Upper Tacoma

The Upper Tacoma Business District is a partnership of merchants, business people, public officials and residents who care about the future of their district. The district encompasses the area from 6th Avenue to South 27th Street, and from Tacoma Avenue South to Sprague Avenue. Located west of the downtown and south of the Stadium Business districts, it has sweeping views of Mount Rainier and the Port of Tacoma Industrial area known locally as the "Tideflats", and provides a multi-cultural shopping and dining experience.

From candy to antiques, from ethnic restaurants to professional services, the Upper Tacoma Business District has a great deal to offer Tacoma. The merchants work together to enable their neighborhood to develop, grow and enhance the economic vitality while preserving the historic character of the neighborhood. This is done through business service advocacy, far-sighted planning for the future growth of the district, and business district and neighborhood beautification projects.

The Hilltop neighborhood began to develop in the latter part of the 1800s due to its close proximity to the growing downtown area, waterfront mills and warehouses. Many ethnic groups settled within the area establishing it as a predominantly working class community.
	Many religious values, traditions and architectural styles were brought to the hilltop area creating the diverse multicultural community that it has become today. Periods of growth were sporadic throughout the early and mid 1900s. In the past decade there has been renewed emphasis on community and cultural growth which continues today, enabling the Upper Tacoma District to become even richer in diversity, culture, and tradition..
The Hilltop community, or Upper Tacoma as it is known today has several Self-Guided Walking Tours available for those with an interest in learning about their community, or for history buffs wanting to study the many historical and architectural styles prevalent throughout the community. There are numerous residences, buildings and churches on the historic preservation list dating from the 1800s. These tours average from one to two hours to complete and are well worth taking the time to enrich your cultural knowledge and learn about the history of the Hilltop Community.