Spokane, Washington

Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region. The city is located on the Spokane River in Eastern Washington, 110 miles (180 km) south of the Canadian border, approximately 20 mi from the Washington-Idaho border, and 271 mi east of Seattle.

David Thompson explored the Spokane area and began European settlement with the westward expansion and establishment of the North West Company's Spokane House in 1810. This trading post was the first long-term European settlement in Washington and the center of the fur trade between the Rockies and the Cascades for 16 years. In the late 19th century, gold and silver were discovered in the Inland Northwest. The Spokane area is considered to be one of the most productive mining districts in North America. Spokane's economy has traditionally been natural resource based, being a major center for the timber, agriculture, and mining industries; however, the city's economy has diversified to encompass other industries, including the high-tech and biotech sectors. Spokane hosted the environmentally themed Expo '74 and is home to Gonzaga University and Whitworth University.

The city of Spokane (then known as "Spokan Falls") was settled in 1871 and officially incorporated as a city in 1881. The city's name is drawn from the Native American tribe known as the Spokane, which means "Children of the Sun" in Salishan. Spokane's official nickname is the "Lilac City", named after the flowers that have flourished since their introduction to the area in the early 20th century. Completion of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1881 brought major settlement to the Spokane area.

With a population of 208,916, according to the 2010 Census, Spokane is the second largest city in Washington, and the third largest in the American portion of the Pacific Northwest, behind Seattle, and Portland, Oregon and is the 100th largest city in the United States. Spokane is the principal city of the Spokane Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is coterminous with Spokane County. As of 2010, the county had a population of 471,221.

History


The first humans to live in the Spokane area arrived between twelve to eight thousand years ago and were hunter-gatherer societies that lived off the plentiful game in the area. Over time the forests in the area began to thin out and the Native Americans became more dependent upon roots, berries, and fish. The Spokane tribe, after which the city is named, are believed to be either direct descendants of the original hunter-gatherers that settled in the region, or descendants of tribes from the Great Plains. When asked by early white explorers, the tribe said their ancestors came from "up North". The Spokane Falls were the tribe's center of trade and fishing.

Early in the 19th century, the Northwest Fur Company sent two white fur trappers west of the Rocky Mountains to search for fur. The trappers became the first two white men met by the Spokane tribe, who believed them to be Sama, or sacred, and set the trappers up in the Colville River valley for the winter. The tribe discovered the men brought no "big magic" to the tribe as their members continued to die from small pox, which had first struck the tribe in an epidemic in 1782 and wiped out as much as half the tribe's pre-epidemic numbers.

Trading post
The Inland Northwest was first explored by explorer-geographer David Thompson, working as head of the North West Company's Columbia Department. Crossing what is now the U.S.–Canadian border from British Columbia, Thompson wanted to expand the North West Company further south in search of furs, primarily beaver. After establishing the Kullyspell House and Saleesh House trading posts in what is now Idaho and Montana, Thompson wanted to expand further west. In 1810, Thompson sent out trappers, Jacques Raphael Finlay and Finan McDonald to the Spokane River to build a trading post in eastern Washington that would exchange with the local Spokane and Colville Indians.

At the confluence of the Little Spokane and Spokane, Finlay and McDonald built a new fur trading post, which was the first long-term European settlement in Washington state. This trading post known as the Spokane House, or simply "Spokane", was in operation from 1810 to 1826. The Spokane House, operated by the British North West Company and, later, the Hudson's Bay Company, was the center of the fur trade between the Rockies and the Cascades for 16 years. When the Hudson's Bay Company absorbed the North West Company in 1821, operations at Spokane House eventually shifted to Fort Colville; afterward the company still remained active near Spokane.

American settlement
Joint American–British occupation of Oregon Country, in effect since the Treaty of 1818, eventually led to the Oregon Boundary Dispute as large influxes of American settlers began arriving by the Oregon Trail. The dispute ended with the signing of the Oregon Treaty in 1846 when Great Britain ceded all its claims to lands south of the 49th Parallel, the present day border with Canada.

The first American settlers, squatters J.J. Downing and S.R. Scranton, built a cabin and established a claim at Spokane Falls in 1871. Together they built a small sawmill on a claim near the south bank of the Spokane Falls. James N. Glover and Jasper Matheney, Oregonians passing through the region in 1873, recognized the value of the Spokane River and its falls. They realized the investment potential and bought the claims of 160 acre and the sawmill from Downing and Scranton for a total of $4,000. Glover and Matheney knew that the Northern Pacific Railroad Company had received a government charter to build a main line across this northern route. Glover later became known as the "Father of Spokane".

On October 21, 1880, Fort Spokane was established by U.S. Army troops under Lt. Col. Henry Clay Merriam at a location 56 mi northwest of Spokane at the junction of the Columbia and Spokane Rivers. The camp location was strategic, having the intended goals of protecting construction of the Northern Pacific Railway and securing a place for U.S. settlement.



