The University of Washington (UW, and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, it is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the United States. The university has a 700-acre (2.8 km2) main campus in the city's University District, with satellite campuses in nearby cities of Tacoma and Bothell. Overall, UW encompasses more than 500 buildings and over 20 million gross square footage of space, including one of the largest library systems in the world with more than 26 university libraries, art centers, museums, laboratories, lecture halls, and stadiums. Washington is the flagship institution of the state's six public universities.