Just north of Seattle between the Snohomish River and Port Gardner Bay in the state of Washington is the lively coastal city of Everett. It was established in 1890, and now covers 47.91 square miles. Technology, aerospace manufacturing, maritime activities, and the service industry are the main drivers of the city’s economy. Its median age is 35.9 (2022).

Located in Washington’s Northwestern Quadrant, Mount Pleasant is bordered by Rock Creek Park, Harvard Street NW, and 16th Street NW, and is just north of Adams Morgan and west of Columbia Heights.

Olympia, the capital of Washington state, sits at the southern end of Puget Sound, 60 miles south of Seattle and Bellevue. Incorporated in 1859, it stretches across 20 square miles, and has a median age of 37.7 (2022). Plastics, machinery, and industrial supplies are the main drivers of its economy.

Seattle, a hilly city of 142.07 square miles on Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, is surrounded by the best nature has to offer: water, mountains, and evergreen forests. Its lush greenery has earned it the nickname “Emerald City.” Bounded by Lake Washington in the east and Puget Sound to the west, Seattle was incorporated as a city in 1869. It has a median age of 35.2 (2022) and serves as a gateway for trade with East Asia. Its economy is driven by established and newer technology companies, service, and design.

Lying along the Spokane River among the Selkirk Mountains in eastern Washington state is the city of Spokane. Founded in 1873, it covers 69.5 square miles, with streets laid out in a grid pattern. Its median age is 36.3 (2022), and its economy is mainly driven by manufacturing, aerospace, logistics, agribusiness, life sciences, education, and research.

The “City of Destiny,” otherwise known as Tacoma, Washington, received its nickname after it was chosen to be the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 1800s. Today, trade and logistics continue to fuel its economy, along with military, healthcare, finance, aerospace, government, and education. Founded in 1872 on the banks of Puget Sound, it covers 62.42 square miles, and has a median age of 36 (2022).

Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River, sitting directly across from Portland, Oregon. Known by locals as “The Couve,” it was founded in 1825. Today, Vancouver stretches across 52.45 square miles, and has a median age of 37.1 (2022). Retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and social assistance are the main drivers of its economy.