Washington

Washington is the only state of the United States named in honor of one of the nation’s presidents—George Washington. The state lies on the Pacific Coast in the northwestern part of the country. Its location makes it a gateway for land, sea, and air travel to Alaska, western Canada, and Asian countries across the Pacific Ocean.

Washington is famous for scenery of breathtaking beauty and sharp contrasts. High mountains rise above evergreen forests and sparkling coastal waters. The junglelike forests of the Olympic Peninsula in the west are among the rainiest places in the world, while the flat semidesert land that lies east of the Cascade Mountains stretches for long distances without a single tree.

Snow-covered peaks tower above the foothills and lowlands around them. Mount Rainier, the highest mountain in the state, appears to “float” on the horizon southeast of Seattle and Tacoma. On a clear day, people in the Seattle area can also see Mount Baker to the north, the Olympic Mountains to the west, and the Cascades to the east. Lodges and chair lifts in the mountains attract thousands of tourists and skiers.

Washington’s coastline has several bays and inlets that make excellent harbors. Ships from all parts of the world dock at Bellingham, Seattle, Tacoma, and other ports on Puget Sound. Washington also has important shipping centers on the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River. Washington fishing fleets catch salmon, halibut, and other fish in the chilly waters off the northern Pacific Coast. The state is famous for seafood, especially chinook and sockeye salmon.

Washington’s nickname, the Evergreen State, comes from its many firs, hemlocks, pines, and other evergreen trees. Washington has large areas of thick forests, especially on the western slopes of the Cascade and Olympic mountains. The state produces large amounts of lumber, pulp and paper, and other wood products. The state’s nickname also suggests the lush green lowlands found in western Washington. A mild, moist climate makes this region excellent for dairy farming and for growing flower bulbs.

East of the Cascades, farmers raise livestock and wheat on large ranches. They grow fruits and vegetables in fertile, irrigated river valleys such as the Okanogan, Wenatchee, and Yakima. Apples produced in these areas are a Washington specialty. Washington leads the states in apple production.

Giant dams on the Columbia River and its tributaries capture water for irrigation and power. The largest dam, Grand Coulee, is one of the engineering wonders of the world. Irrigation water has transformed the Columbia Basin, where farmers raise large crops of vegetables on land that once was dry and brush covered.

High-technology manufacturing and services play an important part in Washington’s economy. The Boeing Company, a leading aerospace equipment producer, has several assembly and research facilities in King and Snohomish counties. Microsoft Corporation, the world’s largest computer software developer, has its headquarters in Redmond.

Olympia is the capital of Washington. Seattle is the state’s largest city.

People

Population.

The 2020 United States census reported that Washington had 7,705,281 people. The state’s population had increased 15 percent over the 2010 census figure, which was 6,724,540. According to the 2020 census, Washington ranks 13th in population among the 50 states.

About 90 percent of the people of Washington live in metropolitan areas (see Metropolitan area). About half of Washington’s people live in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area in the western part of the state. Washington has 13 metropolitan areas entirely or partly within the state.

Most of the larger Washington cities are in the western part of the state along Puget Sound. Seattle, the state’s largest city, is in this region. It serves as an important shipping and manufacturing center. Tacoma, an industrial and port city, is about 28 miles (45 kilometers) south of Seattle. Vancouver, which is part of the Portland (Oregon)-Vancouver-Hillsboro (Oregon) metropolitan area, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.

Most of the cities in eastern Washington developed as centers for farm trade, lumbering, or mining. Spokane, the largest eastern city, is an important railroad, manufacturing, grain, and financial center. The “Tri-Cities” of Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick in south-central Washington grew in size and importance after World War II. During the war, the Hanford nuclear energy center was established nearby.

About 15 percent of Washington’s residents are of Hispanic origin. Asian Americans account for about 10 percent of the population. African Americans account for about 4 percent. Washington has more than 120,000 Native Americans. Many of them live on one of the nearly 30 reservations in the state.

The state’s largest population groups include people of English, French, German, Irish, Italian, Norwegian, Scottish, and Swedish descent. About 15 percent of the state’s residents were born in other countries. Many residents have come from East Asia, Canada, and Mexico.

Schools.

The first school in Washington opened at Old Fort Vancouver in 1832. It was established for the children of employees of the Hudson’s Bay Company, a British trading firm. In the 1830’s, missionaries began teaching Native Americans in eastern Washington near present-day Spokane and Walla Walla. These early teachers included Marcus Whitman and his wife, Narcissa, and Cushing Eells, Henry Spalding, and Elkanah Walker. In 1859, Whitman College, Washington’s first private institution of higher learning, was founded in Walla Walla. The state’s first public university, the University of Washington, was founded in 1861. A statewide public school system began in 1895. A law passed that year provided state financial support for Washington’s schools.

An elected state superintendent of public instruction and a State Board of Education supervise Washington’s public school system. Children ages 8 to 18 must attend school. For the number of students and teachers in Washington, see Education (table: U.S. students, teachers, and school expenditures).

Libraries.

