and “O-Town”. Washington’s unofficial moniker is “The Evergreen State”.
Research website numbeo ranks Olympia at the very top compared to the 250 cities evaluated on its overall quality of life index at June 2020. Olympia scored particularly well on index factors such as traffic commute time (fourth-fastest), pollution (cleanest 3%), purchasing power (highest 6%), property price to income ratio (lowest 12%), safety (top 20%) and health care (best 29%).
An impressive feat associated with Washington’s capital city occurred when its native son Colin O’Brady scaled the highest mountain peaks on seven continents–the famous Seven Summits–in just 192 days.
Also, a farm in Olympia was recognized by the Guinness World Records as home to the world’s oldest llama living in captivity, a 25-year-old gelding named Julio. Olympia generated another zany entry in the Guinness World Records on December 7, 2019 when one of its citizens, Joel Strasser, attached 302 baubles to his beard–the most ever.
From a business perspective, the largest employers in Olympia, Washington are the State of Washington, local government, Providence St. Peter Hospital, native American tribal government, federal government, integrated health care provider Kaiser Permanente, Walmart and indoor waterparks chain Great Wolf Lodges.
Applying an international trade lens, the state of Washington shipped U$60.1 billion worth of goods around the globe during 2019. Its most valuable exports are civilian aircraft including engines and other parts (42.2% of Washington’s global total), soya beans (6.8%), wheat and meslin (4.2%), refined petroleum oils (2.9%), corn (2.2%), prepared or preserved potatoes (1.5%), ultrasonic scanning apparatus (1.4%), fresh apples (1.2%), and soya bean flours and meals (also 1.2%) according to United States Census Bureau data.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Olympia was 9.2% at June 2020, up from 5% two years earlier.
Capital Facts for Olympia, United States: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: 5th Avenue Bridge, Lattin’s Country Cider Mill & Farm, Monarch Sculpture Park, Nisqually Reach Nature Center and the Washington State Capital Museum
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Olympia, United States.
- Kasey Keller, World Cup Soccer U.S. national team goalkeeper (born Nov. 29, 1969)
- Eloise Mumford, actress (born Sep. 24, 1986)
- Peter Kennedy, Olympic pairs figure skating silver medalist (born Sep. 4, 1927)
- Ryann Donnelly, alternative pop singer (born Sep. 11, 1986)
- Jay Waldron, Olympic target shooter (born Mar. 4, 1966)
- Bryan Tanaka, dancer & choreographer (born Apr. 11, 1983)
- Charles Frank, actor (born Apr. 17, 1947)
- Derik Nelson, singer-songwriter (born Jan. 31, 1988)
- Sarah Jones, Olympic rower (born Aug. 26, 1973)
- Zacky Vengeance, rhythm guitarist (born Dec. 11, 1981)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches of published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for an Olympia resident: Olympians
Population: 52,882 (Olympia)
Density: 2,902 people per square mile (1,121 per square kilometer)
Population: 7,614,893 (Washington state) at July 1, 2019
Density: 114 people per square mile (44 per square kilometer)
Financial
GDP: US$511.672 billion for 2018 (Washington state)
GDP per person: $67,194 in 2018 (Chained 2012 dollars)
Note: The above GDP metrics are on a current basis and are in U.S. dollars.
Official currency used in Olympia: U.S. dollars
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Dilemma X, U.S. Census Bureau metropolitan population estimates July 1, 2016.
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Unemployment Rate in Olympia-Tumwater.
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Total Real Gross Domestic Product for Lexington-Fayette, KY (MSA).
Forbes Global 2000, The World’s Biggest Public Companies.
Guinness World Records, Most baubles in a beard.
Guinness World Records, The world’s oldest llama….
Nations Online, Capital Cities of the USA.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
Official Government Website, City of Olympia official website.
The Oregonian, Portland endurance athlete brings home two world records.
United States Census Bureau, Foreign Trade: State by 6-Digit HS Code and Top Countries.
United States Census Bureau, Quick Facts Washington.
United States Census Bureau, State Population Totals Tables: 2010-2016.
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: Seasonally Adjusted Metropolitan Area Estimates.
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Gross Domestic Product by Metropolitan Area, 2015 (Tables Only).
Wikimedia Commons, State of Washington flag.
Wikipedia, List of Capital in the United States.
Wikipedia, List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas.
Wikipedia, Olympia, Washington.
Wikipedia, Thurston Country, Washington.
Wikipedia, Washington (state).
Olympians celebrate Independence Day as a national holiday each July 4.
Within city limits, Olympia occupies 18.22 square miles (47.18 square kilometers). The state capital’s population was 52,882 Olympians in 2019.
Washington state covers a land area of 66,544 square miles (172,587 square kilometers) home to 7.6 million inhabitants.
At the city level, Olympia’s population density averages 2,902 residents per square mile (1,121 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to Washington state’s land borders, population density dilutes to an average 114 people per square mile (44 per square kilometer).
