Best Web Design in Kent, WA (2026)

Web Design for Kent, Washington

Kent is a large, fast-diversifying city in the Green River (Kent) Valley of King County, between Seattle and Tacoma. Founded on hop farming and later famous as the 'Lettuce Capital of the World,' its fertile valley floor was paved over into one of the largest warehouse and aerospace-manufacturing districts on the West Coast. Boeing engineers designed and built the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle here.

AppWT works with Kent, WA businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Kent

Also known as. Lettuce Capital of the World (Depression era). Hop Capitol of the West (coined by pioneer Ezra Meeker, 1889).

History. Samuel Russell settled the area in 1853; the community was first called White River, then Titusville, before being named for Kent County, England, a famous hop-growing region. Kent incorporated on May 28, 1890, becoming the second city in King County after Seattle, on the strength of its hop industry. After aphids wiped out the hop crop in 1891, Kent shifted to berries, dairy, and lettuce farming. First-generation Japanese (Issei) farmers, barred from owning land, leased valley farmland and by 1920 supplied much of Seattle's fresh milk and most of western Washington's produce. Boeing opened its Kent Space Center on former farmland in 1964, pivoting the valley from agriculture toward aerospace.

Local economy. Largest employers include Amazon (about 3,073), Kent Public Schools (about 2,970), Boeing (about 2,522), and Blue Origin (about 1,600). Outdoor retailer REI, Oberto sausage, and waterjet-cutting maker Omax are among the notable companies based in Kent. The Kent Valley is one of the largest warehousing and distribution centers on the West Coast, ranking among the top U.S. markets for manufacturing and distribution. Aerospace remains central: the Kent Valley accounts for a large share of Washington State's aerospace manufacturing output.

Culture and community. Kent Cornucopia Days, run by the Kent Lions since the early 1970s, is South King County's largest family festival, drawing crowds downtown each July. The Kent International Festival celebrates the city's standing as one of the most diverse cities in the nation, with ethnic food, performances, and cultural booths. The Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League play at the accesso ShoWare Center. Kent's population is remarkably diverse, roughly 40% white, 24% Asian, 16% Hispanic, and 13% Black as of the 2020 census.

What makes Kent distinct. Boeing engineers in Kent designed, tested, and built the battery-powered Lunar Roving Vehicles used on Apollo 15, 16, and 17; three remain parked on the Moon. Those Moon-bound rovers' origin earned recognition as King County historic landmarks in 2019 and Washington State historic landmarks in 2020. Pioneer Ezra Meeker dubbed the area the 'Hop Capitol of the West' in 1889, before crop-destroying aphids ended the boom. Kent transformed from about 93% white in 1980 into one of the country's most ethnically diverse cities within a few decades.

Kent Landmarks and Local Life

• accesso ShoWare Center arena
• Kent Station - an outdoor shopping and transit hub served by Sounder commuter rail
• Maleng Regional Justice Center - King County's regional courthouse in downtown Kent
• Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks - a landmark environmental art park designated in 1982
• Sister Cities International Park downtown