When talking about Washington, much of the attention tends to be lavished on Western Washington, the more urban environment. Western Washington is known for the big cities like Seattle and Tacoma, the evergreen trees, and the Northwest Coast lifestyle. But while Western Washington has a ton to offer, so too does Easter Washington, the quieter, more spacious part of the state, whose border ends at Idaho.
Eastern Washington is a very different environment from the state’s West. While Western Washington is known for coastal landscapes and evergreen forests, Eastern Washington has dry landscapes with deserts, hot weather, and even mountainous terrain. It doesn’t receive the same rainfall that the Western side is known for. Instead, it receives significant snowfalls every year.
Eastern Washington is more than double the size of Western Washington, but it has roughly one-fifth of the population that the more densely populated Western portion of the state has. It is a vast area that is sparsely populated, with numerous unique areas that make it seem like a whole different world than the Western portion of the state.
While Eastern Washington isn’t densely populated, that doesn’t mean there aren’t numerous great cities and towns in the area. The region is filled with great places to live, and it has some of the most stunning natural environments in the entire Pacific Northwest. It is a unique area with a very different culture from the Western part of the state.
Let’s explore Eastern Washington in more depth, looking at some of the major cities and towns located within the region and the different natural and man-made attractions that make this area an incredible place to reside.
Cities
If you’re looking for massive urban cities with skyscrapers and stadiums, look to Seattle, Portland, or the Bay Area, because Eastern Washington may not be for you. However, several different cities in the area have a great local culture, tons of beautiful homes, and a variety of great shops, restaurants, and tourist sites.
The biggest city in the Eastern Washington region is Spokane. Spokane is a big city with over 200,000 people within the city limits. It is the second biggest city in the state, with a more low-key urban feel. It feels like a classic Washington town, with many beautiful green spaces and the picturesque Spokane River. Riverfront Park is the biggest to-do in the city, with cable cars that overlook the gorgeous Spokane falls and a great sculpture walk.
The other major cities in Eastern Washington are Yakima and Kennewick. Yakima is a city with a metropolitan population of over 240,000 in the area. It is known for its Yakima Valley location, a fertile farmland area that produces a huge chunk of the United States hops output, and it is also a major area for wine and apple production. Kennewick is a city located along the Columbia River, known for the major agricultural output in the region, the massive archaeological discovery of the Kennewick Man, and the important economic role it plays today, with regional offices for Amazon and Lamb Weston.
Attractions
If you’re someone that appreciates natural beauty, Eastern Washington is a place you’re sure to enjoy. Eastern Washington is home to gorgeous state parks, wildlife refuges, and preservation areas. It is a unique natural landscape with deserts, forests, mountains, and major rivers. If you’re looking to explore the great outdoors, head to some of the best Eastern Washington has to offer, and you won’t be disappointed.
One of the most gorgeous sights in Eastern Washington is Palouse State Falls, a stunning hotspot in the Palouse region. The Palouse region is an area in Eastern Washington and Idaho filled with picturesque landscapes, rolling green hills, and a wide-open expanse. The Palouse Falls State Park is a 200-foot waterfall and winding canyon, with campsites and incredible geology.
The Grand Coulee Dam is a similarly beautiful spot, a concrete gravity dam located along the Columbia River. It is a massive dam that provides a significant amount of power to the region and is one of the largest concrete structures in the world, built with nearly 12 million cubic yards of concrete. Other incredible attractions include Riverside State Park, an area near Spokane with 10,000 acres of protected forests and trails. There are numerous other picturesque canyons, nature-filled parks, and incredible attractions that help make Eastern Washington one of the prettiest regions in the country.