By 1881, the Northern Pacific Railway was completed, bringing major European settlement to the area. The city of Spokan Falls (the "e" was added in 1883 and "Falls" dropped in 1891) was officially incorporated as a city of about 1,000 residents on November 29, 1881. The city's population ballooned to 19,922 in 1890, and 36,848 in 1900 with the arrival of the railroads. The railroad lured settlers from as far away as Finland, Germany, and England and as close as Minnesota and the Dakotas. By 1910, the population hit 104,000; the building of the Northern Pacific, allowed Spokane to eclipse Walla Walla as the commercial center of the Inland Northwest. After the 1883 discovery of gold, silver, and lead in the in the Coeur d'Alene region of northern Idaho, this precipitated a rush of prospectors into the region. The Inland Empire erupted with numerous mining rushes from 1883 to the late 19th century.

Spokane's growth continued unabated until August 4, 1889, when a fire, now known as The Great Fire, began shortly after 6:00 p.m. and destroyed the city's downtown commercial district. Due to technical problems with a pump station, there was no water pressure in the city when the fire started. In an effort to impede the fire's growth, firefighters began demolishing buildings with dynamite. The fire continued despite this as the flames leaped over the cleared spaces and created their own firestorm. When volunteer firefighters attempted to quench the flames, they found their hoses were unusable. Eventually winds died down and the fire exhausted of its own accord. In the fires' aftermath, 32 blocks of Spokane's downtown were destroyed and one person was killed.

While the damage caused by the fire was a devastating blow, Spokane continued to grow; the fire set the stage for a dramatic building boom. After The Great Fire of 1889 and the rebuilding of the downtown, the city was reincorporated under the present name of "Spokane" in 1891. Just three years after the fire, in 1892, James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway had arrived in the newly created township of Hillyard (annexed by Spokane in 1924)—the chosen site for Hill's rail yards, machine shops, and roundhouse because of the area's flat ground. The railroads in Spokane made it a transportation hub for the Inland Northwest region. Spokane became an important rail and shipping center because of its location between mining (particularly Idaho's Silver Valley) and farming areas. Mining emerged as a major stimulus to Spokane and the city served as a popular outfitting and jumping off point for miners as well as loggers. At the onset of the initial 1883 gold rush near Coeur d'Alene, Spokane became the outfitter of choice among prospectors due to the areas lower prices and convenience of being able to obtain everything from a "horse to a frying pan". It would keep this status for subsequent rushes in the region due to its' accessibility to railroad infrastructure. After the arrival of the Northern Pacific, the Union Pacific, Great Northern, and Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroads, Spokane became one of the most important rail centers in the western United States.

20th century


Spokane is known as the "Birthplace of Father's Day". A Spokane woman, Sonora Smart Dodd is credited with being the founder of the annual celebration. The "Mother of Father's Day" was 16 years old when her mother died, leaving her father to raise Sonora and her five younger brothers on a remote farm in eastern Washington. In 1909 when Sonora heard a Mother's Day sermon at church, she was inspired to propose that fathers receive equal recognition. The following year Sonora took the idea to the Spokane YMCA who endorsed Dodd's idea and helped it spread by celebrating the first Father's Day in 1910.

The expansion and growth of Spokane abruptly stopped in the 1910s and was followed by a period of population decline. Spokane's slowing economy largely contributed to this decline. Control of regional mines and resources became increasingly dominated by national corporations rather than locals, diverting capital outside of Spokane and decreasing growth and investment opportunities in the city. After mining declined at the turn of the 20th century, agriculture and logging became the primary influences in the Spokane economy. The 1920s and 1930s saw similar, but less drastic slow growth, also due to economic factors. The Inland Northwest region was heavily dependent on extractive products produced from farms, forests, and mines which experienced a fall in demand. Spokane's situation improved with the start of World War II as aluminum production was initiated in the Spokane valley due to the area's inexpensive electricity and the increased demand for airplanes.

After decades of stagnation and slow growth, Spokane businessmen, headed by King Cole, formed Spokane Unlimited, an organization that sought to revitalize downtown Spokane. After a bitter struggle, a hard earned success came in the form of a new parking garage in 1965, The Parkade. Soon, efforts to revitalize the economy focused on improving Havermale Island in downtown Spokane, which was dominated by railroad depots and warehouses. A recreation park showcasing the Spokane falls was the preferred option, and the organization successfully negotiated with the railroad companies to free up the island property and relocate their rail lines. In the 1970s, Spokane was approaching its one-hundredth birthday, and Spokane Unlimited hired a private firm to start preparations for a celebration and fair. In a report delivered by the firm, the proposal of a world's fair was introduced, which culminated in Expo '74.



Spokane hosted the first environmentally themed World's Fair in Expo '74, becoming the smallest city yet to host a World's Fair. Expo '74 also had the distinction of being the first American fair after World War II to be attended by the Soviet Union. This event transformed Spokane's downtown, removing a century of railroad industry that built the city and reinvented the urban core. After Expo '74, the fairgrounds became the 100 acre Riverfront Park. The late 1970s was a period of growth for Spokane which led to the construction in the early 1980s of the two tallest buildings in the city, the 18-story Farm Credit Banks Building and the 20-story Seafirst Financial Center, now the Bank of America building.

