Ruston, WA

Ruston is a tiny waterfront town tucked along the shores of Commencement Bay, surrounded on three sides by North Tacoma. Home to around a thousand people, it started over a century ago as an industrial company town. Over the decades, it has evolved into a scenic, quiet residential neighborhood known for historic homes and open views across Puget Sound.

ATTRJoe Mabel / CC BY-SA 3.0

Day-to-day living centers on the water and the outdoors. Point Defiance Park borders the town, giving locals easy access to miles of forested hiking trails, beaches, gardens, and the zoo. Down along the shoreline, the Point Ruston promenade offers waterfront restaurants, local shops, and a cinema, while Ruston Way connects directly to central Tacoma. It brings a relaxed, small-town atmosphere together with everything the surrounding city has to offer.