The State of Washington

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The capital of Washington is Olympia.

The Postal Code for Washington: WA

The typical abbreviation for Washington: Wash.

Time Zone: The state of Washington is in the Pacific Time (PST/PDT) zone and observes daylight saving time.

Note:

Starting in 2007, Daylight Savings Time will be begin 3 weeks earlier and end 1 week later. Click here for details.

When the people of Washington refer to themselves: Washingtonian

Population: According to the 2006 Census estimates, Washington has a population of 6,395,798 people. This represents 2.14% of the national total, making it the 14th most populous state.

The following are population changes since the last Census. The population counts after year 2000 are estimates.

Year	Population	Change
2006	6,395,798	+1.65% since 2005
2005	6,291,899	+1.39% since 2004
2004	6,205,535	+1.23% since 2003
2003	6,130,323	+0.99% since 2002
2002	6,070,176	+1.25% since 2001
2001	5,995,397	+1.72% since 2000
2000	5,894,121	Last Census Count

Area: The area of Washington is 71,300 square miles (184,666.15 km²). This represents 1.88% of the national total. Washington ranks as the 18th largest state.

	State Flag

Density: The population density of Washington is 96.11 people per square mile (37.11 people/km²). Washington ranks 25th in population density.

Nicknames for Washington: "The Evergreen State"; "The Chinook State"

State Motto: "Alki" (By and by)

State Bird: Willow Goldfinch (carduelis tristis)

State Tree: Western Hemlock (tsuga heterophylla)

State Flower: Western Rhododendron (rhododendron macrophyllum)

State Song: "Washington, My Home"

Statehood: Washington became the 42nd state on Nov 11, 1889.

Useful State Links

The state website for Washington can be found at:

www.access.wa.gov

The portal for Washington tourism:

www.tourism.wa.gov

For information about Washington fishing regulations and licenses requirements:

www.wdfw.wa.gov/fishcorn.htm

For information about Washington hunting regulations and licenses requirements:

www.wdfw.wa.gov/huntcorn.htm

Communities Ranked by Population (Top-15)

Rank	City	2005 Population	National Rank
1	Seattle	573,911	24
2	Spokane	196,818	97
3	Tacoma	195,898	99
4	Vancouver	157,493	150
5	Bellevue	117,137
6	Everett	96,604
7	Federal Way	83,088
9	Spokane Valley	81,380
10	Kent	81,800
11	Yakima	81,214
12	Bellingham	74,547
13	Lakewood	57,671
15	Kennewick	60,997

Other Roadside Stops

The Lighthouses of Washington

Miscellaneous Information

Census Region:   4   (West)

Census Division:   9   (Pacific)

State FIPS-55 Code:   53

Office of Management and Budget (OMB):   Region X   /   Region 10

ISO-3166-2 Code:   US-WA

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