Edmonds Live Cam

What is now Washington has long been the home of numerous Native American nations. The Nooksak, Chinook, Nisqually, Clallam, Makah, Quinault, and Puyallup peoples lived near the Pacific coast, while the Nez Perce, Spokan, Yakama, Cayuse, Okanogan, Walla Walla, and Colville tribes settled inland.

Washington's wealth in furs drew European attention starting in the late 18th century. Spanish explorer Bruno Heceta claimed the coast for his nation in 1775, but by 1790 Spain had signed a treaty with Britain giving both nations rights to trade and settlement. George Vancouver, a British naval officer, and Robert Gray -- an American -- explored the Puget Sound and Columbia River regions, respectively, in 1792.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition heightened interest in the Northwest, and by 1811, John Jacob Astor had established a fur-trading post on the Oregon side of the Columbia and a fort at the mouth of the Okanogan River. Although Britain and the United States shared "joint custody" of the region for much of the early 19th century, the Oregon Trail ultimately strengthened the US's sole claim to Washington, which was made part of the newly created Oregon Territory in 1848.

Washington became its own territory in 1853, and although it included what later became Idaho, the region still had scarcely 4,000 white residents. It wasn't until the late 1800s and the coming of the Northern Pacific and Great Northern railways that Washington started to grow and prosper.

The Evergreen State's economy has long mixed natural resources and manufacturing. Aviation giant Boeing became the state's largest employer during World War II, and cheap hydroelectric power drew the aluminum industry. Forestry and fishing remain important in western Washington, while the state's agricultural products -- apples, wheat, cherries, nuts, berries, and many more -- are known worldwide. Tourism is a major industry statewide, and high-tech is a presence in the Puget Sound. (This is the home of Microsoft, after all.)

Like its Pacific Rim "neighbors" Alaska and Hawaii (and Oregon and California), Washington has long reveled in its reputation as a state somewhat apart from the rest of the U.S. But Washingtonians have made their mark on the national scene: Senators Warren Magnuson and Henry "Scoop" Jackson, former House Speaker Tom Foley, and Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas all had long careers in the "other" Washington.

Washington has grown rapidly in recent years, gaining almost 18 percent in population between 1980 and 1990 and nearly another 10 percent between 1990 and 1994. But most of the newcomers live in Seattle and surrounding communities; much of Eastern Washington remains wide open and thinly settled. Yet the beauty of Washington is that no matter where you are -- downtown Seattle, the slopes of Mount Baker, or the shores of Grand Coulee -- you're probably not more than a half-day's drive from anywhere else in the state you'd care to go. For travelers used to vast Western distances, that relative proximity makes Washington a pleasure.

Don't miss

Planning a trip to Washington? Here's a selection of must-see attractions in every region:

Fun facts