About Milton
Milton is a town of about 8,700 people that straddles the King-Pierce county line, with most of it on the Pierce side. It incorporated in 1907, and Milton Way, the old highway through the middle of town, still carries the schools, the churches, City Hall, and the small businesses that give it a center. Fife is downhill to the south, Edgewood uphill to the east, and Federal Way just over the county line to the north.
Milton Community Park on Oak Street is the town square: sports fields, a playground, the veterans memorial, and the site of the August festival. Hylebos Creek runs through the west side toward Commencement Bay, and Surprise Lake sits at the south end of town beside the middle school that borrows its name.
What Milton offers renters is location. I-5 at Fife or Federal Way, SR 161, and SR 167 are each about five minutes away, which makes the Port of Tacoma, Kent Valley warehouses, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord all realistic commutes without freeway-adjacent noise at home.
Living in Milton
Housing is mostly single-family homes from the 1950s through the 1990s on quiet grid streets off Milton Way, with a few apartment communities near the Fife border. The Pierce County Interurban Trail follows the old rail line through town for walkers and cyclists, and Triangle Park at the center of town hosts the smaller civic gatherings.
Shopping runs to the essentials in town, with the Fife and Federal Way retail strips, including Costco and The Commons at Federal Way, about ten minutes away. Pierce Transit connects Milton Way to the Federal Way Transit Center and Tacoma; drivers take Porter Way or 54th Avenue East to I-5.
School districts
Boundaries change; confirm the assigned school for a specific address with the district before you apply.
- Fife School District (opens in a new tab)Serves nearly all of Milton: Discovery Primary and Endeavour Intermediate for the early grades, Surprise Lake Middle School on Milton Way, Columbia Junior High, and Fife High School.
- Federal Way Public Schools (opens in a new tab)A handful of addresses north of the King County line.
Annual events in Milton
- Milton Days (opens in a new tab)Mid-August, Friday evening kickoff and all-day Saturday at Milton Community Park. The Saturday parade covers half a mile in nearly an hour, which locals call the longest and shortest parade in the state. Held since 1948 to celebrate the 1907 incorporation.
- Veterans memorial observances (opens in a new tab)Memorial Day and Veterans Day gatherings at the memorial in Milton Community Park.
Around Milton
(opens photo source and license in a new tab)Milton City Hall. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
(opens photo source and license in a new tab)Fields at Milton Community Park. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
(opens photo source and license in a new tab)The veterans memorial in Milton. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons contributors, used under Creative Commons licenses (CC BY / CC BY-SA). Click any photo for its source and license.
Other communities we serve
Renting or own property in Milton?
Our Sumner office is a short drive away. Call 253-863-6122 to schedule a showing, ask about the application process, or talk with us about managing your rental.