Seattle Hotels by Yahoo Travel    

State Facts

History | Symbols | Interesting Facts | Famous People

Demographics
Statehood:  November 11, 1889, the 42nd State

Capital:  Olympia

Total Area:  19th among States 182,949 sq km (70,637 sq mi)

Water Area:  10,502 sq km(4,055 sq mi)

Highest Point:  Mount Rainier 4,392 m (14,410 ft)

Total Population:  14th among States
2000 Census - 5,894,121
2005 Estimates - 6,287,759

Population Density in 2000:  32 people per sq km (83 per sq mi)

Distribution in 1999:  76% Urban, 24% Rural

Economy:
Gross State Product -   $244 billion (2003)
Personal income per capita - $33,332 (2003)

Largest cities in 2000:
Seattle:  580,089
Spokane:  199,630
Tacoma:  196,957

  • On May 18, 1980, Mount Saint Helens erupted in Washington, resulting in 57 deaths and billions of dollars in damage.
     

  • According to the 1990 census, more than half the residents of metropolitan Seattle were born outside Washington. 
     

  • In 1997 Gary Locke became the first Asian American governor in the continental United States.
     

  • Governor Gary Locke is the first Chinese-American governor in U.S. history.
     

  • In addition to its state song, Washington also has an official state folk song:Roll on Columbia, Roll On.
     

  • Washington is number one in the country in the production of these fruits and vegetables: apples, lentils, dry edible peas, hops, pears, red raspberries, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries.
     

  • Washington is home to Boeing, the world's largest aircraft maker.
     

  • Washington has over 1,000 dams.
     

  • Lewis and Clark explored the Columbia River area of what is now Washington in 1805-06.
     

  • The state of Washington is the only state to be named after a United States president.
     

  • Microsoft Corporation is located in Redmond.
     

  • Starbucks, the biggest coffee chain in the world was founded in Seattle.
     

  • Medina is the home of the world's wealthiest man, Microsoft's Bill Gates.