What is Washington State Known For? (27 Famous Things & People)

What is Washington state known for?

Washington is famous for its Pacific-Northwest natural beauty, national parks, and rich agriculture. Washington is known also for its tech companies and many pontoon bridges. Seattle is known for its sports teams, music scene, and iconic Space Needle.

Looking to learn more about that certain state in the northwest corner of our nation? Look no further. 

As a frequent traveler to the Evergreen State, I’ve come to love the land named for George Washington. It’s the only state named for a U.S. President, and it’s easy to see why it’s the only place many people would choose to call home. 

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27 Things Washington is Known For

1. Seattle, Washington

When talking about the state of Washington, Seattle is often one of the first things that comes to mind. It’s the largest city in the state and gained fame for many reasons. Everyone immediately recognizes the famous Space Needle standing proudly over downtown Seattle. After a day of exploring the city, one can take in the views from the revolving restaurant at the top of the tower.

Music fans know Seattle as a big name in the alternative rock genre. Many of the biggest names in grunge rock came from Seattle, and many a flannel-clad counterculturalist in the 90s held the city in rebellious reverence.

2. Seattle Seahawks

When it comes to football, Washingtonians follow the Seahawks. This famous football team has seen glory days as well as less-than-glorious ones. Nonetheless, true Seahawks fans stuck with their team through thick and thin.

3. Seattle Mariners

Seattle also sports a famous baseball team in its roster of claims to fame. The Mariners have long been loved as the ultimate underdogs. The team holds records that back that claim up. The Mariners have the longest winning streak in MLB history. They also have the longest absence from the playoffs, having not made it that far since 2001. 

They’re also the only MLB team to have never made it to the World Series. Whatever happens, though, there’s always a core of die-hard fans holding out for the best for their beloved Mariners. 

4. The Boeing Everett Factory

The city of Everett in the Seattle metropolitan area is home to a Boeing aircraft factory. This branch of Boeing’s commercial production is the world’s largest building by volume. At 13,385,378 square meters, it’s not likely to be surpassed anytime soon. 

5. Puget Sound

Seattle sits on the shores of this body of water. Here one finds some of the most stunning scenery in western Washington, with the Olympic Peninsula across the waters from Seattle. Puget Sound is America’s second largest estuary, a meeting place of fresh and salty waters. Maryland is known for having the largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay.

6. The San Juan Islands

The Washington coast is a remarkable place. One of its best-kept secrets are these islands lying north of Seattle. Here the hustle and bustle of the big city fade away and life moves at a more leisurely pace. 

Cityscapes give way to cozy small towns and thick forests of evergreen trees abound. The islands share a water border with British Columbia to the north and an extensive ferry system serves the many communities throughout the area.

7. Fort Casey State Park

This state park situated on Whidbey Island, just south of the San Juan Islands, is well worth a visit, especially for history buffs. Here one can see the remains of coastal defenses from World War II. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, America fortified its west coast against further incursions. Now one can explore the bunkers and gun emplacements, as well as a historic lighthouse.

8. Largest Ferry Fleet

Washington has the largest ferry system in America. With so many coastal communities, a good ferry system proved necessary to connect them all. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, a fleet of 21 ships services the Seattle area and beyond. In all, they travel between 20 ports, one of which lies in Sidney, British Columbia.

9. Pontoon Bridges

Along with ferries, an extensive network of bridges spans the many bodies of water in Washington. Washington seems to specialize in pontoon bridges. In fact, four of the five longest floating bridges in the world are found in the Seattle area:

• The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge- Carrying State Route 520 across Lake Washington
• The Hood Canal Bridge- Connecting the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas.
• The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge- Also spanning Lake Washington, carrying eastbound traffic on the I-90.
• The Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge- carrying westbound traffic on the I-90.

10. Washington State Symbols

Every state has its symbols, often local flora and fauna, and Washington is no exception. The state flower is the pink-blossomed Coast Rhododendron. The state tree is the western hemlock. 

The Washington state marine mammal is the orca, often sighted in the water of Puget Sound. Washington shares its state bird, the American goldfinch, with Iowa, which is also known for the bright yellow songbird.

11. The Washington State Flag

The most famous state symbol, Washington’s flag, features the image of President George Washington. A golden ring surrounds his portrait with the words “The Seal of the State of Washington” and “1889,” the year Washington became a state. 

The green background of the flag represents the lush green of western Washington. The golden ring represents the wheat fields of eastern and central Washington.

12. The Evergreen State

Anyone visiting this corner of America will quickly see why Washington deserves this title. The western areas abound in evergreen trees. In fact, Washington is home to the only rainforests in the Lower 48.

13. The Cascade Mountains

This mountain range runs down the length of the state, separating it into east and west. The western side is where most of the state population lives, while the east tends to be more rural and agrarian. In the northern reaches of the state, North Cascades National Park preserves a pristine wilderness of rugged alpine forests, lakes, and glaciers. Further south, one finds the famous Mount Rainier.

