Significant business within the state include the design and manufacture of aircraft (Boeing), automotive (Paccar), computer software development (Microsoft, Bungie, Amazon, Nintendo of America, Valve, ArenaNet), telecom (T-Mobile US), electronics, biotechnology, aluminum production, lumber and wood products (Weyerhaeuser), mining, beverages (Starbucks, Jones Soda), real estate (John L. Scott, Colliers International, Windermere Real Estate, Kidder Mathews), retail (Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer, Car Toys, Costco, R.E.I. Oregonis to the south, with the Columbia River forming the western part and the 46th parallel forming the eastern part of the Oregon-Washington border. On May 18, 1980, following a period of heavy tremors and eruptions, the northeast face of Mount St. Helens erupted violently, destroying a large part of the top of the volcano. The 2012 USDA Hardiness Zone Map. Murray has represented the state since 1993, while Cantwell was first elected in 2001. [113] Additional border economies exist with neighboring British Columbia and Idaho. [51] The Okanogan National Forest is the largest national forest on the West Coast, encompassing 1,499,023 acres (606,633 ha). Due to Western Washington's large population, Democrats usually fare better statewide. Climate Zone 4C is defined as Mixed – Marine with IP Units 3600 < HDD65ºF ≤ 5400 and SI Units 2000 < HDD18ºC ≤ 3000 . Climate is the average of weather over time. Based on the 2007 information and a previous 2004 Ecology study, the Washington State Department of Health advises the public not to eat mountain whitefish from the Wenatchee River from Leavenworth downstream to where the river joins the Columbia, due to unhealthy levels of PCBs. [110] As of March 2017, the combined sales tax rate in Seattle and Tacoma was 10.1%. Weather in Washington State: Climate, Seasons, and Average Monthly Temperature. The Sunset Zones are probably the best general reference for the home gardener. In the autumn and winter, a low-pressure cyclone system takes over in the north Pacific Ocean. The following figures are from the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Washington Field Office. The Southern Oscillation greatly influences weather during the cold season. Negotiations with Great Britain over the next few decades failed to settle upon a compromise boundary and the Oregon boundary dispute was highly contested between Britain and the United States. Prominent among their industries were salmon fishing and, notably among the Makah, whale hunting. Washington state was the first state in the United States where assisted suicide, same-sex marriage, and recreational cannabis use were all legal at the same time. Three recent studies by the Washington State Department of Ecology showed toxic chemicals banned decades ago linger in the environment and concentrate in the food chain. In 2008, voted on by initiative, the Washington Death with Dignity Act passed and became law. Based on weather reports Sign up for our newsletter. The peoples of the Interior had a very different subsistence-based culture based on hunting, food-gathering and some forms of agriculture, as well as a dependency on salmon from the Columbia and its tributaries. In the Western region, temperatures have reached as high as 107 °F (42 °C) in Centralia,[27] and as low as −6 °F (−21 °C) in Longview. The apple industry is of particular importance to Washington. Washington became the 42nd state in the United States on November 11, 1889.[60]. Pacific Raceways is a motorsports venue which has hosted the Northwest Nationals of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and a round of the Trans-Am Series. The Lewis and Clark Expedition entered the state on October 10, 1805. Washington—Race and Hispanic Origin: 1850 to 1990", "Population and Housing Occupancy Status: 2010—United States—Metropolitan Statistical Area; and for Puerto Rico 2010 Census National Summary File of Redistricting Data", "Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States", "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Washington; UNITED STATES", "2016 American Community Survey—Demographic and Housing Estimates", "2016 American Community Survey—Selected Social Characteristics", "Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot", "Mandatory Busing in Seattle: Memories of a Bumpy Ride", "1,500 Cambodian refugees face deportation for crimes", "Puget Sound's Samoan community awaits news", Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 more information 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, "Ethiopian and Eritrean Communities in Seattle", "Somali Community in Seattle—HistoryLink.org", "Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life (2014)", "LDS Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership", "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report", "Wicca more prevalent in the Pacific Northwest than most realize", "Gross Domestic Product by State: Fourth Quarter and Annual 2018", "Fast-growing Washington state knocks Massachusetts out of the top 10 largest state economies", "Ports on East Coast, Gulf Coast Outgain West Coast Peers in Second-Annual CBRE Seaports Index", "Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates got even richer in 2017", "Local Sales and Use Tax Rates by City/County", "Sound Transit 3 sales-tax increase takes effect Saturday", "Border-hopping shoppers cost state millions in lost revenue", "WSDOT Washington State Ferries Our Fleet", "King County International Airport/Boeing Field", "Ridership Annual Measures—Accountability Center—King County Metro Transit—King County", "Welcome to 'the Most Toxic Place in America, "Nation's most ambitious project