Fircrest is a city in Pierce County, Washington, a middle-class suburb of Tacoma incorporated in 1925. The city counted 7,156 residents in the 2020 census and covers about 1.6 square miles, making it one of the more compact communities in the South Sound region. Fircrest was developed around a golf course. Edward Bowes, a developer with ties to the Tacoma area, laid out the community with curved, aesthetically planned streets, and the Fircrest Golf Club was formed in 1922, incorporated in 1923, and opened in 1924. The course was designed by Arthur Vernon Macan, a noted Pacific Northwest golf-course architect, and remains nearly the same today as when it was first laid out on a 165-acre parcel of wooded, rolling terrain. The city's residential character reflects its planned origins: modest single-family homes on tidy lots, parks, a community recreation center, and the golf club at its heart. Like its neighbor University Place, Fircrest is a suburban community adjoining Tacoma, and most of the city lies within the Tacoma School District. Fircrest's location keeps downtown Tacoma, Puget Sound, and the region's employment centers within a short drive, while the city itself retains a quiet, self-contained feel. Its park system, tree-lined streets, and civic events contribute to a close-knit atmosphere, and its central position makes it a convenient base for the South Sound. The city has maintained the character of its original plan for nearly a century, with the golf course and community facilities still at the center of local life. Residents take pride in the city's parks and recreation programs, which anchor community life across generations. That combination of small-town planning, established neighborhoods, and the celebrated golf club gives Fircrest a distinctive identity within Pierce County.