14. Olympic National Park

Along with the Cascades, the Olympic Mountains loom high over Washington, adding to the majestic beauty of the state. Situated at the northern end of the Olympic Peninsula, this national park overflows with alpine and arboreal beauty. The mountains make for excellent skiing and other winter activities, and hiking and camping can be enjoyed year-round.

❓ Trivia Time: What State Has the Most National Parks?

15. Vancouver, Washington

One of the lesser-known of Washington’s major cities lies across the Columbia from Portland, Oregon. Named for British sea captain George Vancouver, this city often gets confused with its larger counterpart in Canada. Some may regard it as a suburb of Portland, but locals are proud of their Washingtonian heritage. 

16. Mount Rainier National Park

One of the most iconic natural wonders of Washington is the mighty Mount Rainier. Towering at 14,411’ it is visible for miles around. Its peak is the highest in the Cascade Range and the fifth highest point in the Lower 48 states. 

There is more to this national park than the mountain, though. Forests adorn the lower slopes, and on the eastern side of the park stands the Grove of the Patriarchs. Here, amidst the giant cedars, firs, and hemlocks, one feels as if transported to a tale out of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

❓ Trivia Time: Are the Lower 48 and the Continental United States the Same?

17. Mount St. Helens

While Mount Rainier may be the most famous mountain in Washington, Mount St. Helens serves as a counterpoint, being infamous for its eruption in 1980. 

The blast shattered the mountain, leaving a massive crater where the peak once stood. The immediate area also underwent radical changes, with forests disappearing, rivers changing courses, and over 150 new lakes forming!

18. The Columbia River

Washington is a state defined by water, with the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Columbia River forming much of the southern border. American explorers Lewis and Clark floated down this river on the last leg of their journey to the Pacific Ocean. 

The Columbia River is a popular place for Washingtonians to fish and enjoy a variety of watersports. Just across the river, the town of Hood River, Oregon is known for its world-class windsurfing. The Columbia is also famous for the many hydroelectric dams along its course.

19. Grand Coulee Dam

Although Arizona is known for the iconic and immense Hoover Dam, there are larger dams elsewhere in America. The Grand Coulee Dam in eastern Washington may not loom as loftily as its Arizonan counterpart, but it is longer. Altogether, its area encompasses over 12 million cubic yards of concrete! It also produces the most electricity of any dam in America, putting out an impressive 21 billion kilowatt-hours per year. 

20. No Income Tax

Washington is one of only seven states known for having no personal income tax. There are other taxes, such as business and occupation taxes and sales tax is also the fourth-highest in the country. So, in the end, Washington is fairly tax-friendly, even if other states may rank a little higher in that regard. 

21. Microsoft

Tech giant Microsoft has its headquarters in Redmond Washington. Microsoft’s Bill Gates, at one time the United States’ wealthiest man, was born in Seattle. Although Gates has since parted ways with Microsoft, the Windows operating system revolutionized computer use, helping pave the way for the Digital Revolution.

22. Innovative Internet Companies

Washington is also home to many innovative internet companies besides Bill Gates’ brainchild. The most prominent of these, without a doubt, is Amazon, which went from a humble online bookstore to a globe-spanning tech behemoth in the past few decades. Washington state is also home to the Expedia Group, which owns some of the biggest websites in the travel and hospitality industry.

23. Apples

In an ironic turn of fate, the land that gave rise to Apple software’s archnemesis also produces the most of its namesake. Washington produces more apples than any other state by a long shot. According to statistics, in 2021, Washington produced nearly 69% of the country’s apples, with New York trailing at a distant 2nd, producing almost 14%. 

Apples have long been a cash crop in Washington. Historically, apple agriculture was one of several early prominent industries in the state along with lumber and mining.

24. Cherries

Along with apples, sweet cherries form a major part of Washington’s agriculture. The Pacific Northwest states (Washington, Oregon, and Idaho) produce the vast majority of this fruit, with Washington again surpassing all surrounding states.

In 2018, Washington produced 243,800 tons of sweet cherries followed by Oregon, which produced 54,600.

25. Hops

Just over the Cascade Mountains from Seattle, the otherwise-inconspicuous city of Yakima has a reputation for an eye-popping hop production accomplishment. In 2015 and 2016, Yakima and its surrounding county produced more hops than the entire nation of Germany! Brewers from around flock to the town during hop harvest season (August-September) to obtain premium hops for their brews.

26. Wine

What would any Pacific state be without wine production? The fertile soils of eastern Washington make for ideal grapevine growing conditions. The Walla Walla and Columbia valleys produce what, in many people’s opinions, are the best wines in the state. In fact, Washington ranks number two in the nation for wine, surpassed only by California, which is quite well-known for its wines.

27. Washington State University

Washington State University stands on a hill in the town of Pullman, Washington, near the border with Idaho. This university is the second largest in the state and is known for its agricultural programs. When not busy following the Seahawks, eastern and central Washingtonians will eagerly follow the Washington State Cougars.

👉 Read Next: What to Know About Each State

FAQs About Famous Washington Things

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So, what is Washington known for? Epic mountains, lush forests, winding rivers, and gorgeous sea coats. Cutting-edge tech companies and abundant agriculture. Professional sports and much more. Why not visit Washington and experience it all firsthand?