The success seen in the late 1970s and early 1980s once again was interrupted by another U.S. recession in which silver, timber, and farm prices dropped. Although a tough period, Spokane's economy had begun to benefit from economic diversification, being the home to growing companies such as Key Tronic and having research, marketing, and assembly plants for other technology companies helped lessen Spokane's dependency on natural resources.

21st century


Downtown Spokane has undergone a major rebirth in recent years with over $3 billion in new investments and the completion of River Park Square Mall. The historic, Kirtland Cutter-designed Davenport Hotel underwent a major renovation in 2002 after being vacant for over 20 years. Other major projects include the renovation of the Holley Mason Building, the building of the Big Easy concert house (now renamed the Knitting Factory), expansion of the Spokane Convention Center, and the renovation of the historic Montvale Hotel and Fox Theater (now home to the Spokane Symphony). Still more construction is proposed. Local developer Rob Brewster has proposed building the new VOX Tower which, if constructed, will become the tallest building in Spokane. All new skyscrapers built in Spokane are subject to city height restrictions.

The Kendall Yards development on the west side of downtown Spokane (along the north bank of the Spokane River) will become one of the largest construction projects in the city's history. The development, directly across the Spokane River from downtown will blend residential and retail space with plazas and walking trails.

Topography
Spokane is located on the Spokane River in Eastern Washington, near the eastern border of Washington, about 20 mi from Idaho, 110 mi south of the Canadian border and 280 mi east of Seattle, and 279 mi southwest of Calgary. The city lies at the geographical co-ordinates of 47.39 North latitude and 117.25 West longitude. Spokane is part of the Inland Northwest (also known as the Inland Empire) region, consisting of eastern Washington, northern Idaho, western Montana, and northeastern Oregon. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 58.5 sqmi, of which, 57.8 sqmi is land and 0.8 sqmi is water.



Spokane lies on the eastern edge of the Columbia Basin steppe known as the Channeled Scablands, a wide sloping plain that rises sharply to the east towards the forested Rocky Mountain foothills, the Selkirk Mountains. The city lies in a transition area between the desert-like Columbia Basin of central Washington and the forested mountains of northern Idaho and northeast Washington. To the south are the lush prairies of the Palouse ecoregion. The highest peak in Spokane County is Mount Spokane at an elevation of 5883 ft, located on the eastern side of the Selkirk Mountains. The most prominent water feature in the area is the Spokane River, a 111 mi tributary of the Columbia River, originating from Lake Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho. The river flows west across the Washington state line through downtown Spokane, meeting Latah Creek which comes from the south directly west of downtown, then turns to the northwest where it is joined by the Little Spokane River on its way to join the Columbia River, north of Davenport. Many of the areas numerous lakes such as Lake Coeur d'Alene and Lake Pend Orielle as well as the Channeled Scablands were formed by the Missoula Floods after the ice-dammed Glacial Lake Missoula ruptured at the end of the last ice age.

Spokane is at an elevation of 1843 ft above sea level. The lowest elevation in the city of Spokane is the northernmost point of the Spokane River within city limits (in Riverside State Park) at 1608 ft and the highest elevation is on the northeast side near the community of Hillyard, though closer to Beacon Hill and the North Hill Reservoir at 2591 ft.

Climate
Spokane has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dsb), a rare climate due to its elevation and significant winter precipitation, precluding a semi-arid climate classification. The area is typified by a very warm, arid climate during the summer months and a cold, snowy, and moist climate in the winter. Both summer and winter are the predominant seasons, as fall constitutes a rapid transition. On average, July and August are equally warm, and the coolest month is December. Daily temperature ranges are large during the summer, approaching, and often exceeding 100 °F, and small during the winter, with a range just above 10 F-change. December, the coolest month, averages 27.2 °F, while July and August, which are equally warm, average 68.6 °F.

Because of Spokane's location between the Cascade Mountains to the west and Rocky Mountains to the east and north, the city is protected from weather patterns experienced in other parts of the Pacific Northwest. The Cascade Mountains form a barrier to the easterly movement of moist and comparatively mild air from the Pacific Ocean in winter and cool air in summer. As a result of the rain shadow effect of the Cascade Mountains, the Spokane area also has less than half the rainfall of its west side neighbor, Seattle. The average annual precipitation in the Spokane area is 17 in, whereas the Seattle area receives 37 in annually. The most precipitation occurs in December, and summer is the driest time of the year. The Rocky Mountains shield Spokane from the winter season's cold air masses traveling southward across Canada, sparing the city from the worst effects of Arctic air in winter.

Extremes range from 108 °F to -30 °F, but temperatures of more than 100 °F and less than -10 °F are rare.

Metropolitan area


Spokane is surrounded by many incorporated and unincorporated communities, which make up the suburbs of Spokane. They include Spokane Valley, Medical Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights, Millwood, Liberty Lake, Mead, and Nine Mile Falls. Directly east of Spokane County is the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area, composed entirely of Kootenai County, Idaho. Coeur d'Alene anchors the Idaho portion of the urban area, which includes Post Falls, Hayden, and Rathdrum.

