The UW owns more than 7,500 acres of land, yet only 801 of those make up the Seattle, Tacoma and Bothell campuses.

So where is all of this land?

The University owns areas all over Washington state, including Friday Harbor, Shaw and Woodinville. Most of this land is dedicated to research.

Pack Forest, located in South Pierce County, makes up the largest portion of UW-owned property.

“We have 43,000 acres of land that’s very diverse with its usage,” said Gregory Ettl, director of the Center for Sustainable Forestry at Pack Forest.

Some current projects are researching tree spacing and growth, amphibian response to vegetation patterns, and the effects of pruning on wood quality.

“There are also experiments dating back to the 1930s,” Ettl said. “Many projects go on for life. It’s a natural laboratory.”

This land isn’t limited to University students and faculty. Agencies and companies in the forestry business, local and state school districts and the general public are also able to enjoy this property.

The University also owns the 484 acres of land comprising Friday Harbor Laboratories. Low in salinity and nearly pollution-free, the waters surrounding the property provide great opportunities for research in marine biology and oceanography.

Other pieces of property are in Big Beef Creek in Seabeck, Ellis Biological Preserve, Cedar Rock Reserve on Shaw Island and Wellington Hills in Woodinville.

Not all University property is research-oriented.

The Metropolitan Tract, 11 acres of University owned property located in downtown Seattle, holds an interesting piece of history.

In 1861, the UW built its campus on a forested hill overlooking Elliot Bay. The growing city limited the University’s growing abilities. In 1895, the UW relocated to its present Montlake site.

The old University site is now home to a wide array of businesses, including the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Benihana of Tokyo, Starbucks and the 5th Avenue Theater.

The worth of all the property the UW owns is difficult to estimate, said Jeanette Henderson, director of real estate at the UW. The University has owned some properties, like the Seattle campus, for a long time.

“Figuring out the total current value would be a lot of hard work,” Henderson said, explaining the property’s value hasn’t been estimated since its purchase. “But we do know [it’s] worth a lot.”

The UW also leases more than 1.3 million square feet of land, paying $35 million a year in rent. The land ranges from various locations in Washington, primarily the Puget Sound, to several areas in Alaska and in countries like Italy and Costa Rica.

“The land that the University of Washington owns and leases shows that the University is a very successful research institute with incredibly diverse research and academic tools at hand,” Henderson said.

[Reach contributing writer Joy Yagi at development@thedaily.washington.edu.]