Overview
The City of Spokane is home to some 195,500 residents; there are around 418,000 residents in the metropolitan area. Spokane is located in the heart of the Inland Northwest, and it serves as a shopping, entertainment, and medical hub for an area that includes Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon, North Idaho, Western Montana, and southern portions of Alberta and British Columbia. The Spokane River runs through our downtown with spectacular falls on the western end of our city core. Beautiful Riverfront Park also is in the heart of our city.
We are an outdoors-lover's paradise, with downhill and cross-country skiing, white-water rafting, camping areas, hiking trails, numerous lakes, and the Centennial Trail all in our backyard. We are home to the largest timed road race in the nation—Bloomsday—and the largest three-on-three street basketball tournament—Hoopfest.
History
Spokane’s first residents were Native American. From the Spokanes, we get our name, which means "Children of the Sun." Spokane became an incorporated city on Nov. 29, 1881, encompassing 1.56 square miles. Back then, the city was known as Spokan Falls and had 350 residents. The "e" was added to Spokane in 1883, and "Falls" was dropped in 1891. The city suffered, perhaps, its biggest setback in 1889, when a fire ravaged downtown destroying 32 blocks.
In 1974, Spokane hosted a World's Fair. Expo '74's lasting legacy is Riverfront Park—once a highly used rail yard, the property was converted into a park to host the fair.
Today, Spokane continues to grow and change. We're the second largest city in Washington state and the biggest city between Seattle and Minneapolis.
Little Facts About Washington
The capital of Washington is Olympia
Washington became a State on November 11, 1889 (42nd).
Washington's state bird is the Willow Goldfinch
Washington's state flower is the Western Rhododendron
Washington's state tree is the Western Hemlock
Washington's motto is "Alki" (By and By)
Washington's nickname is "Evergreen State"
Washington's state song is "Washington, My Home"
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