Washington’s oldest library, the Washington State Library in Olympia, began in 1853 as the Territorial Library. Today, in addition to public libraries in many cities, county and regional library systems also exist. The State Library serves state government as well as public libraries and citizens. The Seattle Public Library has collections on aviation and Seattle’s history. Many Washington colleges and universities also include outstanding libraries. The University of Washington Libraries have major collections on Pacific Northwest history, historical children’s literature, architecture, and other topics. The University of Washington and Western Washington University house major map libraries.

Museums.

The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture on the campus of the University of Washington features exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest. Museums with relics of Washington history include the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture in Spokane, the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma, the Museum of History & Industry in Seattle, and the State Capital Museum in Olympia.

The Seattle Art Museum has a fine collection of Asian art and works by artists of the Pacific Northwest. The Frye Art Museum in Seattle displays European and American paintings. The Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale has an excellent collection of items of European royalty. The Pacific Science Center in Seattle has exhibits of modern science. The Museum of Flight in Seattle has an outstanding collection of aviation history.

Visitor’s guide

Washington is a paradise for people who enjoy the outdoors. Its richly diverse environment offers a wide variety of warm- and cold-weather activities, including camping, fishing, boating, and hunting. Every winter and spring, skiers and snowboarders flock to the slopes of Mount Spokane and areas in the Cascade Range such as Crystal Mountain, Mission Ridge, Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, Snoqualmie Pass, Stevens Pass, and White Pass. In summer, rugged mountains and wilderness areas attract hikers and mountain climbers.

Washington’s many annual events include Native American festivals, flower exhibitions, sports competitions, and regional fairs. Perhaps the outstanding annual event is Seafair, held in Seattle in midsummer. This show features parades, athletic competitions, water carnivals, and hydroplane races on Lake Washington.

Land and climate

Land regions.

Washington has six main land regions: (1) the Olympic Mountains, (2) the Coast Range, (3) the Puget Sound Lowland, (4) the Cascade Mountains, (5) the Columbia Plateau, and (6) the Rocky Mountains.

The Olympic Mountains

region lies in the northwest corner of the state. It is bordered by the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the north and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Most of the region lies within Olympic National Park. The rugged snow-capped Olympic Mountains are one of the wildest parts of the United States. The lush forests inside the park boast a number of trees that are the largest of their species. Outside the park, the region’s chief industry is logging in the foothills of the mountains.

The Coast Range

region covers the southwestern corner of Washington and extends southward into Oregon. The Willapa Hills, which overlook Willapa Bay, are the chief land feature of this region in Washington. Logging and lumber milling are the region’s most important economic activities. Many people also work in fishing and dairying.

The Puget Sound Lowland

region is wedged between the Olympic Mountains on the west and the Cascade Mountains on the east. It extends northward into British Columbia and southward into Oregon. The valley of the Chehalis River is also part of the region. The valley extends westward to the Pacific Ocean between the Willapa Hills on the south and the Olympic Mountains on the north.

Puget Sound, a huge bay almost completely enclosed by land, covers the north-central part of the lowland region. The Strait of Juan de Fuca connects Puget Sound with the Pacific Ocean. Narrow, twisting branches of the sound extend far inland. These branches reach south to the cities of Tacoma and Olympia.

About three-fourths of Washington’s people live on the lowland plain. The plain has about three-fifths of the state’s cities, and most of its factories and sawmills. Productive soils formed upon glacial deposits from the last ice age help make the plain an important farming area.

The Cascade Mountains

region, east of the Puget Sound Lowland, separates the western section of the state from the eastern section. The Cascade Mountains of Washington are part of a long mountain range that stretches southward from British Columbia into northern California. The peaks of several volcanoes rise above the main chain of mountains. Most of these volcanoes are dormant (inactive). However, Mount St. Helens in southwestern Washington erupted violently in 1980. Its elevation is 8,364 feet (2,549 meters).

Mount Rainier, the highest point in the state and one of the highest mountains in the United States, is a long-quiet volcano. It rises 14,410 feet (4,392 meters). Other high peaks include Mount Adams (12,307 feet, or 3,751 meters); Mount Baker (10,778 feet, or 3,285 meters); and Glacier Peak (10,541 feet, or 3,213 meters). All these mountains have glaciers and permanent snowfields on their upper slopes. Since the late 1900’s, however, scientists have documented a rapid retreat of these glaciers. Farther down the slopes, and on the lower mountains, are magnificent forests. Tall Douglas-fir trees grow on the rainy western slopes. Most of the forested area lies within national forests.

The Columbia Plateau

covers most of central and southeastern Washington. This large basin lies from 500 to 2,000 feet (150 to 610 meters) or more above sea level and is surrounded by a rim of higher lands. It makes up part of the largest lava plateau in the world. The basin was formed by lava that flowed out of cracks in Earth’s crust millions of years ago.

Interesting features of the Columbia Plateau are its coulees and scablands, especially in the Big Bend region. This area lies south and east of a great bend in the Columbia River. Coulees are trenchlike dry canyons with steep walls. They were formed about 14,000 years ago, when glaciers blocked the Columbia River, creating the historic Lake Missoula in Montana. The lake had a volume similar to that of modern Lake Michigan. When the ice dam broke, rushing streams of river water and melting ice cut new channels across the lava plateau. After the glacial period ended, the Columbia settled into its present course. The other streams dried up, leaving empty canyons. Grand Coulee and Moses Coulee are the largest dry canyons. Scablands are areas where soil has been stripped away by floods, leaving patches of hard lava rock exposed at the surface of the plateau.

