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Eastern Washington
Geographic region
Nickname(s): 
Eastside
Location of Eastern Washington
Country United States
State Washington
Area
 • Total 46,620 sq mi (120,700 km2)
Highest elevation 12,276 ft (3,742 m)
Lowest elevation 79 ft (24 m)
Population
 (2019)
1,641,900

Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It 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

Eastern Washington Köppen
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 temperature and 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.

Climate data for Tri-Cities, Washington (combined average of 3 cities)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 74
(23)
74
(23)
87
(31)
95
(35)
105
(41)
111
(44)
115
(46)
115
(46)
106
(41)
89
(32)
79
(26)
71
(22)
115
(46)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 58.3
(14.6)
62.6
(17.0)
72.7
(22.6)
83.4
(28.6)
93.0
(33.9)
99.7
(37.6)
105.7
(40.9)
102.7
(39.3)
93.8
(34.3)
80.8
(27.1)
68.3
(20.2)
59.6
(15.3)
106.4
(41.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 41.1
(5.1)
48.8
(9.3)
58.5
(14.7)
66.5
(19.2)
75.2
(24.0)
82.4
(28.0)
91.0
(32.8)
89.7
(32.1)
80.3
(26.8)
66.4
(19.1)
50.5
(10.3)
41.2
(5.1)
66.1
(18.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 27.7
(−2.4)
30.2
(−1.0)
35.1
(1.7)
40.0
(4.4)
47.8
(8.8)
54.4
(12.4)
59.4
(15.2)
58.4
(14.7)
49.9
(9.9)
40.6
(4.8)
33.6
(0.9)
28.1
(−2.2)
42.2
(5.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 8.5
(−13.1)
14.4
(−9.8)
21.5
(−5.8)
25.7
(−3.5)
32.2
(0.1)
41.8
(5.4)
47.0
(8.3)
45.5
(7.5)
35.2
(1.8)
24.0
(−4.4)
16.6
(−8.6)
9.3
(−12.6)
3.4
(−15.9)
Record low °F (°C) −27
(−33)
−23
(−31)
10
(−12)
18
(−8)
26
(−3)
35
(2)
38
(3)
37
(3)
21
(−6)
9
(−13)
−12
(−24)
−22
(−30)
−27
(−33)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.00
(25)
0.66
(17)
0.63
(16)
0.48
(12)
0.63
(16)
0.57
(14)
0.17
(4.3)
0.22
(5.6)
0.31
(7.9)
0.56
(14)
0.90
(23)
1.08
(27)
7.24
(184)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 3.2
(8.1)
1.6
(4.1)
0.2
(0.51)
trace 0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
trace 1.5
(3.8)
2.2
(5.6)
8.5
(22)
Source 1: WRCC
Source 2: NOAA
Climate data for Spokane (combined average of 3 stations)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 62
(17)
64
(18)
75
(24)
90
(32)
97
(36)
108
(42)
112
(44)
112
(44)
102
(39)
87
(31)
70
(21)
63
(17)
112
(44)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 51.5
(10.8)
54.3
(12.4)
64.9
(18.3)
76.2
(24.6)
86.6
(30.3)
93.5
(34.2)
100.3
(37.9)
99.2
(37.3)
90.6
(32.6)
76.6
(24.8)
59.6
(15.3)
51.6
(10.9)
101.9
(38.8)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 35.3
(1.8)
41.5
(5.3)
49.8
(9.9)
58.5
(14.7)
67.9
(19.9)
75.3
(24.1)
85.4
(29.7)
84.3
(29.1)
74.3
(23.5)
59.5
(15.3)
43.5
(6.4)
35.3
(1.8)
59.2
(15.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 24.9
(−3.9)
27.5
(−2.5)
31.5
(−0.3)
36.6
(2.6)
43.8
(6.6)
50.6
(10.3)
56.2
(13.4)
55.1
(12.8)
47.1
(8.4)
37.8
(3.2)
30.6
(−0.8)
25.1
(−3.8)
38.9
(3.8)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 0.7
(−17.4)
7.0
(−13.9)
17.8
(−7.9)
26.8
(−2.9)
32.0
(0.0)
40.2
(4.6)
45.5
(7.5)
44.2
(6.8)
34.5
(1.4)
25.3
(−3.7)
15.1
(−9.4)
5.82
(−14.54)
−6.4
(−21.3)
Record low °F (°C) −30
(−34)
−24
(−31)
−10
(−23)
14
(−10)
24
(−4)
33
(1)
37
(3)
30
(−1)
22
(−6)
7
(−14)
−13
(−25)
−25
(−32)
−30
(−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.98
(50)
1.37
(35)
1.69
(43)
1.25
(32)
1.55
(39)
1.41
(36)
0.53
(13)
0.63
(16)
0.71
(18)
1.14
(29)
2.13
(54)
2.40
(61)
16.81
(427)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 9.9
(25)
4.1
(10)
1.8
(4.6)
0.5
(1.3)
trace trace trace 0.0
(0.0)
trace 0.1
(0.25)
4.2
(11)
12.7
(32)
33.2
(84)
Source 1: WRCC
Source 2: NOAA

Geography

Nomenclature

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

  • Columbia Basin
  • Eastside or east side of the state
  • Inland Empire/Inland Northwest (also includes the Idaho Panhandle)

Cities

SpokaneFromPalisades 20070614
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.

Protected areas

Goat Peak, Cascades
The summit of Goat Peak in the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest

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.

Population

Compared to Western Washington, Eastern Washington has roughly twice the land area and one-fifth the population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau the population estimate as of July 2019 was 1,641,900. 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

Eastern Washington hosts a number of 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

Map of Liberty
Proposed State of Liberty in 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. Proposed names for the new state have included Lincoln, Columbia, Liberty, 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 votes Democratic, however Spokane, the proposed capital and largest city, tends to have a higher democratic vote than other Eastern Washington cities. Additionally, Whitman County votes Democratic.

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