Town file
Kirkland, Washington
Kirkland, Washington (King County, Washington) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 583, "Charming Serial Killer" (27 March 2025). Kirkland, Washington, is a suburb on the east side of Lake Washington, in King County, about twenty minutes from Seattle.
- Town
- Kirkland
- County
- King County
- State
- Washington
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 583
- Approximate location
- 47.697, -122.204
Episode 583 / 27 March 2025 / 177 min / full
Charming Serial Killer
"We're going to Kirkland, Washington... this is in King County" about 0:05:06
The case: Murders of Mary Ann Polrike, Carol Beath and Andrea Levine (June to August 1990). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2025
- Population
- 91,656
- Median age
- 37.8
- Median household income
- $121,998
- Median home value
- $1,055,900
- Two-bedroom rent
- $2,680
- Cost of living
- 158
- Religious
- about 38%
- Property crime
- about average
- Violent crime
- ▼ one third
History, in brief
- In 1886 Peter Kirk, a British-born businessman, wanted to expand his family's steel production company and came to Washington after hearing that iron deposits had been found in the Cascade Mountains. about 0:06:11
- In 1888 his Kirkland Land and Development Company bought thousands of acres of what is now downtown Kirkland and began building a steel mill. about 0:06:31
- Kirk said the town would be the 'Pittsburgh of the West', but the company came to nothing and another steel company took what it wanted. about 0:06:46
- The town was named after Peter Kirk anyway. about 0:07:03
- Costco was formerly headquartered in Kirkland and kept the name for its Kirkland Signature store brand. about 0:07:08
The reviews read out
5 stars
"A beautiful small city on the east side of Lake Washington, with a lively downtown, friendly locals and a weekly summer farmers' market."about 0:08:22
5 stars
"A lifelong resident loves the nature, friendly neighbours, food and clean parks; a quiet place to raise a family but poor for nightlife and the rent is inflated."about 0:08:53
3 stars
"Waterfront property is expensive but very nice, mostly apartments and very few abandoned properties."about 0:09:33
2 stars
"Street lights are not great for nighttime driving."about 0:09:49
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Clearview, Washington9.6 miles
- Freeland, Washington28 miles
- Sequim, Washington49 miles
- Shelton, Washington53 miles
- Lopez Island, Washington64 miles
- Port Angeles, Washington65 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.