Neighborhoods
Much of Spokane's history is reflected in its large variety of neighborhoods. Neighborhoods range from the Victorian-era style South Hill and Browne's Addition, to the Davenport Arts District of Downtown, to the more contemporary neighborhoods of North Spokane. Spokane's neighborhoods are gaining attention for their history, as illustrated by the city being home to 22 recognized National Register Historical Districts. Division Street splits the city into East and West; Sprague Avenue divides the city into North and South.



Some of Spokane's most prominent neighborhoods are the Riverside, Browne's Addition, and Hillyard neighborhoods. The Riverside neighborhood consists primarily of downtown Spokane and is the central business district of Spokane. The neighborhoods south of downtown Spokane are generally known as the South Hill. Downtown Spokane contains many of the cities public facilities, including City Hall, Riverfront Park (site of Expo '74), the Spokane Convention and INB Performing Arts Center, the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena as well as the Spokane County Courthouse across the river in the West Central neighborhood. The Monroe Street Bridge, a local landmark featured in the city's seal, connects the two areas. To the east of downtown is the "University District" and Riverpoint Campus and to the west of downtown is one of Spokane's oldest and densest neighborhoods, Browne's Addition. A National Historic District west of Downtown, Browne's Addition was Spokane's first prestigious address, notable for its array of old mansions built by Spokane's early elite in Queen Anne and early Craftsman styles. The area houses the Museum of Arts and Culture (MAC). In northeast Spokane, the Hillyard neighborhood came about due to the Great Northern Railway yard. The downtown Hillyard business district, located on Market Street, became Spokane's first neighborhood to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the town's houses were built to house railroad workers, many immigrant laborers working in the local yard. Hillyard still caters to new arrivals, becoming a popular home for Spokane's growing Russian, Ukrainian, and Southeast Asian communities.

Walkability
Spokane has an average Walk Score of 54 and is rated "Somewhat Walkable". Suburbanization and urban sprawl has plagued Spokane in past decades despite Washington's use of urban growth boundaries; the city ranks low among major Northwest cities in population density and smart growth. It is a matter of debate whether the completion of the North Spokane Corridor will exacerbate this situation further by increasing mobility.

Demographics
At the 2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, 86.4% of the population was White, 3.1% Black or African American, 3.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.7% Asian, 0.6% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 1.1% from some other race. 3.9% of the total population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 26.5% of the population had a Bachelor's degree or higher.

As of the 2000 census, there were 195,629 people, 81,512 households, and 47,276 families residing in 87,941 housing units at population density of 3,387 people per square mile (1,307.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.5% White, 2.1% African American, 1.8% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population.

Of the 81,512 households, 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.0% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the age distribution of the population shows 24.8% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,273, and the median income for a family was $41,316. Males had a median income of $31,676 versus $24,833 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,451. About 11.1% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.6% of those ages 65 and older.

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives' 2000 Metro Area Membership Report, the denominational groups of the Spokane MSA are 43,397 Evangelical Protestant; 32,207 Mainline Protestant; 776 Orthodox; 57,187 Catholic; 17,351 Other; and 267,021 Unclaimed. Spokane, like Washington and the Pacific Northwest region as a whole is part of the Unchurched Belt, a region characterized by low church membership rates and religious participation.

Economy


Spokane became an important rail and shipping center because of its location between mining (particularly Idaho's Silver Valley) and farming areas. In 1883, gold and silver were discovered in the Inland Northwest; as a regional shipping center, the city furnished supplies to the miners who passed through on their way to mine in the Coeur d'Alene as well as the Colville and Kootenay districts. The area is considered to be one of the most productive mining districts in North America. Spokane became home to many entrepreneurs, companies and managers as well as the place to finance mining and other business operations. At the turn of the 20th century, much of the Inland Empire's mining districts were sold to outside interests due to the regions' insufficient capital to fully exploit the mines potential.

Natural resources have historically been the foundation of Spokane's economy, with the mining, logging, and agriculture industries providing much of the regions economic activity. After mining declined and agriculture and logging replaced mining as the primary influence in the economic development of Spokane. The lumber industry in Spokane began with the city's founding in 1871 when Downing and Scranton built Spokane's first business, a sawmill. The population explosion and the building of homes, railroads, and mines in northern Idaho and southern British Columbia fueled the industry. Although overshadowed in importance by the vast timbered areas west of the Cascades, and burdened with cumbersome rail freight rates and stiff competition, Spokane became a noted leader in the manufacture of doors, sash, blinds, and other planing mill products. Agriculture has always been an important sector to Spokane's economy; the surrounding area, especially to the south, is a productive agricultural region known as the Palouse. A number of wineries and breweries also operate in the Spokane area. By the early 20th century Spokane was primarily a commercial center rather than an industrial center. As the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest as well as southern British Columbia and Alberta, Spokane serves as a commercial, manufacturing, transportation, medical, shopping, and entertainment hub.



