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Spokane, Washington

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Spokane (pronounced "spō-CAN" [spoʊˈkæn]) is the county seat of Spokane County in the State of Washington. It is also known as the seat of the Inland Empire. Situated at the foot of a valley, midway between the rise and mouth of the Spokane River, it is 280 miles east of Seattle and 375 miles northeast of Portland. It is the commercial center of the eastern part of Washington and of the northern part of Idaho, and the distributing point for a great agricultural, lumbering, horticultural, and stock raising region. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 195,629, and recent projections place the metropolitan population at around 560,000.

File:Riverfront park.jpg
City skyline and Riverfront Park's Clock Tower

The area to the east of Spokane was incorporated as Spokane Valley in 2003. On March 1st, 2005, the Spokane City Council unanimously agreed to annex 207 acres, raising the population from 197,400 to 199,100, once again becoming the second largest city in Washington State.

Spokane is served by Spokane International Airport.


Government

The City of Spokane has operated under a Mayor-Council form of government since January 2001, after 40 years under a Council-Manager form of government. [1]

James E. West, a Republican, is the current mayor of Spokane; West is currently facing recall due to his involvement in a corruption scandal involving his offering internships to young men he met in gay chatrooms.

History

The growth of the city dates from 1881, when the Northern Pacific Railway was completed at this point. Spokane was officially incorporated on November 29, 1881. Between 1900 and 1910, the population grew from 36,848 to 104,402. The railroad town of Hillyard, Washington was annexed in 1924. The 1974 World's Fair was held at Riverfront Park in Downtown Spokane.

Geography

 
Location of Spokane, Washington

Spokane is located at 47°40'24" North, 117°24'37" West (47.673341, -117.410271)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 151.6 km² (58.5 mi²). 149.6 km² (57.8 mi²) of it is land and 2.0 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.30% water.

The Spokane River, a tributary of the Columbia River, passes through the city of Spokane.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 195,630 people, 81,512 households, and 47,276 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,307.7/km² (3,387.0/mi²). There are 87,941 housing units at an average density of 587.8/km² (1,522.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 89.46% White, 2.07% African American, 1.76% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 3.38% from two or more races. 2.99% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

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

In the city the population is spread out with 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $32,273, and the median income for a family is $41,316. Males have a median income of $31,676 versus $24,833 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,451. 15.9% of the population and 11.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Neighborhoods

Many areas in and around Spokane are commonly referred to by name, often named after the original planners or geographic features, such as:

  • Browne's Addition, west of Downtown.
  • Cannon's Addition, on the lower South Hill.
  • Downtown, between the South Hill and the Spokane River.
  • Felony Flats, common name used for West-Central neighborhood troubled by crime.
  • Garden Springs, between Downtown and the West Plains.
  • Hillyard
  • Millwood, in the Valley.
  • the North Side
  • the Logan Neighborhood located around Logan Elementary in the central North Side
  • North Indian Trail, at the northwest part of the North Side
  • Peaceful Valley, between Browne's Addition and the Spokane River
  • the South Hill
  • the Valley, now incorporated as its own city.
  • the West Plains, the flat area elevated above most of Spokane, encompassing the cities of Airway Heights, Cheney, and Medical Lake.

The Office of Neighborhood Services coordinates city services and facilitates the creation of neighborhood councils. A slideshow of Spokane neighborhoods is located at Inland Northwest Tour.

Also see:

Sister cities

In the cultural exchange program known as "Sister Cities" Spokane is twinned with:

See: Spokane Sister Cities

Institutions of Higher Education

Military installations

Fairchild Air Force Base is located in Spokane County.

Fort George Wright (1899–1957).

1974 World's Fair

File:Expo74.231380 5252.jpg
View from inside The Pavilion built for Expo 74. It currently houses a public skating rink and IMAX theater.
Main article: Expo '74

Spokane hosted the environmentally themed Expo '74, becoming the smallest city up to that point ever to host a World's Fair.

