On Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA sits where I-5 threads through the city and SR-16 peels west across the Narrows Bridge toward Gig Harbor. Puyallup to the east, Lakewood to the south, and Federal Way up I-5 toward Seattle all offer housing within a reasonable commute. Hospital laboratories and therapy centers spread from downtown out across Pierce County. Gray, wet stretches run a good deal of the year, so travelers build a little extra time into the morning drive, and the Narrows Bridge toll applies eastbound for anyone living across the water. When a shift wraps, Point Defiance Park on the north tip of town offers miles of waterfront trails and a quiet break by the Sound.