In the middle of Lake Washington, the island city of Mercer Island is home to 22,000+ residents. Mercer Island is the most populated lake-bound island in the United States, and its 98040 zip code is unique to the city. While it’s an island, Mercer Island is not isolated due to its connection to Seattle and Bellevue via Interstate 90. Its central location in Lake Washington, between the greater Seattle area and the Eastside, tops the list of attractive attributes regarding the “Rock.” In addition, the city’s low crime rate, the local park system and nationally recognized school district have contributed to Mercer Island’s reputation as a premier Puget Sound community. Mercer Island is a residential city by nature, however the Downtown neighborhood– the main business center of the island– is definitely growing. The Downtown, with its urban village feel, is also where most of the island condo and apartment dwellers reside. The sound-end of the island features the Mercer Village Shopping Center, an open air retail and business area.