Mayor Katie Wilson has directed Seattle Parks and Recreation to begin a community process to rename Jackson Park in north Seattle. The effort follows renewed community interest in a name that reflects the land's history, cultural significance and the communities it serves.

Located at 1000 NE 135th St., the park includes green space, natural areas, walking trails and Jackson Park Golf Course. New light rail connections and planned pedestrian and bicycle improvements are also prompting the city to examine how the park connects with surrounding neighborhoods.

The park is named for former President Andrew Jackson, whose policies forcibly displaced Native American peoples from their ancestral lands. Community concerns about honoring that legacy through a public park's name helped prompt the naming process.

Written naming suggestions are due Dec. 14, 2026. Each submission should explain how the proposed name aligns with the city's naming criteria, which include the land's history, natural or geological features, geography, and historical or cultural significance. Seattle Parks and Recreation is encouraging consideration of the area's Indigenous history and connections to the land. A park may also be named for someone who has been deceased for at least three years and made a significant local contribution to parks, recreation or culture.

Suggestions can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to Seattle Parks and Recreation, Parks Naming Committee, 100 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109. The committee will review submissions and recommend a name to the department's superintendent, who makes the final decision.

A planned community survey will ask about park use, safety, cleanliness, trail conditions and neighborhood connections. Parks staff will also gather feedback at Community Swing, scheduled for Nov. 21 from 3 to 6 p.m. at Jackson Park Golf Course. The event will include free 10-minute golf lessons, music and face painting, along with a staff table offering naming information, survey access and an interactive mapping exercise about park use and access.