King County Comprehensive Plan

Learn about what the Comprehensive Plan covers and get details on the current plan and past planning processes.

About the plan

The central Puget Sound region is growing. Since 2020, the region has grown by 130 people a day. By 2050, the region is expected to have nearly 6 million people and 3 million jobs.

The Comprehensive Plan is a key policy document that guides how to plan for and how to accommodate the growth and development in unincorporated King County over the next 20 years. It guides County decisions and services such as:

where homes, offices, or stores can be built;
how roads, buildings and trees contribute to the look and feel of neighborhoods;
protection of working farms and forests;
access to clean water, clean air, and a healthy environment; and
investments in regional services, such as transit, sewers, and parks.

In 2024, the County completed a once-every-ten-years update to the Comprehensive Plan.

View the adopted plan

2029 Midpoint Update

Every few years, King County updates its Comprehensive Plan. The next update, called the 2029 Midpoint Comprehensive Plan Update, will officially begin in 2026 and be adopted in 2029. This Midpoint update focuses on urgent or time-sensitive issues that can’t wait until the next full 10-year update for resolution.

Scope of Work

The Executive has issued a Public Review Draft of the scope of work for the 2029 Midpoint Update. The scope of work sets out the substantive issues that can be taken up with the 2029 Midpoint Update; other changes not listed must wait for the next 10-year update in 2034.

Public comments on the scope of work may be submitted by emailing CompPlan@kingcounty.gov. To be considered, comments must be submitted no later than August 2, 2026.

Public Review Draft of the Scope of Work

Summary Documents for Scope of Work

After the comment period, the Executive will finalize the scope of work and transmit it to the County Council in November 2026. The Council will adopt the scope of work by February 2027.

Comprehensive Plan FAQs

Why does King County have a Comprehensive Plan?

In 1990, the Washington state legislature enacted the Growth Management Act (GMA) in response to rapid and uncoordinated growth at the time. In addition to aligning state, multi-county, countywide, and local planning, the GMA requires local governments in fast-growing and densely populated areas to develop and adopt comprehensive plans. King County’s planning role is complex in that it is responsible for regional services and is also the local government to unincorporated areas. King County’s Comprehensive Plan offers a vision for how unincorporated areas will grow and how regional services – such as transit, parks and solid waste – will be provided.

The policies throughout the plan direct new homes and jobs to areas near current and planned transit centers. Rural and resource lands through an urban growth boundary, which allows our region to keep working farms and forests.

What is an unincorporated area?

Unincorporated areas are areas outside of city limits. If you live or do business in neighborhoods such as Skyway-West Hill, White Center, Fairwood, Vashon-Maury Island, or Redmond Ridge, King County is your main provider of local government services.

Here are two ways to find out if you are located in an unincorporated area:

Find or enter your address on this map. The green layer shows unincorporated King County.
Enter your address in King County’s Districts Report and see what’s listed as the jurisdiction.

What does the comprehensive plan say about the future of my community?

The land use map in the Comprehensive Plan shows the general types of planned, long-term uses allowed on each parcel of land. This informs the zoning category applied to each parcel, which sets more specific, current allowed uses and associated development regulations. You can search for a parcel's land use designation and zoning classification here. The plan also includes policies about specific topics, such as housing or parks, which are grouped in the plan by chapter.

Who is responsible for developing and approving the Comprehensive Plan?

In The King County Executive is responsible for developing the Comprehensive Plan and sending it to the King County Council for final review and approval. When developing the Comprehensive Plan, the Executive works in coordination with regional and local jurisdictional partners and the public. Public input is welcome throughout the process and there are many opportunities to submit comments and make requests. The Executive considers all comments in developing the Executive Recommended Plan. The King County Council reviews the plan, proposes amendments, and votes on whether to adopt the final version.

How often is the plan updated?

There are three types of updates: technical adjustments, limited updates, and major updates.

Every year, there is an opportunity to make technical adjustments to the plan, minor changes to land use designations and zoning classifications, and to adopt subarea plans.
Once every five years, a limited range of substantive changes can be considered.
Finally, at least once every ten years, King County is required to review and update the plan to ensure compliance with the goals and requirements of the GMA. These updates are also an opportunity to make in-depth and broad ranging policy updates that address changes in the community's growth and long-term needs, while advancing the County's policy goals. The next ten-year update will be adopted in 2034.

How do I submit changes or make recommendations?

To submit specific policy or code recommendations or changes to land use designations and zoning classifications, please use the docket application process