In Spokane, food and wood processing, printing and publishing, primary metal refining and fabrication, electrical and computer equipment, and transportation equipment are leaders in the manufacturing sector. Fortune 1000 company, Potlatch Corporation, which operates as a real estate investment trust is headquartered in Spokane. Forestry and agribusiness continue to be important elements in the local economy, but Spokane's economy has diversified to encompass other industries, including the high-tech and biotech sectors. Genetics company, Signature Genomic Laboratories and technology company, Itron are headquartered in the city. Other companies with head offices in Spokane include Key Tronic and the Red Lion Hotels Corporation. The largest military facility and employer in the area is Fairchild Air Force Base near Airway Heights, where the 92d Air Refueling Wing is stationed.

In 2000, the leading industries in Spokane for the employed population 16 years and older were educational services, health care, and social assistance, 23.8 percent, and retail trade, 12.7 percent. The health care industry is a large and increasingly important industry in Spokane; the city provides specialized care to many patients from the surrounding Inland Northwest and as far north as the Canadian border.

Companies have located or relocated to the Spokane area, drawn by the easy access to raw materials and lower operating costs, such as cheap hydroelectric power. Economic development in the Spokane area primarily focuses on promoting six industries which include manufacturing, aerospace manufacturing, health sciences, information technology, clean technology, and digital media.

Culture


Life in Spokane is heavily influenced by its climate and geographical location. Spokane experiences a four-season climate, and is close in proximity to dozens of lakes and rivers for swimming, boating, rafting, and fishing, as well as mountains for skiing, hiking, and biking. Within a short drive from Spokane, visitors can find 76 lakes, 33 golf courses, 11 wineries, five ski resorts, five major national parks, the Columbia River Gorge, and the Grand Coulee Dam. Glacier National Park is just four hours away from Spokane, and Mt. Rainier National Park and North Cascades National Park are four and a half hours away.

Spokane is big enough to have many amenities of a larger city, but small enough to support annual events and traditions with a small town atmosphere. Spokane was awarded the All-America City Award by the National Civic League in 1974 and 2004. There are several museums in the city, most notably the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (MAC), a Smithsonian affiliate museum that houses a large collection of Native American artifacts as well as regional and national traveling art exhibits. Located in Browne's Addition amid the mansions of Spokane's late 19th-century golden age, the Museum is in a secluded setting a few blocks from the center of downtown.

Arts and theater
Spokane hosts a variety of visual and performing arts scenes. These attractions include a major civic theater as well as several smaller ones, the Spokane Symphony, a jazz orchestra, an opera house, and other musical venues. Spokane's local music scene however, is considered somewhat lacking by some, critics have identified a need for a legitimate all-ages venue for music performances.

Spokane has a vibrant art scene. Spokane's two main Artwalk dates (the first Friday of February and October) attract large crowds to the art districts. Spokane's main art districts are located in the Davenport District, the Garland Business District, and East Sprague. The Davenport District is also home to many art galleries as well as some of Spokane's main performing arts venues. The First Friday Artwalk, which occurs the first Friday of every month, is dedicated to local vendors and performers displaying art around Downtown.

Spokane offers an array of musical performances catering to a variety of interests. The Spokane Symphony Orchestra presents a full season of classical music, and the Spokane Jazz Orchestra, a full season of jazz music. The Spokane Jazz Orchestra is a non-profit organization formed in 1962 that claims to be the nation's oldest, continually performing, professional, and community-supported 17-piece big band.

Theater is provided by Spokane's only resident professional company, Interplayers Ensemble. Theater is also provided by Spokane Civic Theatre and several amateur community theaters and smaller groups. The Fox Theater, which has been restored to its original 1931 Art Deco state, is the home of the Spokane Symphony. The Metropolitan Performing Arts Center was restored in 1988 and renamed Bing Crosby Theater in honor of Spokane native Bing Crosby in 2006.

Parks and recreation
The Spokane area offers an abundance of outdoor activities that can be enjoyed in outlying natural areas that may cater to a variety of interests, including miles of hiking trails, many lakes for fishing and watersports, and numerous parks for sightseeing. In 1907, Spokane's board of park commissioners retained the services of the Olmsted Brothers to draw up a plan for Spokane's parks. Much of Spokane's park land was acquired by the city prior to World War I, establishing the city early on as a leader among Western cities in the development of a city-wide park system. Today, Spokane has a system of over 75 parks totaling 3488 acre. This system includes six neighborhood aquatic centers, including the Comstock Park Pool, long a Spokane fixture, with its historic bathhouse. Some of the most notable parks in Spokane's extensive park system are Riverfront Park, Manito Park and Botanical Gardens, Riverside State Park, Mount Spokane State Park, Saint Michael's Mission State Park, and the John A. Finch Arboretum.



