View source for Spokane, Washington

{{Redirect|Spokane}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Spokane
| settlement_type                 = [[List of municipalities in Washington|City]]
| named_for                       = [[Spokane people]]
| nickname                        = The Lilac City
| motto                           = Creative by Nature
| blank_name_sec1                 = Official tree
| blank_info_sec1                 = ''[[Pinus ponderosa|Ponderosa Pine]]''
| image_skyline                   = {{multiple image
  | total_width            = 280
  | border                 = infobox
  | perrow                 = 1/2/1/2
  | caption_align          = center
  | image1                 = Spokane aerial, May 2023 (cropped).png
  | alt1                   = Downtown Spokane from Palisades Park
  | caption1               = Aerial view of [[Downtown Spokane]]
  | image2                 = MK02733 Spokane Upper Falls 3x2 crop.jpg
  | alt2                   = Upper Spokane Falls
  | caption2               = Upper [[Spokane Falls]]
  | image3                 = SpokaneConvCtr CentennialTrail.jpg
  | alt3                   = Spokane River Centennial Trail
  | caption3               = [[Spokane River Centennial Trail]]
  | image4                 = Spokane Riverfront Park 20061014.jpg
  | alt4                   = Riverfront Park
  | caption4               = [[Riverfront Park (Spokane, Washington)|Riverfront Park]]
  | image5                 = ManitoParkDuncanGarden.jpg
  | alt5                   = Manito Park
  | caption5               = [[Manito Park and Botanical Gardens|Manito Park]]
  | image6                 = Historic Monroe Street Bridge - Spokane WA - USA.jpg
  | alt6                   = Monroe Street Bridge
  | caption6               = [[Monroe Street Bridge (Spokane River)|Monroe Street Bridge]]
  }}
| image_flag                      = File:Flag of Spokane, Washington (2021–present).svg
| flag_size                       = 125px
| image_blank_emblem              = City of Spokane Seal.svg
| blank_emblem_type               = Logo
| image_map                       = {{maplink
  | frame              = yes
  | plain              = yes
  | frame-align        = center
  | frame-width        = 270
  | frame-height       = 270
  | frame-coord        = {{coord|qid=Q187805}}
  | zoom               = 10
  | type               = shape
  | marker             = city
  | stroke-width       = 2
  | stroke-color       = #0096FF
  | fill               = #0096FF
  | fill-opacity       = 0.2
  | id2                = Q187805
  | type2              = shape-inverse
  | stroke-width2      = 2
  | stroke-color2      = #5F5F5F
  | stroke-opacity2    = 0
  | fill2              = #000000
  | fill-opacity2      = 0
}}
| map_caption                     = Interactive map of Spokane
| pushpin_map                     = Washington#USA
| pushpin_relief                  = yes
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
| subdivision_name                = United States
| subdivision_name1               = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Spokane County, Washington|Spokane]]
<!-- Government -->
| established_title               = Founded
| established_date                = 1873<ref name="founding">{{cite web |title=Spokane History |url=http://www.historicspokane.org/HeritageTours/downtown/history.html |publisher=City of Spokane|access-date=February 26, 2018}}</ref>
| founder                         = [[James N. Glover]]<ref name=founding />
| government_type                 = [[Mayor–council]]
| governing_body                  = [[#Government and Politics|Spokane City Council]]
| leader_title                    = [[List of mayors of Spokane|Mayor]]
| leader_name                     = [[Lisa Brown (Washington politician)|Lisa Brown]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])<ref>{{cite news |last=Dinman |first=Emry |date=September 12, 2025 |title=Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown issues first veto, striking parts of city's new labor law, but with sponsor's support |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/sep/12/mayor-lisa-brown-issues-first-veto-striking-parts-/ |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |accessdate=November 9, 2025}}</ref>
| established_title2              = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date2               = November 29, 1881
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web |title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_53.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 24, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2                  = 179.99
| area_land_km2                   = 178.09
| area_water_km2                  = 1.91
| area_total_sq_mi                = 69.50
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 68.76
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.74
| area_water_percent              = 1.28
| area_urban_km2                  = 
| area_urban_sq_mi                = 
| area_metro_km2                  = 
| area_metro_sq_mi                = 
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est                  = 230609
| pop_est_as_of                   = 2024
| pop_est_footnotes               = <ref name="Census-Estimate2024">{{cite web |date=May 2025 |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 20,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2024 Population: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024 |url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2024/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2024-ANNRNK.xlsx  |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=November 3, 2025}}</ref>
| population_footnotes            = <ref name="QF2020"/>
| population_total                = 228989
| population_urban                = 447279 (US: [[List of United States urban areas|90th]])
| population_density_urban_km2    = 1,006.0
| population_density_urban_sq_mi  = 2,605.4
| population_density_km2          = auto
| population_density_sq_mi        = auto
| population_rank                 = US: [[List of United States cities by population|101st]]<br>WA: [[List of municipalities in Washington|2nd]]
| population_metro                = 600292 (US: [[Metropolitan statistical area|96th]])
| population_blank1_title         = [[Combined statistical area|CSA]]
| population_blank1               = 785302 (US: [[Combined statistical area|70th]]) <!-- 'Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID CSA' -->
| population_demonym              = Spokanite
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                        = [[Pacific Standard Time|PST]]
| utc_offset                      = -8
| timezone_DST                    = [[Pacific Daylight Time|PDT]]
| utc_offset_DST                  = -7
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| area_code                       = [[Area code 509|509]]
| coordinates                     = {{coord|47|39|32|N|117|25|30|W|region:US-WA|display=it}}
| elevation_m                     = 562
| elevation_ft                    = 1843
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code                     = {{Collapsible list|title=Zip codes<ref>{{cite web |url=http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp |publisher=[[United States Postal Service]] |title=Zip Code Lookup|access-date=December 7, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080101160345/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp|archive-date=January 1, 2008}}</ref>|frame_style=border:none; padding: 0;|list_style=text-align:center;display:none|99201, 99202, 99203, 99204, 99205, 99206, 99207, 99208, 99209 (PO BOX), 99210 (PO BOX), 99211 (PO BOX), 99212, 99213 (PO BOX), 99214 (PO BOX), 99215 (PO BOX), 99216, 99217, 99218, 99219 (PO BOX), 99220 (PO BOX), 99223, 99224, 99228 (PO BOX), 99251, 99252, 99256, 99258, 99260, 99299}}
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 53-67000
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 2411956<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2411956}}</ref>
| website                         = {{URL|https://my.spokanecity.org/|my.spokanecity.org}}
}}