The Wenatchee, Yakima, Snake, Walla Walla, and other irrigated river valleys in the Columbia Plateau region contain fertile cropland. Much of the desertlike Columbia Basin is good for growing crops when the land is irrigated. The Yakima Valley in south-central Washington is one of the most productive farm areas in the nation. Farmers there raise beef and dairy cattle and grow large crops of grapes, hops, and orchard fruits.

Another important part of the Columbia Plateau is the Palouse country in the southeast. Much of Washington’s valuable wheat crop is grown on the gently rolling hills of the Palouse. The deep, fertile soils of this region hold moisture and permit dry farming.

The Blue Mountains in the southeastern corner of Washington extend into Oregon. They are neither as high nor as rugged as the Cascades. Farmers grow grains, hay, and other crops in the larger valleys, and the slopes serve as summer pastures for livestock.

The Rocky Mountains

cut across the northeastern corner of Washington. The branch of the Rockies in Washington is also called the Columbia Mountains. These mountains consist of several ridges with valleys in between. The Columbia River and its branch, the Okanogan, are the main rivers in the region. Minerals found in this area include clay, copper, gold, lead, limestone, magnesite, silver, and zinc.

Coastline.

Washington’s general coastline measures 157 miles (253 kilometers). Its tidal shoreline measures 3,026 miles (4,870 kilometers). This measurement includes the shoreline along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, along Puget Sound, and around the islands in Puget Sound. These islands include Bainbridge, Camano, Fidalgo, Vashon, Whidbey, and the more than 170 islands of the San Juan group. Puget Sound has many good protected harbors, but other parts of Washington’s coast have few natural ports. The lack of other ports makes Puget Sound’s harbors highly valuable for commerce.

Rivers, waterfalls, and lakes.

The mighty Columbia River, one of the longest rivers in the United States, flows through Washington for more than 700 miles (1,100 kilometers). It enters the state at the eastern end of the border with British Columbia. Then it makes a giant southward curve through central Washington. At the Washington-Oregon border, it makes a sharp turn to the west and flows to the Pacific Ocean. The river forms most of the boundary between the two states. The Columbia drains more than half of Washington. Many dams on the Columbia and its tributaries control floods and provide water for irrigation and power. The Snake River, which flows into the Columbia in south-central Washington, is the second longest river in the state. Other tributaries of the Columbia River in eastern and central Washington include the Colville, Methow, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Sanpoil, Spokane, Wenatchee, and Yakima rivers.

Many rivers of western Washington, including the Skagit, Skykomish, and Puyallup, flow from the mountains into Puget Sound. These rivers furnish water for many cities and provide power for industry. Some of them contain large numbers of salmon and other kinds of fish that travel upstream to lay their eggs. Other important rivers include the Chehalis, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at Grays Harbor, and the Cowlitz, which flows into the Columbia River near Longview. Parts of many rivers in western Washington are named for Indigenous (native) tribes that occupied those areas prior to European and American settlement.

Many of the state’s rivers break into falls and rapids in mountainous areas. The chief waterfalls include Cascade, Fairy, Horseshoe, Klickitat, Ladder Creek, Metaline, Nooksack, Palouse, Rainbow, Snoqualmie, Spokane, and White River.

Thousands of lakes were formed around Puget Sound when glaciers scooped out the land and water filled the hollow places. Some were formed when soil and rock pushed by the glaciers dammed river valleys. The largest and best known of these glacial lakes are Washington, Sammamish, and Whatcom. Other freshwater lakes include Ozette, Crescent, and Quinault, all on the Olympic Peninsula west of Puget Sound. The Cascade Mountains area has many beautiful lakes. The largest is Lake Chelan, 51 miles (82 kilometers) long, on the eastern slope. Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, formed by Grand Coulee Dam, covers 130 square miles (337 square kilometers) and is the state’s largest reservoir.

Plant and animal life.

Forests cover more than half of Washington. In the western part of the state, important softwood trees include the Douglas-fir, Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and western redcedar. In the eastern section, softwoods include the Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, ponderosa (western yellow) pine, and western larch. Common hardwoods include alder, aspen, cottonwood, and maple. Many kinds of plants grow in Washington because of the great variety of climates and elevations. Rare wildflowers bloom in mountain meadows. Colorful lupine, brown-eyed Susan, and goldenrod grow in fields and along roads. Flowering plants such as the western rhododendron and the western dogwood brighten the forests and hillsides.

Game animals found in Washington include bears and four kinds of deer—elks, Columbian black-tailed deer, mule deer, and western white-tailed deer. Washington also has many small fur-bearing animals, such as beavers, martens, minks, muskrats, and western bobcats. The state’s game birds include pheasants, quail, ruffed grouse, sage grouse, wild ducks, and wild geese.

Fishes in Washington’s many freshwater rivers and lakes include grayling, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, steelhead, and whitefish. Huge sturgeon have been caught in the Columbia and Snake rivers. Saltwater fishes include cod, flounder, halibut, and salmon. Crabs, oysters, and several kinds of clams live in the coastal waters.

Climate.