Riverfront Park, created after Expo '74 and occupying the same site, is 100 acre in downtown Spokane and the site of some of Spokane's largest events. The park has views of the Spokane Falls, and holds a number of civic attractions, including a Skyride that is a rebuilt gondola that carries visitors across the falls from high above the river gorge, a 5-story IMAX theater, and a small amusement park (which is converted into an ice-skating rink during the winter months) with numerous rides and concessions. The park is host to a full schedule of family entertainment and events such as the Bloomsday Post-Race Celebration, Hoopfest, First Night Spokane, and outdoor concerts and other community activities. The park also includes the hand-carved Riverfront Park Looff carousel created in 1909 by Charles I. D. Looff as a wedding present for his daughter. The carousel still operates in Riverfront Park, where riders can participate in an old-time ring toss. Manito Park and Botanical Gardens, on Spokane's South Hill, has a duck pond, a central conservatory, Duncan Gardens, a classical European Renaissance style garden, and the Nishinomiya Japanese Garden designed by Nagao Sakurai. Riverside State Park, is a scenic park close to downtown that is a site for hiking, mountain biking, and rafting.

A more active way to see natural sites in the Spokane area include travelling the Spokane River Centennial Trail, which features over 37 mi of paved trails running along the Spokane River from Sontag Park in west Spokane to the east shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. This trail continues on for 24 mi as the North Idaho Centennial Trail in Idaho and is often used for alternative transportation and recreational use, such as running, walking, cycling, or skating.

In addition to the park system within the city, there are many natural areas where outdoors activities can be enjoyed close by. In the summer, one may visit Lake Coeur d'Alene, Lake Pend Oreille, Priest Lake, or one of the other nearby bodies of water. In the winter, the public has access to five ski resorts within a couple hours of the city. The closest of these is the Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park, operated by a non-profit organization. Mt. Spokane has trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and dog sledding.

Events and activities
Spokane is home to annual events and attractions that draw people from the surrounding area. Every year in May, Spokane hosts the Lilac Festival. The Lilac Bloomsday Run, held on the first Sunday of each May, is a 7.46 mi race for competitive runners as well as walkers that attracts international competition. Also held in the city is Spokane Hoopfest, the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world.

Film festivals held in Spokane include the Spokane International Film Festival and The Spokane Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Held every February, The Spokane International Film Festival is a small, juried festival that features documentaries and shorts from around the world. The Spokane Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, which is held every November, features contemporary, independent films of interest to the GLBT community.

Other notable events in Spokane include the Spokane Interstate Fair, Spokane Comic Con, Japan Week, and the Spokane Pride Parade. The Spokane Interstate Fair is held annually in September at the Spokane Fair and Expo Center. Japan Week is held in April and celebrates the sister-city relationship with Nishinomiya, Hyogo, demonstrating the many commonalities shared between the two cities. Students from the Spokane campus of Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute, Whitworth University, Gonzaga University, Spokane Falls and Spokane Community College organize an array of Japanese cultural events. The Spokane Pride Parade held each June draws gays, lesbians, and others in celebration of the value of diversity.

Sports
Spokane's professional sports teams include the Spokane Shock (Arena Football League), Spokane Indians (Northwest League), Spokane Chiefs (Western Hockey League), and the Spokane Black Widows (Women's Premier Soccer League).

Collegiate sports in Spokane focus on the local teams such as the Gonzaga Bulldogs that compete in the West Coast Conference as well as other regional teams including the Washington State Cougars, Eastern Washington Eagles, and the Idaho Vandals.

In 1995, the Spokane Public Facilities District opened Spokane's premier sports venue, the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena to replace the aging Spokane Coliseum. In the years since the Spokane Arena opened, it along with the city of Spokane have played host to several major sporting events. The first major event was the 1998 Memorial Cup, the championship game of the Canadian Hockey League. Four years later in 2002, Spokane hosted the 2002 Skate America figure skating competition, as well as the first two rounds of NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament.

Spokane hosted the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in the Spokane Arena. The event set an attendance record, selling nearly 155,000 tickets and was later named the "Sports Event of the Year" by Sports Travel Magazine, beating out events such as Super Bowl XLI. Spokane once again hosted the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships—ending eighteen days before the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Media


Spokane is served by a variety of print media. Newspaper service includes its only major daily newspaper, The Spokesman-Review, as well as other more specialized publications including the weekly alternative newspaper, The Pacific Northwest Inlander, the bi-weekly business journal, The Spokane Journal of Business, a monthly newspaper for parents, Kids newspaper, and the monthly GLBT newsmagazine, Q View Northwest. Spokane also has several community magazines such as the monthly paper covering the Garland neighborhood, The Garland Times and Spokane Coeur d'Alene Living, a monthly home and lifestyle magazine.

According to Arbitron, Spokane is the 94th largest radio market in the United States with 502,600 listeners aged 12 and over. Twenty-eight AM and FM radio stations broadcast in Spokane. Spokane has one low power (LPFM) community radio station — KYRS-LP. KYRS serves the Spokane area with progressive perspectives, providing programming to diverse communities and unserved or under-served groups.

