Federal Way looks to annex Lakeland North and Lakeland South

Published 6:14 pm Wednesday, April 22, 2026

The City of Federal Way is exploring annexation of two areas are currently in unincorporated King County.

Identified as Lakeland North and Lakeland South in city documents, the areas would add about 7 miles and an estimated 20,000 and 25,000 people.

Located east of I-5, much of these areas are already served by Federal Way Public Schools, and the Federal Way Senior Center is located in Lakeland North.

The Federal Way City Council heard a presentation from City Adiministrator Brian Davis in a special meeting on April 21 where they discussed the potential expansion of the city.

Federal Way has added ground through nine annexations over the years, with the most recent being the property near I-5 and South 320th Street that contains Pape Kenworth, which was completed in 2020.

There are multiple approaches to how this annexation could happen.

The first is through petition, which is the most frequently used method of annexing unincorporated territory. This involves a petition of the owners of at least 60 percent of the property value in the area, computed according to the assessed valuation of the property for general taxation purposes.

Two other options include approval of the proposition for or against annexation through majority vote, or through the interlocal agreement method, which involves code cities collaborating with the county to form an interlocal agreement regarding annexation of unincorporated territories.

Council members asked several questions about how this annexation would impact several areas including housing, water/sewer services and public safety.

Many of those questions could not be answered in detail because the city staff have not completed a study, but it was clarified that Lakehaven Water and Sewer District boundaries most likely will not change.

King County’s comprehensive plan describes how the county “shall encourage annexation of the remaining urban unincorporated area,” and work with local jurisdictions to that end.

“Given the County’s limited taxing authority, promoting annexation of these areas into cities, where a higher level of service can be provided, will foster more equitable and socially just outcomes for residents in unincorporated urban areas,” the county states in the plan.

Federal Way’s comprehensive plan was updated in 2025 and also aligns with this goal, stating that “the city shall work with King County to strategically annex identified Potential Annexation Areas.”

City staff will now move forward in evaluating what annexation would look like in more detail.