RENTON

city, King county, western Washington, U.S., on the flats of the Cedar River at its mouth on Lake Washington, 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Seattle. Settled in the 1850s and platted in 1876, it was named for William Renton, an industrial pioneer. Coal deposits nearby, exploited since the 1870s, played a significant role in the city's development. Renton maintains lumber, steel, and clay industries and is the site of a large Boeing aircraft plant and a railroad-car foundry. It is served by ocean transportation via Puget Sound, Ballard Locks, and Lake Washington. The area supports truck and poultry farms. Inc. 1901. Pop. (1990) 41,688.