Washington
The Evergreen State
Capital: Olympia
Statehood: 1889 (the 42nd state)
Size: About 71,362 square miles (184,827 sq km).
Capital population: Olympia has about 56,000 people.
State population: About 7.8 million people (2023).See the 10 biggest cities →State bird: American Goldfinch
State tree: Western Hemlock
State flower: Coast Rhododendron
Climate
Mild and rainy on the western side, with cloudy wet winters and cool summers, while the eastern side is dry and sunny. The rain keeps the forests green all year.
Main industries
Home to technology giants like Microsoft and Amazon, aircraft maker Boeing, and huge apple orchards.
Top places for tourists
The city of Seattle with its Space Needle tower, and Mount Rainier, a tall snow-capped volcano.
Places of interest
Olympic National Park, with rainforests, mountains, and coast in one place, and Mount St. Helens, a volcano that erupted in 1980.
A little history
Washington became the 42nd state in 1889 and is the only state named after a United States president, George Washington.
Fun fact
Washington grows more apples than any other state, and both Microsoft and Amazon started there.