Spokane is the 73rd largest television market in the United States, accounting for 0.364% of the total TV households in the United States. Spokane has six television stations representing the major commercial networks and public television. The city is the television broadcast center for much of eastern Washington (except the Yakima and Tri-Cities area), northern Idaho, northwestern Montana, northeastern Oregon, and parts of Canada (by cable television). Spokane receives broadcasts in the Pacific Time Zone, with weekday prime time beginning at 8 pm. Montana and Alberta, Canada are in the Mountain Time Zone and receive Spokane broadcasts one hour later by their local time (i.e. weekday prime time begins at 7 pm for local stations in Montana, and at 9 pm for stations received from Spokane). The major network television affiliates include KREM (TV) 2 (CBS), KXLY-TV 4 (ABC), KHQ-TV 6 (NBC) (Spokane's first television station, signing on the air on December 20, 1952), KSPS-TV 7 (PBS), KXMN-LP 11 (MNTV), KSKN-TV 22 (CW), KCDT-TV 26 (PBS operating out of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho), KAYU 28 (Fox), KGPX-TV 34 (ION), KQUP 47LP (RTN) (translator for ch. 24 in Pullman, Washington), K55EB 55 (TBN) (a translator for KTBN) and KHBA-LP 39.1-4.

Government and politics


The City of Spokane operates under a Mayor-Council form of government, also referred to as a "Strong Mayor". Spokane switched to a Strong Mayor system in January 2001, after 40 years of running under a Council-Manager system. Under the Strong Mayor form of government, there are two distinct branches of government: the Executive (Mayor) and the Legislative (City Council). The City Council sets the policy direction for the city. The Mayor, as the Chief Executive Officer for the City of Spokane, is in charge of operating city government and implementing the policies developed by the City Council.

Other key elected members in the government are the seven members of the Spokane City Council (two elected from each of three districts, plus a President elected through a city-wide vote), who make up the legislative branch of the city's government. In addition to setting policy, the City Council passes ordinances, and guides the city through legislative efforts.

In 2011, David Condon was elected mayor of Spokane, taking office on the last business day of the year. The previous mayor was Mary Verner (2007-2011). On December 6, 2005, James (Jim) West was recalled from office after the local newspaper questioned his ethics. The story attracted national attention, and was the subject of a PBS Frontline documentary. Federally, Spokane is part of Washington's 5th congressional district, represented by Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers, elected in 2004. The state's senior member of the United States Senate is Democrat Patty Murray, elected in 1992. The state's junior member of the United States Senate is Democrat Maria Cantwell, elected in 2000. The Governor of Washington is Democrat Christine Gregoire, elected in 2004.

The City of Spokane favored Barack Obama over John McCain by 60%-37%. Former Democratic Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Tom Foley served as a representative of Washington's 5th district for 30 years, enjoying large support from Spokane, until his defeat in the "Republican Revolution" of 1994. This was the first and only time United States voters have turned out a sitting Speaker of the House of Representatives. The city elected James Everett Chase as its first African-American mayor in 1981, and after his retirement, electing the city's first woman mayor, Vicki McNeil.

Education


Serving the general educational needs of the local population are two public library districts, the Spokane Public Library (within city limits) and the Spokane County Library District. Founded in 1904 with funding from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, the Spokane Public Library system comprises a downtown library overlooking Spokane Falls and 6 branch libraries. Special collections include Northwest history, genealogy, Washington state, and Spokane County government documents.

Spokane Public Schools (District 81) is the largest public school system in Spokane and the second largest in the state, serving roughly 30,000 students in 6 high schools, 6 middle schools, and 34 elementary schools. Other public school districts in Spokane include the Central Valley School District, Mead School District, and West Valley School District. A variety of state-approved private elementary and secondary schools augment the public school system.

Spokane is home to many higher education institutions. They include the private universities, Gonzaga and Whitworth, and the public Community Colleges of Spokane system as well as an ITT Tech and University of Phoenix campus. Gonzaga University and Law School was founded by the Jesuits in 1887. Whitworth was founded in 1890 and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. While Spokane is one of the larger cities in the United States to lack a main campus of a state-supported university within its city limits, Eastern Washington University (EWU) and Washington State University (WSU) have operations at the Riverpoint Campus, just adjacent to downtown and across the Spokane River from the Gonzaga campus. Washington State University Spokane is WSU's health sciences campus and contains the school's College of Nursing and College of Pharmacy in addition to a four-year medical school branch in collaboration with the University of Washington. The main EWU campus is located 15 mi southwest of Spokane in nearby Cheney, and WSU is located 65 mi to the south in Pullman. An international branch campus of the Mukogawa Women's University, the Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute, is located in Spokane.

Healthcare
Spokane is the hub for medical services in the Inland Northwest. Six major hospitals are located in Spokane, four of which are full service facilities. The region's healthcare needs are served primarily by non-profit Seattle-based Providence Health & Services and for-profit Tennessee-based Community Health Systems, who run the two biggest hospitals in Spokane, Sacred Heart Medical Center (Spokane), and Deaconess Medical Center, respectively. The two hospitals, along with a majority of Spokane's major health care facilities are located on Spokane's Lower-South Hill, just south of downtown. The close proximity of the hospitals, doctors' offices, and specialized clinics scattered around this area, form what is known as the "Medical District" of Spokane.