Western Washington has a milder climate than any other region in the United States that is as far north. Westerly winds from the Pacific Ocean help keep the summers pleasantly cool and the winters relatively mild. Seattle’s temperature averages about 66 °F (19 °C) in July and 42 °F (6 °C) in January.

Eastern Washington has warmer summers and colder winters than western Washington. Spokane, near the Idaho border, has an average temperature of 70 °F (21 °C) in July and 30 °F (–1 °C) in January.

The state’s highest temperature, 118 °F (48 °C), occurred in Grant County on July 24, 1928, and at Ice Harbor Dam in southeastern Washington on Aug. 5, 1961. The lowest, –48 °F (–44 °C), occurred at Mazama and at Winthrop in the northeast on Dec. 30, 1968.

Moist winds from the Pacific Ocean bring much rain to western Washington. By the time the winds reach eastern Washington, they have lost much moisture—an effect known as a rain shadow. As a result, the east has a much drier climate than the west. Precipitation (rain, melted snow, and other forms of moisture) averages over 140 inches (356 centimeters) a year in parts of the Olympic Peninsula. But Washington’s central plateau, in the rain shadow of the Cascades, receives only 6 inches (15 centimeters). Much of this area is semidesert.

Snowfall in Washington averages about 5 inches (13 centimeters) a year along the coast. Mount Rainier receives 50 to 75 inches (130 to 191 centimeters) on its lower slopes and over 500 inches (1,300 centimeters) on its higher slopes. In 1998-1999, Mount Baker Ski Area on Mount Baker recorded the nation’s heaviest snowfall for one season—1,140 inches (2,896 centimeters).

Economy

Washington has a diverse economy. Service industries account for the largest part of Washington’s gross domestic product—the total value of all goods and services produced in the state in a year. Washington is closer to Asian ports than most other parts of the country, so international trade plays a significant role. The manufacture of aircraft and the processing of farm and forest products are also major parts of the state’s economy.

Natural resources.

Washington’s many natural resources include a plentiful water supply, large timber reserves, and fertile soils.

Water

is one of Washington’s most important resources. Melted snow from the mountains feeds the rivers of western Washington and provides water for industry, electric power, irrigation, and home use. The Columbia River ranks among the nation’s greatest sources of hydroelectric power, and the Columbia and its tributaries are valuable sources of water in central and eastern Washington. Inlets and bays that lie in the Puget Sound region and along the coast encourage shipping, commercial fishing, and pleasure boating.

Forests

cover about half of Washington. Most of the state’s forests are of commercial value. In the west, where the rainfall is heaviest, the Douglas-fir is the leading timber tree. Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and western redcedar are also common. The Douglas-fir is also the chief timber tree in the drier eastern section. Ponderosa pine, western larch, and lodgepole pine also grow there. The eastern forests grow chiefly along the slopes of the Cascades, in the northeastern highlands, and in the Blue Mountains. The most common Washington hardwoods include alder, cottonwood, and maple.

The state government, the U.S. government, and many private companies work to conserve Washington’s valuable timber resources. They use a variety of harvesting methods, including cutting only some of the trees to allow for natural reseeding. However, most harvested areas are replanted with seedlings grown in private and government tree nurseries.

Soils.

Washington’s best soils for agriculture are the silts and sands of the river valleys and of the irrigated dry lands east of the Cascades. The soils of the Palouse region in southeastern Washington, especially in Whitman County, were built up from fine materials carried by glaciers and by winds. The Puget Sound area and most of the high mountain areas have rocky soils.

Minerals.

Washington has the only large coal deposits on the Pacific Coast. The largest coal fields lie in western Washington. Magnesite deposits occur near Chewelah. Gold deposits are found on the eastern slopes of the Cascades and in the Okanogan Mountains. Lead and zinc occur mainly in northeastern Washington. Clay, limestone, and sand and gravel are found in many areas. The state also has deposits of copper, diatomite, olivine, peat, silver, talc, and tungsten.

Service industries

account for the majority of both Washington’s employment and its gross domestic product. Most of these industries are concentrated in metropolitan areas, especially the Seattle-Tacoma area.

Seattle is Washington’s top financial center. About half of the state’s hotels, restaurants, and retail trade establishments are in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Seattle is the home of several major retailers, including Nordstrom, a large retail clothing company; Starbucks, a large gourmet coffee vendor; and Amazon.com, an important online retailer. Alaska Air Group, a major U.S. transportation company, also has its headquarters in Seattle.

The Seattle-Tacoma area has many companies that specialize in creating computer software, including Microsoft Corporation, the world’s largest software company. In the 1990’s, the Seattle area became a home to many new companies that focus on products that support e-commerce, business conducted via the Internet.

Olympia, the state capital, is the center of government activities. Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a combined U.S. Army and Air Force post, is south of Tacoma. The Air Force operates Fairchild Air Force Base, an Air Combat Command base near Spokane. The U.S. Department of Energy runs the Hanford Site, a nuclear energy center near Richland. The Hanford Site is the focus of one of the world’s largest environmental cleanup projects.

Manufacturing.

Transportation equipment is Washington’s leading manufactured product. Washington is a leading center of the aircraft and space industry. The Boeing Company, a leader in the production of commercial jets and military aircraft, has several assembly and research facilities in King and Snohomish counties. Washington is also an important shipbuilding state. The state has major shipyards at Bremerton, Seattle, and Tacoma. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton is one of the largest naval shipyards on the Pacific Coast.

