Redmond sits at the north end of Lake Sammamish, 11 air miles east-northeast of downtown Seattle, by HistoryLink’s measure. OFM’s April 1, 2026 estimate counts 83,320 residents, up from 73,256 in the 2020 Census. For buyers, the draw is a 640-acre regional park, a summer festival that dates to 1939, and light rail that now runs all the way to Seattle.
Marymoor Park
Marymoor Park covers 640 acres of the Sammamish Valley at the north end of Lake Sammamish and is run by King County Parks. King County lists natural and artificial athletic fields, a velodrome, a radio-controlled aircraft field, walking, biking and nature trails, a large community garden, a rowing boathouse, Marymoor’s off-leash dog area and a climbing wall. In summer the park hosts a concert series at a 5,000-person outdoor venue near the historic Clise Mansion. King County’s Marymoor Station Trail connects Marymoor Village Station to the north end of the park. The land has a long human history. HistoryLink notes that in the 1960s archaeologists documented Native camps along the Sammamish River in what is now the park, some possibly dating to 4000 B.C.
Derby Days
Redmond’s signature summer festival is Derby Days, which HistoryLink says began in 1939 as a bicycle race around Lake Sammamish and later grew to include a big parade. HistoryLink says it is typically held in July or August. The 2026 festival ran July 24–25 at the City Hall campus and included a Grand Parade.
From Salmonberg to Redmond
HistoryLink writes that Luke and Kate McRedmond settled in the spring of 1871 on 80 acres that are now part of Redmond Town Center. The community was first called Salmonberg, for the chum salmon in nearby streams, and then Melrose. McRedmond became postmaster and got the post office renamed Redmond on March 19, 1883. The town incorporated on December 31, 1912, and grew from logging and farming into a suburb.
Work close to home
Microsoft moved its headquarters from Bellevue to Overlake in February 1986, HistoryLink notes, and the company lists its corporate address in Redmond today. SpaceX lists its Starlink satellite manufacturing facility in Redmond, where it builds broadband and mobile satellites.
Getting around
Link light rail reached Redmond in stages. HistoryLink records that the 2 Line between Bellevue and Redmond Technology Station in Overlake opened April 27, 2024. Marymoor Village and Downtown Redmond stations followed on May 10, 2025. Since Sound Transit opened the crossing over Lake Washington on March 28, 2026, the 2 Line has run from Downtown Redmond through Bellevue and Seattle to Lynnwood.
Living here
Redmond gives you Marymoor’s 640 acres at the head of the lake, a summer festival with roots in a 1939 bike race, and a train from downtown to Seattle. If you’re weighing Redmond against Kirkland, Woodinville or Bellevue, or planning to sell in Redmond, Chase Hedin, Managing Broker, can help you compare. Start a conversation · What’s my home worth?