Washington
Hotels in Washington- Code:WA
- Type:state
- Population:7.7M (2020)
- Area:184,827 km²
- Elevation:520 m
- Capital:Olympia
Introduction
Washington is the green corner of the United States — a Pacific Northwest state split by the Cascade volcanoes into a wet, forested, island-studded west and a dry, sunny, wheat-and-wine east. It holds three national parks, an active volcano that erupted within living memory, and one of America's most liveable cities in Seattle.
Overview
Washington's geography is its itinerary, and the draw is how much contrast fits into a short drive: salt water and orcas on Puget Sound, temperate rainforest and wild beaches on the Olympic Peninsula, glaciated volcanoes to walk on, and high-desert vineyards just over the mountains. Seattle anchors the west and has its own guide here. South-east of the city, Mount Rainier rises to 4,392 metres (14,410 feet) — an active, glacier-clad volcano whose national park wraps it in wildflower meadows (Paradise and Sunrise) and old-growth forest. West, across the Sound, the Olympic Peninsula holds one of the most varied national parks in the country: glaciated peaks at Hurricane Ridge, the moss-draped Hoh Rain Forest, and a wild Pacific coastline of sea stacks and tide pools at Rialto and Ruby Beach. North along the coast, the San Juan Islands offer kayaking, whale-watching for resident and transient orcas, and a slow ferry-island pace. Inland and north, the jagged North Cascades National Park is the least-visited and most alpine. Over the mountains to the east, the climate flips: the Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth, the wineries of the Yakima and Walla Walla valleys (now among America's most respected), the rolling wheat hills of the Palouse, and the Columbia River Gorge define a sunnier, drier Washington. The mountain passes can close in winter, so a Washington road trip is planned around the season as much as the map.
Discover Washington
Seattle is the gateway and is covered in the Seattle city guide; what belongs to the state is the water it sits on. Puget Sound is an inland sea of islands, inlets and deep channels, and the state runs the largest ferry system in the country across it — not a tourist attraction but a working transport network, and the best-value sightseeing in Washington by a distance. The short crossing to Bainbridge Island takes about thirty-five minutes and delivers the classic view back at the city skyline with Mount Rainier behind it. Beyond that, the ferries reach Whidbey Island's long shoreline and the timbered village of Coupeville, the Kitsap Peninsula, and Vashon's rural lanes, all within an hour or so of downtown. Orcas move through these waters — the resident pods that feed on salmon and the transients that hunt seals — and whale-watching runs from several ports in season. For anyone with a day and no plan, buying a walk-on ferry ticket and getting off at whichever island looks good is a genuinely excellent way to spend it.
Ways to Experience This Destination
Seattle's Pike Place Market, music heritage, glass art and the coffee culture it gave the world.
Mount Rainier's wildflower meadows, the 1980 blast zone of Mount St. Helens and the alpine North Cascades.
Olympic National Park's Hoh Rain Forest, Hurricane Ridge and the sea-stack beaches of the Pacific.
Kayaking, cycling and whale-watching across the San Juan Islands on Puget Sound.
Walla Walla and Yakima Valley wineries, Bavarian Leavenworth and the wheat waves of the Palouse.
Frequently asked questions
Cities in Washington
This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.