Вашингтон штатындағы Пирс округі

County in Washington, United States

Pierce County is a county in the U. S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 921,130, up from 795,225 in 2010, making it the second most populous county in Washington, behind King County, and the 59th most populous in the United States. The county seat and largest city is Tacoma. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory, it was named for U. S. President Franklin Pierce. Pierce County is in the Seattle metropolitan area (formally the Seattle Tacoma Bellevue, WA, metropolitan statistical area). Pierce County is home to the volcano Mount Rainier, the tallest mountain in the Cascade Range. Its most recent recorded eruption was between 1820 and 1854. There is no imminent risk of eruption, but geologists expect that the volcano will erupt again. If this should happen, parts of Pierce County and the Puyallup Valley would be at risk from lahars, lava, or pyroclastic flows. The Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System was established in 1998 to assist in the evacuation of the Puyallup River valley in case of eruption.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1806 square miles (4,678 km2), of which 1670 square miles (4,325 km2) is land and 137 square miles (355 km2) (7.6%) is water. The highest natural point in Washington, Mount Rainier, at 14,410 feet (4392 m), is located in Pierce County. Rainier is locally called Tahoma or Takhoma, both native names for the mountain.

The largest public employer in Pierce County is Joint Base Lewis–McChord, which contributes about 60,000 military and civilian jobs. The largest private employers are MultiCare Health System and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, which operate the two largest hospitals in the county. Pierce County agriculture has been an instrumental part of the local economy for almost 150 years. However, in the last half century, much of the county's farmland has been transformed into residential areas. Pierce County has taken aggressive steps to reverse this trend; the county recently created the Pierce County Farm Advisory Commission. This advisory board helps local farmers with the interpretation of land use regulations as well as the promotion of local produce. The creation of the Pierce County Farm Advisory Commission will attempt to save the remaining 48,000 acres of Pierce County farmland. Despite the loss of farmland, Pierce County continues to produce about 50% of the United States' rhubarb.

The largest institutions of higher education are University of Puget Sound in Tacoma and Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland. Both are religiously affiliated private universities. Tacoma Community College in Tacoma and Pierce College in Steilacoom are public community colleges. Bates Technical College and Clover Park Technical College are public technical colleges. Central Washington University has a branch campus in Steilacoom. University of Washington Tacoma is a branch campus of University of Washington. The Evergreen State College also has a campus in Tacoma.

The Port of Tacoma is the sixth busiest container port in North America and one of the 25 busiest in the world, playing an important part in the local economy. This deep water port covers and offers a combination of facilities and services including 34 deepwater berths, two million square feet (190,000 m2) of warehouse and office space, and of industrial yard. An economic impact study showed that more the 28,000 jobs in Pierce County are related to the Port activities. Pierce County is home to Pierce County Airport and Tacoma Narrows Airport, both are general aviation airports. Pierce County's official transportation provider is Pierce Transit. It provides buses, paratransit, and rideshare vehicles. The regional Sound Transit runs the Tacoma Link light rail line through downtown Tacoma, and provides several regional express buses. Sound Transit also runs Sounder, the regional commuter railroad through Pierce County that stops in the following places: Sumner, Puyallup, Tacoma, South Tacoma, and Lakewood. Amtrak also travels through the county with a stop in Tacoma. Also, Intercity Transit provides transportation between Lakewood and Thurston County. On December 18, 2017, an Amtrak train derailed in the county, at an overpass over southbound Interstate 5, hitting several vehicles. Thirteen of 14 rail cars derailed, killing three on board the train, and injuring dozens more on board and on the highway.

Pierce County is home to a diverse array of arts organizations, including the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, Grand Cinema, Lakewood Playhouse, Museum of Glass, Northwest Sinfonietta, Speakeasy Arts Cooperative, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma Little Theater, Tacoma Concert Band, Tacoma Musical Playhouse, Tacoma Opera, Symphony Tacoma, Dance Theater Northwest, Washington State History Museum, and others. The city of Tacoma hosts an annual event called "Art at Work" month every November, promoting participation in and support for the local arts community. ArtsFund, a regional United Arts Fund, has assisted the arts community in Pierce County. In 2012, LeMay America's Car Museum opened its doors in Tacoma. Additionally, the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, houses a large collection of original manuscripts and documents. The Pierce County Daffodil Festival and Parade is held annually in April. The Washington State Fair is held every September in Puyallup.

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department was founded in 1853, shortly after incorporation of the county. Pierce County was noted for gangs, drugs, and criminal activity starting in the mid to late 1980s. Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood had gangs that were selling crack cocaine and gang violence. Increased police patrols and community watch programs led to reduced crime in the mid to late 2000s. As of 2006, 38% of the methamphetamine labs (138 sites) cleaned up by the Washington Department of Ecology were in Pierce County. This reduction from a high of 589 labs in 2001 comes in part to a new law restricting the sale of pseudoephedrine and in part due to tougher prison sentences for methamphetamine producers.