'''Spokane''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Spokane.ogg|s|p|oʊ|ˈ|k|æ|n}} {{respell|spoh|KAN}};<ref>{{cite web |title=Spokane |publisher=Merriam-Webster, Incorporated |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Spokane| access-date = September 4, 2017}}</ref> {{langx|spo|sƛ̓x̌etkʷ}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://salishgrammar.com/interrogative/int-cen-state-position/ | title= Salish Grammar / es ʕʷɬew̓si | date= September 17, 2019 }}</ref>) is a city and the [[county seat]] of the [[Spokane County, Washington|Spokane County]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. It lies along the [[Spokane River]], adjacent to the [[Selkirk Mountains]] and west of the [[Rocky Mountain]] foothills, {{convert|110|mi}} south of the [[Canada–United States border|Canadian border]], {{convert|20|mi|km|sigfig=1}} west of the [[Idaho]] border, and {{convert|280|mi}} east of [[Seattle]], via [[Interstate 90 in Washington|Interstate 90]].<ref>{{cite WSDOT map |year=2014 |link=yes |accessdate=November 9, 2025}}</ref>

Spokane is the most populous city in [[eastern Washington]] and the [[List of cities in Washington|second-most populous city]] in all of Washington, with a population of 228,989 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="census20100401">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/spokanecitywashington/POP010210|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts - Population, Census, April 1, 2010 - Spokane city, Washington}}</ref><ref name="censuswa2020rank">{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-49.pdf#page=74|title=Census.gov: Rank by 2010 Population and Housing Units: 2000 and 2010}}</ref> while the [[Spokane metropolitan area]] has an estimated 605,000 residents.<ref name=PopEstCBSA>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html#v2024 |title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2024 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |date=March 13, 2025 |access-date=March 13, 2025 }}</ref>

