Washington (state)

Washington
State
Flag Seal
Nickname:  "The Evergreen State" (unofficial)[1]
Motto(s):  Alki (Chinook jargon for 'By and By')
Anthem: "Washington, My Home"
Map of the United States with Washington highlighted
Country	United States
Before statehood	Washington Territory
Admitted to the Union	November 11, 1889 (42nd)
Capital	Olympia
Largest city	Seattle
Largest county or equivalent	King
Largest metro and urban areas	Seattle
Government
• Governor	Jay Inslee (D)
• Lieutenant governor	Denny Heck (D)
Legislature	State Legislature
• Upper house	State Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
Judiciary	Washington Supreme Court
U.S. senators	Patty Murray (D) Maria Cantwell (D)
U.S. House delegation	8 Democrats 2 Republicans (list)
Area
• Total	71,362 sq mi (184,827 km2)
• Land	66,544 sq mi (172,587 km2)
• Water	4,757 sq mi (12,237 km2)  6.6%
• Rank	18th
Dimensions
• Length	240 mi (400 km)
• Width	360 mi (580 km)
Elevation	1,700 ft (520 m)
Highest elevation (Mount Rainier)	14,411 ft (4,392 m)
Lowest elevation (Pacific Ocean)	0 ft (0 m)
Population  (2023)
• Total	7,812,880
• Rank	13th
• Density	103/sq mi (39.6/km2)
• Rank	25th
• Median household income	$70,979 (2,017)[2]
• Income rank	7th[2]
Demonym	Washingtonian
Language
• Official language	None (de jure) English (de facto)
Time zone	UTC–08:00 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC–07:00 (PDT)
USPS abbreviation	WA
ISO 3166 code	US-WA
Traditional abbreviation	Wash.
Latitude	45°33′ N to 49° N
Longitude	116°55′ W to 124°46′ W
Website	wa.gov
ASN	4193

Washington, officially the State of Washington,^[3] is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington state^[a] to distinguish it from the national capital,^[4] both named after George Washington (the first U.S. president). Washington borders the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the south, Idaho to the east, and shares an international border with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. Olympia is the state capital, and the most populous city is Seattle.

Washington is the 18th-largest state, with an area of 71,362 square miles (184,830 km²), and the 13th-most populous state, with more than 7.8 million people.^[5] The majority of Washington's residents live in the Seattle metropolitan area, the center of transportation, business, and industry on Puget Sound,^[6][7] an inlet of the Pacific Ocean consisting of numerous islands, deep fjords and bays carved out by glaciers. The remainder of the state consists of deep temperate rainforests in the west; mountain ranges in the west, center, northeast, and far southeast; and a semi-arid basin region in the east, center, and south, given over to intensive agriculture. Washington is the second most populous state on the West Coast and in the Western United States, after California. Mount Rainier, an active stratovolcano, is the state's highest elevation at 14,411 feet (4,392 meters), and is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous U.S.

Washington is a leading lumber producer, the largest producer of apples, hops, pears, blueberries, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries in the U.S., and ranks high in the production of apricots, asparagus, dry edible peas, grapes, lentils, peppermint oil, and potatoes.^[8][9] Livestock, livestock products, and commercial fishing—particularly of salmon, halibut, and bottomfish—are also significant contributors to the state's economy.^[10] Washington ranks second only to California in wine production. Manufacturing industries in Washington include aircraft, missiles, shipbuilding, and other transportation equipment, food processing, metals, and metal products, chemicals, and machinery.^[11]

The state was formed from the western part of the Washington Territory, which was ceded by the British Empire in the Oregon Treaty of 1846. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. One of the wealthiest and most socially liberal states in the country,^[12] Washington consistently ranks among the top states for highest life expectancy and employment rates.^[13] It was one of the first states (alongside Colorado) to legalize medicinal and recreational cannabis,^[14] was among the first states to introduce same-sex marriage,^[15] and was one of only four states to have provided legal abortions on request before Roe v. Wade in 1973.^[16] Washington voters also approved a 2008 referendum on the legalization of physician-assisted suicide,^[17] making it one of 10 states to have legalized the practice.^[18]

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