Other hospitals in the area include the Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the northwest part of town, Holy Family Hospital on the north side, and Valley Hospital and Medical Center in Spokane Valley. One of the twenty Shriners Hospitals in the United States is also located in Spokane. One of Washington's state psychiatric hospitals, Eastern State Hospital is located in Medical Lake.

Roads and highways
Spokane's streets use a street grid that is oriented to the four cardinal directions. Generally in Spokane, the east-west roads are designated as avenues, and the north-south roads are referred to as streets. Major east-west thoroughfares in the city include Francis, Wellesley, Mission, Sprague, and 29th avenues. Major north-south thoroughfares include Maple-Ash, Monroe, Division, Hamilton, Greene-Market (north of I-90), and Ray-Freya (south of I-90). With over 40,000 vehicles per day Average Daily Traffic from Interstate 90 north to the US 2 - US 395 junction, North Division is Spokane's busiest corridor.



Spokane is primarily served by Interstate 90, which runs east-west from Seattle, through downtown Spokane, and eastward through Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and onward to Coeur d'Alene. Although they are not limited access highways like I-90, US 2 and US 395 enter Spokane from the west via I-90 and continue north through Spokane via Division St. The two highways share the same route until they reach "The Y", where US 395 continues northward to Deer Park, Colville then onward to Canada, and US 2 branches off to the northeast, continuing to Mead, Newport, and Sandpoint.

Over the past decade, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has aggressively improved local highways to keep up with the region's growth and to try to prevent congestion problems that plague many larger cities around the country. The WSDOT is currently constructing the North Spokane Corridor (NSC). When completed, the corridor will be a 10.5 mi long limited access highway that will run from I-90 in the vicinity of the Thor/Freya interchange northward through Spokane, meeting the existing US 395 just south of Wandermere Golf Course. The north-south freeway is expected to take over $2 billion to complete (over $3 billion if inflation is factored in). The first drivable link of the freeway was officially opened to traffic on August 22, 2009 and runs from Farwell Road near US 2 south to the vicinity of Francis Avenue & Market Street (approximately 4 mi). The rest of the freeway will be built as funding is made available. Also, the WSDOT is completing an I-90 Spokane-Idaho State Line lane widening project.

Public transportation


Before the influx of automobiles, people got around by using Spokane's streetcar system, the Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad. Many of the older side streets in Spokane still have visible streetcar rails embedded in them, as they were never removed. Streetcar service was reduced due to declining ridership beginning in 1922, and by August 1936, all streetcar lines had been abandoned or converted to motor buses.

Today, mass transportation throughout the Spokane area is provided by the Spokane Transit Authority (STA). STA currently operates approximately 151 buses and has a service area that covers roughly 143 sqmi. A large percentage of STA bus routes originate from the central hub, the STA Plaza, in downtown Spokane. Passengers who stop at The Plaza can transfer to virtually any other Spokane Transit route.

Talk of constructing a rapid-transit system began in earnest in the late-1990s, with a light rail system being a preferred option to bus rapid transit. The proposed light rail line was to run from The Plaza eastward through the Spokane Valley to Liberty Lake, with future extensions from The Plaza to Spokane International Airport, Liberty Lake to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and a line running in the median of the currently-being-constructed, North Spokane Corridor.

Spokane has rail and bus service provided by Amtrak and Greyhound via the Spokane Intermodal Center. The city is a stop for Amtrak's Empire Builder on its way to and from Chicago's Union Station en route to Seattle and Portland. Through service continues once a night to both Seattle and Portland, a reflection of the old Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway.

Airports
Spokane, eastern Washington and north Idaho are served by Spokane International Airport at Geiger Field (GEG). Spokane International Airport is the second largest airport in the state of Washington and is recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration as a small hub. The airport is located 5 mi west of downtown Spokane and is approximately a 10-minute drive away. Spokane International Airport is served by ten major airlines and three air cargo carriers. The international airport three letter designation is "GEG", a result and legacy of the Geiger Field days prior to 1960, when the airport was named after Army aviator Major Harold Geiger in 1941.

Felts Field is a general aviation airport serving Spokane County and is located in east Spokane along the Spokane River. Felts Field served as Spokane's primary airport until Spokane International Airport was built. The Deer Park Airport is located approximately 22 mi north of Spokane. Though small, the airport with two runways accounts for 67.9 jobs, and $4,077,316 in economic activity for the Spokane area.

Utilities
The City of Spokane provides municipal water, wastewater management, and solid waste management. Spokane operates Washington's only waste-to-energy plant, as well as two solid waste transfer stations in the Spokane area as part of the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System, a collaboration between the City of Spokane and Spokane County. Electricity generated by the waste-to-energy plant is used to operate the facility with excess energy being sold to Puget Sound Energy. Natural gas and electricity is provided by Avista Utilities, while CenturyLink and Comcast provide television, internet, and telephone service.

Sister cities

 * 🇯🇵 Nishinomiya, Japan – since September, 1961 (Spokane's first sister city)
 * 🇮🇪 Limerick, Republic of Ireland
 * 🇰🇷 Jecheon, South Korea
 * 🇨🇳 Jilin, China