Thurston County, Washington
Thurston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 294,793. The county seat and largest city is Olympia, the state capital. Thurston County was created out of Lewis County by the government of Oregon Territory on January 12, 1852. At that time, it covered all of the Puget Sound region and the Olympic Peninsula. On December 22 of the same year, Pierce, King, Island, and Jefferson counties were split off from Thurston County. It is named after Samuel R. Thurston, the Oregon Territory's first delegate to Congress. Thurston County comprises the Olympia-Tumwater, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA Combined Statistical Area. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (6.7%) is water. Adjacent counties Pierce County – northeast Lewis County – south Grays Harbor County – west Mason County – north/northwest Major highways Interstate 5 U.S. 12 U.S. 101 SR 507 SR 510 Geographic features Major watersheds: Black River, Budd/Deschutes, Chehalis River, Eld Inlet, Henderson Inlet, Nisqually River, Skookumchuck River, Totten Inlet and West Capitol Forest. Alder Lake Bald Hill Lake