Spokane , originally incorporated as "Spokan Falls" , is the county seat of Spokane County in the State of Washington, USA. It is also known as the seat of the Inland Empire. It is situated at the falls of the Spokane River, where the river descends from the Rocky Mountains into the Columbia Plateau. Spokane 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 large agricultural, lumbering, mining, horticultural, and stock raising region. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 199,100 and rising, and recent projections place the metropolitan population at around 625,000. Spokane is the third largest city in the Pacific Northwest, only behind Seattle and Portland.
Though dominated until recently by industrial companies and railroads, Spokane's largest employers are now hospitals and universities, along with a growing number of technology firms.
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, making the city larger than Tacoma and second largest city in Washington State. In the past, the city has boasted about being The Largest City between Seattle and Minneapolis.
Spokane is served by Spokane International Airport.
Spokane sits at the east edge of the Columbia Plateau's wheat farms and steppe, where they meet the forested Rocky Mountain foothills. The Spokane River, a tributary of the Columbia River, passes through the city of Spokane, tumbling through a series of dramatic falls in the center of the city, near the river's confluence with the Little Spokane River.
Spokane Falls were long a site of native villages due to superb fishing during salmon and steelhead runs. This led to early white trading posts in the area, followed by military garrisons and then settlers. Discovery of extensive silver, lead and zinc deposits nearby in the 1890s, along with the arrival of a major transcontinental railroad line, turned Spokane into a boomtown in the first decade of the 20th century, when mine owners and railroad executives built numerous mansions and ornate buildings throughout the city.
Spokane is located at 47°40'24" North, 117°24'37" West (47.673341, -117.410271).
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.
As of the census of 2000, there are 199,630 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.
Spokane is the third largest city in the Pacific Northwest, only behind Seattle and Portland. Boise is the fourth largest.
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 over the age of 18 and 9.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Source:
SpokaneWashington.com
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