to clean up nuclear weapons waste has stalled at Hanford", "Inside America's most toxic nuclear waste dump, where 56 million gallons of buried radioactive sludge are leaking into the earth", "Toxics Persist in Washington Rivers, Lakes and Fish", "Phosphate Ban Signed Into Law In Washington State", "Historical Perspecitve (sic) Of The Phosphate Detergent Conflict", "Six States Will Boast All-Women Senate Delegations in 2019", "The 15 Best-Educated Districts in the U.S., and Why It Matters in the Georgia Race", "Colorado, Washington OK Recreational Marijuana Use", "Paid Sick Leave—Labor & Industries (L&I), Washington State", "Washington joins West Coast bloc of sanctuary states", "Competition in health insurance research", "The health insurer with largest individual market share in each state", "Dismantling of state's health reforms in 1993 may offer lessons for Obamacare repeal", "Consumer Reports: Seattle-area hospitals get low marks for stopping infections", "First Hill bustling with hospitals, culture", "The Evergreen State: Washington State Nickname", "Senate passes measure designating Walla Walla onion state veggie", "WSDOT—Highway Map—Washington State Facts", The official tourism site of the State of Washington, Secretary of State's Washington History website, Washington Administrative Code (State Administrative Rules), USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Washington, U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts: Washington, Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History, Police Scanner Information for Washington state, CWU Brooks Library Edward W. Nolan Photograph Collection, cities with populations exceeding 100,000, Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility, 1788–89 United States presidential election, Samuel Osgood House, First Presidential Mansion, Alexander Macomb House, Second Presidential Mansion, General George Washington Resigning His Commission, Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Washington_(state)&oldid=991143543#Climate, States and territories established in 1889, States of the West Coast of the United States, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Articles with dead external links from July 2019, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox settlement with possible motto list, Pages using infobox settlement with no coordinates, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2017, Articles needing the year an event occurred from September 2020, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2014, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from December 2017, Articles containing potentially dated statements from April 2014, Articles containing potentially dated statements from December 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2017, Articles to be expanded from December 2017, Articles needing additional references from November 2016, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2020, All Wikipedia articles needing clarification, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from June 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2016, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 28 November 2020, at 14:15. Spokane Border: Zone 6a-10°F to -5°F: Zone 6b-5°F to 0°F: A hardiness zone is a geographically defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including its ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone. Elementary and secondary schools are under the jurisdiction of the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). However, the estate tax is de-coupled from the federal estate tax laws, and therefore, the state imposes its own estate tax. Typical of Mid-Atlantic U.S. areas removed from bodies of water, it exhibits four distinct seasons. Tripsavvy's Editorial Guidelines. The USDA plant hardiness zone is 8a near There are more than 40 institutions of higher education in Washington. Based on weather reports collected during 1985–2015. In 2007, Washington became the first state in the nation to target all forms of highly toxic brominated flame retardants known as PBDEs for elimination from the many common household products in which they are used. Begun by the state legislature in 1990, it allows students to attend institutions of higher education at public expense, simultaneously earning high school and college credit.[147]. During winter months some of these passes are plowed, sanded, and kept safe with avalanche control. [56][57] After them, many more settlers, migrating overland along the Oregon Trail, wandered north to settle in the Puget Sound area. Washington has two different climate zones. August is the hottest month for Anacortes with an average high temperature of 70.8°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in Washington. Av. [121], U.S. News & World Report ranked Washington 2nd nationally for household internet access, and 6th for online download speed, based on data from 2014 and 2015. [77] The five largest ancestry groups were: German (17.8%), [6][7][8] Washington is the only U.S. state named after a president. Based on the 1990 USDA Hardiness Zone Map, this interactive version covers the state of Washington which ranges from USDA Zone 4b to USDA Zone 9a. The climate is moist and mild on the west side of the Cascade Mountain Range.On the eastern side, it's drier, with hot summers and cold, snowy winters. [1] The state folk song is "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" by Woody Guthrie. [16] It is also covered with more glacial ice than any other peak in the contiguous 48 states. Also in November 2012, Washington state became one of just two states to pass by initiative the legal sale and possession of cannabis