According to Acronymmonster, Washington State is located in the northwest of the United States and borders the states of Oregon and Idaho as well as Canada to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It covers an area of more than 180,000 km² and has around 7.5 million residents (as of 2018). The capital of Washington is Olympia, but the much larger and better known Seattle is the cultural and economic center of the state.
Largest Counties in Washington by Area
According to Countryaah, the biggest counties in Washington are listed as below:
| Ranking | County | Area |
| 1 | Okanogan County | 13,644 km2 |
| 2 | Yakima County | 11,127 km2 |
| 3 | Chelan County | 7,563 km2 |
| 4 | Grant County | 6,941 km2 |
| 5 | Stevens County | 6,418 km2 |
| 6 | Lewis County | 6,224 km2 |
| 7 | Lincoln County | 5,985 km2 |
| 8 | Kittitas County | 5,949 km2 |
| 9 | Ferry County | 5,708 km2 |
| 10 | Whitman County | 5,592 km2 |
| 11 | King County | 5,478 km2 |
| 12 | Whatcom County | 5,457 km2 |
| 13 | Snohomish County | 5,405 km2 |
| 14 | Adams County | 4,986 km2 |
| 15 | Grays Harbor County | 4,926 km2 |
| 16 | Klickitat County | 4,848 km2 |
| 17 | Douglas County | 4,711 km2 |
| 18 | Jefferson County | 4,672 km2 |
| 19 | Spokane County | 4,569 km2 |
| 20 | Clallam County | 4,501 km2 |
| 21 | Skagit County | 4,483 km2 |
| 22 | Benton County | 4,403 km2 |
| 23 | Pierce County | 4,325 km2 |
| 24 | Skamania County | 4,289 km2 |
| 25 | Pend Oreille County | 3,626 km2 |
| 26 | Walla Walla County | 3,289 km2 |
| 27 | Franklin County | 3,217 km2 |
| 28 | Cowlitz County | 2,950 km2 |
| 29 | Mason County | 2,484 km2 |
| 30 | Pacific County | 2,416 km2 |
| 31 | Columbia County | 2,251 km2 |
| 32 | Thurston County | 1,870 km2 |
| 33 | Garfield County | 1,839 km2 |
| 34 | Asotin County | 1,647 km2 |
| 35 | Clark County | 1,629 km2 |
| 36 | Kitsap County | 1,023 km2 |
| 37 | Wahkiakum County | 684 km2 |
| 38 | Island County | 541 km2 |
| 39 | San Juan County | 451 km2 |
SEATTLE
The metropolis in the northwest of the USA literally captivates with its urbanity. Lying between the island-rich and widely branched bay of Puget Sound and Lake Washington, you can feel completely at home in Seattle. Southeast of Seattle, about 80 km away, you can marvel at the stratovolcano “Mount Rainier”, which last erupted in 1854. At 4,392 meters, this is the highest point in the Cascade Range, a mountain range in the state of Washington. In summer it is pleasantly mild with maximum temperatures of 25 ° C and in the colder months there is seldom heavy snowfall.
The city has become more famous in the state of Washington for the city’s landmark – the “Space Needle”. The building, originally erected for the 1962 World’s Fair, looks like a UFO from a distance, but is actually the eighth tallest building in Seattle and is visited by almost a million people every year. Seattle is also known as the “Emerald City” to a large number of people. The reason for this is the numerous green spaces that ensure a pleasant cityscape and a high quality of life in and around Seattle. It is not for nothing that Seattle has already been recognized several times as the city with the highest quality of life in the USA.
Companies such as Amazon, Starbucks and RealNetworks have chosen Seattle as the region for their headquarters, which led to an economic upswing. The University of Washington has earned a very good reputation through hard work. The university, which has existed for over 150 years and has over 40,000 students, has since produced numerous famous graduates and several Nobel Prize winners.
Music lovers will find some inspiring stories here. The music style of “grunge” found its origin in Seattle and helped bands like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Nirvana or Pearl Jam to their success. Jimi Hendrix, named “Best Guitarist of All Time” by Rolling Stone Magazine, was born in the Emerald City and is arguably Seattle’s most famous child.
Location: Northwest, State: Washington, on the Pacific Ocean
Population: approx. 650,000 (metropolitan area: approx. 3.5 million)
Area: 369 km²
Nickname: The Emerald City
history: Seattle was discovered with the arrival of the Denny family at Alki Beach in 1851. After the establishment of the first settlement in the sheltered Elliot Bay two years later became official, the city began to develop. The name is based on the chief Sealth of the Duwamish Indian tribe, who were friends with the settlers and still live in the region today. In the 19th century, Seattle’s population grew steadily and the infrastructure was expanded thanks to the railroad and a port. Trade with Asia and the North Pacific not only strengthened the economy, but also ensured a colorful diversity of the population, as many came to work in the flourishing city. Seattle played an important role in the manufacture of ships in World Wars I and II, Airplanes and other large machines. A population of 500,000 was reached in the 1960’s, where a multitude of different cultures and religions meet.
Cultural / Museums: Seattle Art Museum, Museum of Flight, EMP Museum
Attractions: Space Needle, Pioneer Square, Seattle Center, Columbia Center, Smith Tower
Famous People (Locals / Residents): Jimi Hendrix (musician: singer / guitarist), Bill Gates (programmer / entrepreneur), Kenny G. (musician: saxophonist), Sir Mix-a-Lot (music producer, rapper), Dan Savage (Author, journalist), Kurt Cobain (lead singer)