Much of Washington’s manufacturing is dedicated to processing its agricultural and forest products. The state’s food-processing activities include packing fish and meats; producing frozen fruit, juice, and vegetable products; and producing bakery goods. About half of all food products are made in the Seattle area. Weyerhaeuser, a leading forest products company, is headquartered in Seattle. Several other large forest products companies have operations in the state. Many areas in the western part of the state have factories that manufacture paper and wood products.

Computer and electronic products are primarily produced in the Seattle area. Computers, electronic medical devices, and microchips are important parts of this sector. Seattle is also the leading center for fabricated metal products, including machine shop products. Anacortes and Ferndale have petroleum refineries.

Agriculture.

Farmland covers about a third of Washington’s land area. Farmers produce crops both by dry farming methods and by irrigation. The chief irrigated regions are in the Columbia Basin and in the valleys of the Okanogan, Snake, Spokane, Walla Walla, Wenatchee, and Yakima rivers. Many of the state’s farms have irrigation.

Timber is a valuable agricultural product in Washington. Washington is one of the leading states in the harvesting of timber. Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and western hemlock are the state’s most numerous timber trees.

Wheat is one of Washington’s most valuable crops. Farmers in eastern Washington grow some spring wheat and a large amount of winter wheat. Washington leads the nation in the production of hops, used in making beer. The state ranks second only to Idaho in the production of potatoes, which are grown mainly in Adams, Benton, Franklin, and Grant counties. Washington also ranks among the leading producers of asparagus, carrots, green peas, onions, and sweet corn, and of barley and other grains.

Washington grows more apples and pears than any other state. The state ranks high in the production of apricots, blueberries, cherries, grapes, and raspberries. Most fruit is grown in central Washington’s irrigated valleys.

Greenhouse and nursery products are also important. Many of these products are grown in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Washington growers also produce alfalfa seed, grass seed, and mint.

Milk and beef cattle are by far the most important livestock products in Washington. Most of the dairy farms are in the western part of the state. Beef cattle are raised chiefly on ranches in central Washington.

Mining.

The state’s leading mined products include crushed stone, and sand and gravel. Granite, limestone, sandstone, and traprock are the leading crushed stone products. Sand and gravel are mined throughout Washington, especially in the Seattle area. Other mined products include clays, lime, portland cement, and zinc.

Fishing.

Washington is a leading fish catching state. It won fame for its seafoods, especially chinook and sockeye salmon. Washington’s fishing fleet pulls in large catches of clams, crabs, halibut, mussels, oysters, sablefish, salmon, and tuna. The Washington catch is one of the country’s largest for all of these seafood products.

Electric power and utilities.

Washington leads the nation in hydroelectric power production. The state produces the majority of its power from hydroelectric plants. Most of the rest comes from nuclear plants and plants that burn coal or natural gas.

Grand Coulee Dam, the largest concrete dam in the United States, is also one of the world’s greatest sources of water power. Other large dams on the Columbia River include Bonneville, Chief Joseph, John Day, McNary, Priest Rapids, Rock Island, Rocky Reach, The Dalles, and Wanapum. There are also many dams on the Snake River and several smaller rivers.

Transportation

facilities in Washington help link the United States with Asia and western Canada. They also provide a means for shipping the state’s goods to major markets in other states, which lie far away.

The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, often called Sea-Tac, is one of the busiest airports in the western United States. Spokane has the state’s second busiest airport.

Rail lines provide freight service on thousands of miles of track in the state. In 1883, the Northern Pacific Railroad began transcontinental service to Tacoma. The Cascade Tunnel, 7.8 miles (12.5 kilometers) long, was completed in 1929. It is the longest railroad tunnel in the United States.

Washington has an extensive system of roads and highways. Floating pontoon bridges cross Seattle’s Lake Washington. The longest one has a floating portion that is 7,709 feet (2,350 meters) long. The structure is the longest concrete pontoon bridge in the United States. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, one of the nation’s longest suspension bridges, crosses a part of Puget Sound.

Anacortes, Bellingham, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, and other Puget Sound cities are important seaports. Oceangoing ships enter Puget Sound through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. They bring products from Asia, South America, and other parts of the world. Longview and Vancouver on the Columbia River and Grays Harbor on the Pacific Ocean are also major ports. The Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma are important container ports. These ports service container ships—that is, ships that carry goods in metal containers the size of railroad cars.

An artificial waterway, the Lake Washington Ship Canal, cuts across Seattle. It connects Lake Washington and Lake Union with Puget Sound. The Seattle fishing fleet, many pleasure boats, and some ocean vessels travel up the canal to landlocked harbors. An extensive, state-owned ferry system links the San Juan Islands and the mainland. Privately owned ferries link Seattle to cities in British Columbia.

Communication.

Washington’s first newspaper, The Columbian, began in Olympia in 1852. Today, Washington newspapers with the largest circulations include The Seattle Times, The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review, and The (Tacoma) News Tribune.

