Auburn, city in King County, western Washington, on the Green and White rivers, south of Seattle and northeast of Tacoma. It is a railroad junction and a trade center for the surrounding agricultural area. Manufactures include aircraft parts and plastic and wood products. It has a community college, and Mount Rainier National Park and a state salmon hatchery are nearby. A Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control center (1962) serving Idaho, Alaska, and Washington, is located in Auburn. Platted in 1886 as the town of Slaughter, the community was renamed in 1893, and incorporated in 1914. Population 26,417 (1980); 33,102 (1990); 40,314 (2000).