Many of the structures built for the World's Fair are still standing. The United States Pavilion now houses an IMAX theater; the Washington State Pavilion became the downtown Opera House. The Expo site itself became the 100 acre (400,000 m²) Riverfront Park, containing the U.S. Pavilion, the Pavilion of the USSR, and a clock tower (part of a Great Northern rail depot that was demolished for Expo '74), which are prominently featured in the park's logo.

Parks and recreation

In 1907, Spokane's board of park commissioners retained the services of the Olmsted Brothers to draw up a plan for Spokane parks. [2]

  • Riverside State Park is close to downtown and offers hiking, rafting and camping opportunities as well as scenic views.
  • Spokane's Centennial Trail offers visitors the chance to run, walk, bike or roller blade over thirty-seven miles of paved trails running along the Spokane River. Informational signs and parking are provided along the trail.

Sports teams

Events and activities in Spokane

Spokane is home to a number of annual events that draw people from a large surrounding area.

File:Hoopfest.street.courts.jpg
Some of the many basketball courts at Hoopfest.

Hoopfest is the largest 3 on 3 basketball tournament in the world. It is held the last weekend in June, and boasts a variety of participants, from kids, teens, and adults to former college and NBA players, in their respective brackets.

The Lilac Bloomsday Run [8] is a 7.46 mile race for walkers and competitive runners. It is held the first Sunday every May.

Spokane is also home to a National Historic Landmark hand-carved carousel, created in 1909 by Charles Looff as a wedding present for his daughter. The carousel still operates in Riverfront Park, downtown, where riders can participate in an old-time ring toss. The carousel continues to offer a free ride to the rider who grabs the brass ring.

The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture houses a large collection of Native American artifacts as well as regional and national traveling art exhibits. Located in Browne's Addition, the Museum boasts a secluded setting just blocks from the heart of Downtown.

The Spokane Symphony performs a full season of concerts and the Spokane Jazz Orchestra is the oldest performing jazz orchestra in the United States.

In the summer, many Spokane residents visit Lake Coeur d'Alene, Priest Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, or one of the other nearby bodies of water. In the winter, Spokane residents have easy access to five ski resorts within a few hours of their city. A non-profit organization operates nearby Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park.

Notable Spokanites

Spokane in film

Spokane has been featured in several theatrical films. See: Category: Spokane films

Common Spokane nicknames

  • Spovegas or Spokavegas
  • Spokan't
  • Spokaloo (circa early 1970s)
  • Spokompton or Spocompton
  • Spokanistan
  • The 'Kan
  • Spo-KAYNE (everyone's favorite mispronunciation)
  • Spo-CAN!
  • Lilac City
  • Spokangeles
  • Spoklahoma
  • Methlehem (in reference to the city's problem with the manufacturing, sale, and use of methamphetamines)

Spokane TV Stations

Spokane Radio Stations

AM

FM

  • 88.7 KAGU Classical
  • 89.5 KEWU Jazz
  • 90.3 KWRS Variety
  • 91.1 KPBX [9] NPR news, Classical, Jazz
  • 91.9 KSFC Talk
  • 92.3 KYRS-LP Low Power Community Radio (also 95.3)
  • 92.9 KZZU Top 40
  • 93.7 KDRK Country
  • 94.5 KHTQ [10] Active Rock
  • 95.3 KYRS-LP Low Power Community Radio (also 92.3)
  • 95.3 KPND Adult Album Alternative
  • 96.1 KIXZ Country
  • 96.9 KEZE All-80s
  • 98.1 KISC Adult Contemporary
  • 98.9 KKZX Classic Rock
  • 99.9 KXLY-FM Adult Contemporary
  • 101.1 KEYF Oldies
  • 101.9 KTSL Christian Contemporary
  • 103.1 KCDA Adult Top 40
  • 103.9 KBBD Variety Hits
  • 104.9 KEEH Contemporary Christian
  • 105.7 KZBD Classic Rock
  • 106.5 KSPO Religious
  • 107.1 KAZZ Smooth Jazz
  • 107.9 KMBI-FM Religious

Internet access

Spokane has free access to the Internet through a downtown Wi-Fi system. See: Spokane Hotzone

Visitor information

Annual Events

Maps Template:Geolinks-US-cityscale

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