Washington’s first commercial radio broadcast was made from Everett in 1920 by station KFBL (now KRKO). KING-TV, the state’s first television station, began operating in Seattle in 1948. Today, Washington has numerous radio and television stations. Cable television systems and Internet providers serve most areas.

Government

Constitution.

Washington is governed under its original Constitution, adopted in 1889. Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by the state Legislature or by a constitutional convention. A constitutional convention may be called by a two-thirds vote in each house of the legislature. All amendments must be approved by two-thirds of the legislators in both houses and then by a majority of the voters in a statewide election.

Executive.

The governor and lieutenant governor of Washington serve four-year terms. The governor has the power to appoint the heads of many state boards, commissions, and executive departments. The governor may also fill vacancies that occur in elective executive offices and among the Superior Court of Appeals and Supreme Court judges. The governor may choose to veto bills that have been passed by the Legislature. The governor also has the power to veto individual sections in any bill without killing the whole bill.

Other top state officials in Washington are the secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, commissioner of public lands, and insurance commissioner. These officials serve four-year terms. They may be reelected to an unlimited number of terms in office. The superintendent of public instruction is elected by nonpartisan (no-party) ballot.

Legislature

consists of a 49-member Senate and a 98-member House of Representatives.

The state has 49 legislative districts. Voters in each district of the state elect one senator and two representatives. Senators serve four-year terms. Representatives serve two-year terms.

Regular legislative sessions begin on the second Monday in January each year. The law limits these sessions to 60 days in even-numbered years and 105 days in odd-numbered years. The governor has the power to call special sessions of no more than 30 days. The Legislature can also vote to call a special session.

Courts.

The highest court in Washington is the state Supreme Court. It has nine justices elected to six-year terms. The state’s voters elect three Supreme Court justices in each general election, every two years. The justices elect one of their number to serve as chief justice.

The next highest court is the state Court of Appeals. This court is divided into three geographic regions. Altogether, it has 22 judges elected to six-year terms. Other courts include District, Municipal, and Superior courts, headed by judges elected to four-year terms.

Local government.

A 1948 amendment to the Washington Constitution gave counties the right to choose their own form of county government. In most of Washington’s 39 counties, a three-member board of commissioners has both executive and lawmaking powers. The commissioners are elected to four-year terms. Other county officials include the prosecuting attorney, sheriff, clerk, assessor, auditor, treasurer, and coroner. In addition, Washington’s counties may have a health officer, relief administrator, and other officials.

Washington has nearly 300 incorporated cities and towns. The state Constitution provides that any city with 20,000 or more residents may have home rule. That is, the city may choose its own system of local government. Washington cities have either a council-manager form of government or a mayor-council form of government. The majority of smaller cities in Washington are run by a mayor and a city council.

Revenue.

The state government receives about half of its general revenue (income) from state taxes. Most of the rest comes from federal grants and other United States government programs. Washington’s main source of tax revenue is a general sales tax. This general sales tax totals about three-fifths of state taxes. Other important sources of tax revenue include taxes on alcoholic beverages, motor fuels, motor vehicle licenses, property, public utilities, and tobacco products. Washington does not levy state taxes on personal or corporate income.

Politics.

In the 1912 presidential election, Washington supported the Progressive Party. In presidential elections throughout the 1900’s, the state supported Republicans and Democrats almost the same number of times. But Democratic candidates have carried the state in every presidential election since 1988.

Voters of farm areas and suburbs have generally favored Republicans. People in the cities of western Washington have usually supported the Democrats.

History

Before European exploration.

Many Native American peoples lived in the Washington region for thousands of years before white people came. Tribes of the Plateau group lived on the plains and in river valleys east of the Cascades. These included the Cayuse, Colville, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Spokane, and Yakama. The coastal groups lived west of the Cascade Mountains. These tribes included the Chinook, Clallam, Clatsop, Nisqually, Nooksack, and Puyallup. They lived mainly on salmon and other fish and clams. In addition, they gathered wild fruits and vegetables.

Discovery and exploration.

The first European people to see the Pacific Northwest were probably Spanish and English explorers who sailed northward along the coast from California during the 1500’s. After the mid-1700’s, Russian fur traders settled in what is now Alaska. The Spaniards feared that the Russians would move to occupy the region farther south. To prevent this expansion, Spain sent several expeditions to establish Spanish rights to the area. In 1775, Bruno Heceta and Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra were the first Europeans to land on Washington soil, near present-day Point Grenville. They claimed the region for Spain and named many islands and coastal areas.

The first English explorer to reach the area was Captain James Cook, in 1778. He did not touch the coast or, because of stormy weather, see much of it. Captain George Vancouver, another English explorer, made a survey of Puget Sound and Georgia Gulf in 1792. Vancouver named the sound for Peter Puget, one of his officers. Britain (later also called the United Kingdom) based part of its claim to the region on the explorations of Cook and Vancouver.

Captain Robert Gray, an American, headed a fur-trading expedition sent by a Boston company. Gray sailed into the harbor that now bears his name. In 1792, he reached the mouth of the Columbia River. Gray’s arrival at the Columbia became a basis for American claims to the region. In 1805, the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark crossed the Rocky Mountains. They reached the Columbia River and followed it to the Pacific Ocean. Their voyage gave the United States a second claim to the Northwest.