for both medical and non-medical use with Initiative 502. Click on the image above to see a larger version. The straits were further explored by Spanish explorers Manuel Quimper in 1790 and Francisco de Eliza in 1791, and British explorer George Vancouver in 1792. The Office of Washington State Climatologist (OWSC) is called by the State of Washington to serve as a credible and expert source of climate and weather information for state and local decision makers and agencies working on drought, flooding, climate change, and other related issues. Fur trapper James Sinclair, on orders from Sir George Simpson, Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, led some 200 settlers from the Red River Colony west in 1841 to settle on Hudson Bay Company farms near Fort Vancouver. Climate Zone Number 1 Zone 1A Zone 1B N/A Climate Zone Number 2 Zone 2A Zone 2B N/A Climate Zone Number 3 Zone 3A Zone 3B Zone 3C Climate Zone Number 4 Zone 4A Zone 4B Zone 4C Climate Zone Number 5 Zone 5A Zone 5B Zone 5C W hen it comes to climate and geography, Washington State is a study in contrasts. Seasonal changes in the movement of moisture-laden air that collides with the sudden barrier of the Olympic and Cascade mountains bring Puget Sound the record-breaking precipitation for which it is so famous. A climate chart for your city, indicating the monthly high temperatures and rainfall. ZONE 1A: Coldest mountain and intermountain areas of the contiguous states and Southwestern British Columbia. Washington is one of the wealthiest and most socially liberal states in the country. For the proposed statehood of Washington, D.C., see, Map of the United States with Washington highlighted, "Demographics of Washington" redirects here. Washington has a varied climate east to west. The remainder of the state consists of deep temperate rainforests in the west; mountain ranges in the west, central, northeast, and far southeast; and a semi-arid basin region in the east, central, and south, given over to intensive agriculture. Washington is the northwesternmost state of the contiguous United States. Though the ban would be effective statewide in 2010, it would take place in Whatcom County, Spokane County, and Clark County in 2008. [107] As of April 2014[update], other Washington state billionaires included Microsoft's Paul Allen, Steve Ballmer, and Charles Simonyi, and Craig McCaw of McCaw Cellular Communications, James Jannard of Oakley, and Howard Schultz of Starbucks. Mount Rainier, the tallest mountain in the state,[15] is 50 miles (80 km) south of the city of Seattle, from which it is prominently visible. Washington (/ˈwɒʃɪŋtən/ (listen)), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Democrats have controlled the Washington Governor's Mansion for 35 years; the last Republican Governor was John Spellman, who left office in 1985. [28], Forests cover about half the state's land area, mostly west of the North Cascades. Washington is the second most populous state on the West Coast and in the Western United States, after California. Whitman's settlement would in 1843 help the Oregon Trail, the overland emigration route to the west, get established for thousands of emigrants in the following decades. [103][104] The minimum wage as of January 1, 2020 was $13.50 an hour, the second highest of any state or district in the country behind Washington D.C at $14.00 an hour. [10] Washington, D.C.'s, own statehood movement in the 21st century includes a proposal to use the name "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth", which would conflict with the current state of Washington. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and also known as D.C. or Washington, is the capital city of the United States of America. [108], As of December 2018[update], the state's unemployment rate is 4.3 percent.[109]. The region around eastern Puget Sound developed heavy industry during the period including World War I and World War II, and the Boeing company became an established icon in the area. [year needed] Both records were set east of the Cascades. Study results also showed high levels of contaminants in fish tissue that scientists collected from Lake Washington and the Spokane River, where fish consumption advisories are already in effect. Climate is the average of weather over time. American captain Robert Gray (for whom Grays Harbor County is named) then discovered the mouth of the Columbia River. [145] Washington School Information Processing Cooperative (a non-profit, opt-in, State agency) provides information management systems for fiscal & human resources and student data. Seattle weather averages and climate Seattle, Washington. [52], The skeletal remains of Kennewick Man, one of the oldest and most complete human remains found in North America, were discovered in Washington. The following places are categorized as class 4C climate zones: Benton County, Oregon: Energy Resources; Clackamas County, Oregon: Energy Resources; Clallam County, Washington: Energy Resources; Clark County, Washington: Energy Resources; Clatsop County, Oregon: … Washington's marine highway constitutes a fleet of twenty-eight ferries that navigate Puget Sound and its inland waterways to 20 different ports of call, completing close to 147,000 sailings each year. They were reported to at least date as far back as the 1800s. C301.3 International Climate Zones . [92] But it was in the late 20th century, that large-scale Mexican immigration and other Latinos settled in the southern suburbs of Seattle, with limited concentrations in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties during the region's real estate construction booms in the 1980s and 1990s. This is the USDA Washington planting zone map.