With more than 1.7 million people, it also ranks as the 13th most populous county in the nation.

King County Government Services

Regional services. King County provides regional services to all residents of the county, including people who live in cities. These include courts and related legal services, public health services, the county jail, records and elections, property tax appraisals and regional parks and facilities, and King County International Airport (Boeing Field). With the voter-approved merger of Metro and King County, county government has also assumed the responsibility for public transit and sewage disposal.

Sub-regional services.

King County provides sub-regional services in many suburban cities, such as animal control.

Local services.

In unincorporated communities, King County is the local government, providing the services listed above and many local services, including land-use regulation, building permits, police protection, roads and local parks. Other local services in unincorporated communities are provided by fire, water, library and hospital districts which operate independently of county government.

The Metropolitan King County Council is the legislative branch of county government. It sets policies, enacts laws, and adopts the annual county budget. Councilmembers represent geographic districts. Every county citizen, including city residents, has an opportunity to vote for a representative on the County Council.