Between 1807 and 1811, the British strengthened their claim to the region when David Thompson, a Canadian explorer and geographer, traveled down the Columbia to the Pacific.

Settlement.

During the early 1800’s, British and American fur traders both operated in the region. In 1810, the Canadian North West Company established Spokane House near present-day Spokane for the purpose of trading with Native Americans. In 1811, a company sent by the American trader John Jacob Astor set up a fur-trading post at Astoria, in present-day Oregon. Astor’s group also founded Fort Okanogan, the first United States settlement established on land that now lies within the state of Washington.

During the War of 1812 (1812-1815) between the United States and the United Kingdom, Astor’s company gave up its trading posts. After the war, the two countries could not agree on a boundary line to separate their territories west of the Rocky Mountains. They signed a treaty in 1818 permitting citizens of both countries to trade and settle in the region, which was called the Oregon Country. John McLoughlin of the Hudson’s Bay Company, a British firm, completed Fort Vancouver (now Vancouver) on the Columbia River in 1825.

During the 1840’s, many Americans settled in the Oregon Country. The boundary dispute between the United States and the United Kingdom reached a climax during the U.S. presidential campaign of 1844. James K. Polk, the winning candidate, partially based his campaign on the claim that all the region south of latitude 54 degrees 40 minutes belonged to the United States. See Fifty-Four Forty or Fight.

In 1846, President Polk signed a treaty with the United Kingdom that set the boundary line at the 49th parallel, Washington’s present northern border. The United Kingdom kept Vancouver Island. A disagreement over possession of the San Juan Islands in Puget Sound continued until 1872. That year, the German emperor Kaiser Wilhelm I, who was asked to arbitrate (settle) the dispute, ruled in favor of the Americans.

Territorial days.

A bill creating the Oregon Territory, of which Washington was a part, passed Congress in 1848. General Joseph Lane was appointed governor. In 1853, President Millard Fillmore signed a bill creating the Washington Territory. This region included the present state of Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana. The capital was established at Olympia. The president appointed Isaac Ingalls Stevens as the first governor of the new territory.

Stevens sought treaties with Native American tribes, to put them on reservations and free more territory for white settlers. The coastal tribes signed the treaties. But Stevens’s efforts in 1855 to sign treaties with the Plateau tribes led to war. Kamiakin, a Yakama chief, led the warring tribes. The fighting ended in 1858, soon after the Yakama and their allies lost a battle near Four Lakes. Treaties were ratified in 1859.

In 1859, when Oregon became a state, the Washington Territory was expanded to include parts of what are now Idaho and Wyoming. Washington received its present boundaries in 1863, when the Idaho Territory was established. Rising numbers of settlers streamed into Washington after 1860, partly because of gold discoveries in Idaho, Oregon, and British Columbia. But there were no major gold strikes in Washington.

Statehood.

The completion of a railroad connection with the East in 1883 brought many settlers. President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed the territory as the 42nd state on Nov. 11, 1889. Elisha P. Ferry, former governor of the territory, was elected Washington’s first state governor. Olympia remained the capital.

Between 1890 and 1900, parts of the desertlike lands of eastern Washington were reclaimed by irrigation. Large numbers of wheat ranchers and fruit growers came to the state. By 1900, much of the open cattle range had been replaced by wheat fields and fruit orchards. Lumbering, fishing, and mining also increased rapidly, and shipping to the Far East and Alaska became a leading activity. The shipping industry added to the wealth of the ports and railway centers. The state also profited greatly by the Klondike and Alaska gold rush of 1897-1898. See Alaska (The gold rush). Seattle profited most as the chief supply center for the prospectors, but all of western Washington increased in population and prosperity. Farmers in eastern Washington also profited.

The early 1900’s.

In 1909, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition was held in Seattle to celebrate the growth of the port of Seattle. After the United States entered World War I in 1917, Washington’s economy boomed as it provided needed forest products, agricultural commodities, and ships for the war effort.

Organized labor gained strength in Washington during the war. When the war ended in 1918, labor unions feared their position would weaken. To protest industry’s power, about 60,000 workers in Seattle walked off their jobs in February 1919 in the nation’s first general strike. The Great Depression during the 1930’s brought great reductions in many industries. Food processing remained Washington’s only stable industry. Other industries that kept producing on a small scale included metalworking and aircraft construction. These activities, along with construction work on the Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams, helped the state regain some prosperity in the late 1930’s.

The mid-1900’s.

During World War II (1939-1945), Washington industries produced aircraft and ships. Expansion occurred in truck and railroad car construction, the wood products industry, and agriculture. In 1943, the government built a nuclear energy center, the Hanford Works, in southeastern Washington. The center helped make the first atomic bombs. In the 1960’s, it began to produce electric power. It later became known as the Hanford Site of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Many Washington cities grew as a result of the construction and expansion of military bases. Thousands of people who came to the state to work in defense plants stayed after the war to build new careers in the aluminum and aircraft industries. The importance of forest products and agriculture declined in Washington after World War II. However, farms in the central part of the state benefited from the expansion of Columbia River irrigation projects. These projects resulted from the construction of a number of federal dams on the river. Development of the Columbia River also led to the growth of inland ports and an increase in river shipping. In 1964, the United States and Canada approved a cooperative plan for hydroelectric and river-control projects on the Columbia and connecting streams.

