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Eastern Washington
Coordinates: 47°30′N 119°00′W / 47.5°N 119°W / 47.5; -119
Country	United States
State(s)	Washington
Largest city	Spokane
Other cities	Tri-Cities, Yakima, Wenatchee, Walla Walla
Area
• Total	46,620 sq mi (120,700 km2)
Highest elevation	Mt Adams 12,276 ft (3,741 m)
Lowest elevation	Columbia River at White Salmon ~80 ft (~24 m)
Population
• Total	1,583,932
• Density	32/sq mi (12/km2)

Eastern Washington is the portion of the US state of Washington east of the Cascade Range. The region contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the Palouse. Unlike in Western Washington, the climate is dry, including some desert environments.

Climate

Köppen climate types in eastern Washington

A significant difference between Eastern Washington and the western half of the state is its climate. While the west half of the state is located in a rainy oceanic climate, the eastern half receives little rainfall due to the rainshadow created by the Cascade Mountains. Also, due to being farther from the sea, the east side has both hotter summers and colder winters than the west. Most communities in Eastern Washington, for example, have significant yearly snowfall, while in the west snowfall is minimal and not seen every year. The east and west do still have some climatic traits in common, though: more rainfall in winter than summer, a lack of severe storms, and milder temperature ranges than more inland locations.

There is some variation in both rainfall throughout Eastern Washington. Generally, lower elevations are both hotter and drier than higher elevations. This is easily seen in the comparison between low-elevation Richland with higher elevation Spokane.

Geography

Nomenclature

Other terms used for Eastern Washington or large parts of it include:

• Columbia Basin


• Eastside or east side of the state^[7][8][9]
  


• 
  Inland Empire/Inland Northwest (also includes the Idaho Panhandle)

Cities

Spokane is the largest city in eastern Washington and the metropolitan center of the Inland Empire region

The following cities and towns in Eastern Washington have over 10,000 inhabitants.^[10]

• 
  Spokane (pop. 217,300)


• 
  Spokane Valley (pop. 94,919)


• 
  Yakima (pop. 93,701)


• 
  Kennewick (pop. 80,280)


• 
  Pasco (pop. 71,680)


• 
  Richland (pop. 54,150)


• 
  Wenatchee (pop. 34,070)


• 
  Walla Walla (pop. 33,840)


• 
  Pullman (pop. 33,280)


• 
  Moses Lake (pop. 22,720)


• 
  Ellensburg (pop. 19,550)


• 
  Sunnyside (pop. 16,640)


• 
  West Richland (pop. 14,660)


• 
  East Wenatchee (pop. 13,600)


• 
  Cheney (pop. 11,880)


• 
  Grandview (pop. 11,170)

National Parks and other protected areas

The summit of Goat Peak in the Okanogan National Forest

• Hanford Reach National Monument


• Juniper Dunes Wilderness


• Salmo-Priest Wilderness


• 
  Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness (partial)

Limited protection areas

• Colville National Forest


• 
  Idaho Panhandle National Forest (partial)


• 
  Kaniksu National Forest (partial)


• Okanogan National Forest


• 
  Umatilla National Forest (partial)


• Wenatchee National Forest


• Columbia National Wildlife Refuge


• Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge


• Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge


• McNary National Wildlife Refuge


• Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge


• Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge


• Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge


• 
  Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge (partial)

Counties

Eastern Washington is composed of Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima counties. Some definitions also include part of Skamania County that lies east of the ridge line of the Cascade Mountains.^[11]

Population

Compared to Western Washington, Eastern Washington has roughly twice the land area and one-fourth the population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau the population estimate as of July 2014 was 1,547,303. The population growth rate between the two is roughly the same. Of Washington's ten Congressional districts, Eastern Washington exactly encompasses two (the 4th and 5th), aside from a small portion of the 3rd in Skamania County.

Education

Bryan Hall, Washington State University

Eastern Washington hosts a number of world-renowned universities including three of the state's five public universities.

Public institutions

• Central Washington University


• Eastern Washington University


• Washington State University


• A number of local community colleges including:
  
  
  
  • Big Bend Community College
  
  
  • Columbia Basin College
  
  
  • Spokane Community College
  
  
  • Spokane Falls Community College
  
  
  • Walla Walla Community College
  
  
  • Wenatchee Valley College
  
  
  • Yakima Valley College
  
  
  
  

Private institutions

• Gonzaga University


• Heritage University


• Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences


• Walla Walla University


• Whitman College


• Whitworth University

Research institutions

• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory


• 
  Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute at Central Washington University

Proposed statehood

Proposed state of Eastern Washington

  Washington

  Liberty

There have been sporadic movements to create a 51st state out of Eastern Washington by splitting the current state down the Cascades, but proposals have rarely progressed out of the state legislature's committees. Bills in the Washington State Legislature which would have requested the United States Congress to take up the question were proposed in 1996, 1999, 2005, and 2017.^[12] Proposed names for the new state have included Lincoln, Columbia, Liberty,^[13] or simply Eastern Washington. Many of these proposals would include the Idaho Panhandle as part of the proposed state of Lincoln.

Eastern Washington tends to vote Republican, whereas Western Washington usually supports the Democrats.

Images

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  The Palouse Hills of southeastern Washington
  

  
  

  
  


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  Dry Falls in the semi-desert Channeled Scablands that dominate much of eastern Washington.
  

  
  

  
  


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  Truck transport going east on Highway 2, near Waterville
  

  
  

  
  


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  Apple orchards in Azwell, Washington surrounding a community of pickers' cabins
  

  
  

  
  

References