In 1962, Century 21, a world’s fair held in Seattle, helped promote tourism, an important industry in the state. The fairgrounds and buildings and the 605-foot (184-meter) Space Needle observation tower remain as a year-round civic and tourist center. Seattle and its suburbs spent $130 million in a nine-year project to clean up polluted Lake Washington and Elliott Bay, two major recreation areas. In 1968, Seattle-area voters approved a $333-million improvement program called “Forward Thrust.” Plans included an expansion of park and recreational facilities.

In the late 1960’s, industry and population increased rapidly in Seattle and the Puget Sound area. An important reason for the expansion was the growth of the Boeing Company. The Boeing Company, a major military airplane builder in wartime, expanded into both the commercial jet and aerospace industries. At one time, nearly 10 per cent of the work force in Washington was employed in jet aircraft and related businesses.

The late 1900’s.

The state’s attempt to meet increasing needs for electric power suffered a major setback in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. During this period, the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS) worked to build five nuclear power plants, but the project became burdened with cost overruns. In 1983, WPPSS defaulted on $2¹/₄ billion in municipal bonds and, having completed only two plants, ceased construction. WPPSS was the most expensive civil works project in history. Its default also was the largest of its kind.

Washington was hit by a natural disaster on May 18, 1980, when the volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens in the southwestern part of the state resulted in 57 deaths and billions of dollars in damage. The eruption caused floods and forest fires and spread a thick layer of ash over a wide area. In 1982, Congress created the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. It is the first such monument in the United States.

During the late 1900’s, state officials increased efforts to attract more industries to Washington. Interest in the state’s highly skilled labor force helped draw several electronics companies. During the 1980’s, telecommunications, biotechnology, and computer software companies in Washington hired more workers. Expansion by Boeing, Microsoft Corporation, and the forest products manufacturer Weyerhaeuser Company greatly aided Washington’s economy during the 1990’s.

State officials became more concerned about the deaths of salmon at Washington hydroelectric facilities. The dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers provide fish ladders (ascending pools of water) to allow adult salmon to swim upstream, where the fish spawn (reproduce). But many young salmon, as they travel downstream to the Pacific Ocean, die in the electric turbines at these dams. During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, federal agencies and conservation groups presented various plans to eliminate this threat to the young salmon. The proposals included removing some of the dams and redirecting river water around others.

In the late 1900’s, the state faced problems of a weak timber industry and declining agricultural prices. The state also faced a challenge involving the cleanup of nuclear waste leaking from aging underground tanks at the Hanford Site. Radioactive liquid waste had polluted the nearby Columbia River. In 1989, state and federal officials began a cleanup plan that continued into the early 2000’s.

In 1996, Washington’s voters elected Gary Locke governor. The son of Chinese immigrants, Locke became the first person of Chinese ancestry to be elected governor of a U.S. state.

The early 2000’s.

Gary Locke did not seek reelection in 2004. After the election in November of that year, Republican Dino Rossi led Democrat Christine Gregoire by fewer than 300 votes. After a series of recounts, Gregoire pulled ahead in the total vote. Gregoire took office as governor in January 2005, but the Republicans filed a legal challenge. They charged that illegal votes and election workers’ mistakes made the vote tally questionable. They asked the court to order another statewide vote. After a trial, a judge ruled in June that the Republicans did not prove that illegal votes or election workers’ mistakes were responsible for Gregoire’s victory. After the ruling, Rossi conceded the election to Gregoire.

In 2008 and 2009, Washington’s economy suffered during a national economic slowdown. Unemployment rose, and state revenues declined. State officials cut spending in efforts to reduce high budget deficits in 2010 and 2011.

In February 2012, Washington’s legislature passed, and Governor Gregoire signed, a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. The law was scheduled to take effect in June, but opponents gathered enough signatures to block the law and place a referendum on same-sex marriage on the November ballot. Washington voters approved same-sex marriage in November.

Natural disasters posed a threat to Washington residents and wildlife during the 2000’s. In March 2014, a devastating mudslide occurred near Oso, in Snohomish County in northwestern Washington. The slide destroyed dozens of homes and killed more than 40 people. Hundreds of wildfires occur in the state every year. Some of the largest single fires occurred in 2014, 2015, and 2020. In 2021, a historic heat wave contributed to scores of deaths. Drought conditions led to crop failures and increased risks of wildfires.

In January 2020, some of the first known cases in the United States of the respiratory disease COVID-19 were confirmed in Washington. The disease, caused by a type of coronavirus, had first been detected in China in late 2019. From there, it spread throughout the world. To curb the virus in Washington, authorities asked residents to take such precautions as practicing social distancing. Schools were closed, and public events were canceled. Later, authorities issued strict lockdown measures, further limiting business and social activities. Many restrictions were eased in the spring of 2020. They were later raised and lowered based on local infection rates.

COVID-19 vaccines became available in late 2020 and early 2021. By early summer 2021, higher vaccination rates contributed to lower infection and death rates. But later in the year and into 2022, new, more contagious variants of COVID-19 led to spikes in infections. By early 2023, about 2 million COVID-19 infections had been recorded in Washington, and more than 15,000 people there had died from the disease.