Spokane is the economic and cultural center of the [[Inland Northwest]]. It is known as the birthplace of [[Father's Day (United States)|Father's Day]], and locally by the nickname of "Lilac City".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Prager |first1=Mike |title=A designer bloom for Lilac City |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/apr/24/a-designer-bloom-for-lilac-city/ |access-date=May 18, 2019 |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |date=April 24, 2008}}</ref> Officially, Spokane goes by the nickname of ''Hooptown USA'', due to Spokane's annual hosting of the [[Spokane Hoopfest]], the world's largest basketball tournament.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tiernan |first=Colin |date=June 8, 2021 |title=Slam dunk nickname: City Council designates Spokane "Hooptown USA" |work=The Spokesman-Review |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jun/08/slam-dunk-nickname-city-council-designates-spokane/|access-date=June 9, 2021}}</ref> The city and the wider Inland Northwest area are served by [[Spokane International Airport]], {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} west of [[Downtown Spokane]], which is located near another airfield at [[Fairchild Air Force Base]].

The first people to live in the area, the [[Spokane people|Spokane tribe]] (their name meaning "children of the sun" in [[Montana Salish language|Salishan]]), lived off plentiful game. [[David Thompson (explorer)|David Thompson]] explored the area 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. Completion of the [[Northern Pacific Railway]] in 1881 brought many settlers from America to the Spokane area. The same year it was officially incorporated as a city under the name of ''Spokane Falls'' (it was re-incorporated under its current name ten years later).<ref>{{historylink|title=Spokane Falls (later renamed Spokane) is incorporated as a first-class city on November 29, 1881.|article=9176|author=Laura Arksey|date=October 3, 2009|quote=The original Act of Incorporation spelled the city's name correctly, but the territorial printing office incorrectly spelled it Spokan Falls, a phonetic spelling that was used elsewhere during the period, including on the 1880 census. This spelling was also used for Spokane's first newspaper, the Spokan Times.|access-date=November 16, 2017}}</ref> In the late 19th century, gold and silver were discovered in the Inland Northwest. The local economy depended on mining, timber, and agriculture until the 1980s. Spokane hosted the first environmentally themed [[World's fair]] at [[Expo '74]].

Many of the downtown area's older [[Romanesque Revival]]-style buildings were designed by architect [[Kirtland Cutter]] after the [[Great Spokane Fire]] of 1889, which damaged much of the downtown commercial district. The city is also home to the [[Riverfront Park (Spokane, Washington)|Riverfront]] and [[Manito Park and Botanical Gardens|Manito]] parks, the Smithsonian-affiliated [[Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture]], the [[Davenport Hotel (Spokane)|Davenport Hotel]], and the [[Fox Theater (Spokane, Washington)|Fox]] and [[Bing Crosby Theater|Bing Crosby]] theaters. The [[Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes (Spokane, Washington)|Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes]] is the [[cathedra|seat]] of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane]], and the [[Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Spokane, Washington)|Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist]] serves as that of the [[Episcopal Diocese of Spokane]]. The [[Spokane Washington Temple]] in the east of the county serves [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. [[Gonzaga University]] was established in 1887 by the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]], and the private [[Presbyterian Church|Presbyterian]] [[Whitworth University]] was founded three years later and moved to north Spokane in 1914.

In sports, the region's professional and semi-professional sports teams include the [[Spokane Indians]] in [[Minor League Baseball]]. The [[Spokane Chiefs]] in the [[Western Hockey League]]. The [[Spokane Velocity]] in [[USL League One]] with a women's first division team [[Spokane Zephyr FC]] in [[USL Super League]]. The [[Gonzaga Bulldogs]] collegiate basketball team competes at the [[Division I (NCAA)|Division&nbsp;I]] level. As of 2010, Spokane's major daily newspaper, ''[[The Spokesman-Review]]'', had a daily circulation of over 76,000.

==History==
{{Main|History of Spokane, Washington}}
{{For timeline}}

The first humans to live in the Spokane area were [[hunter-gatherer]]s that lived off plentiful fish and game; early human remains have been dated to 8,000 to 13,000 years ago.<ref name="Ruby p. 5">{{harvp|Ruby|Brown|2006|p=5}}</ref> The [[Spokane people|Spokane]] tribe, after which the city is named (the name meaning "children of the sun" or "sun people" in [[Montana Salish language|Salishan]]),<ref name="Phillips">{{harvp|Phillips|1971|pp=134-135}}</ref><ref name="Spukcane">{{harvp|Ruby|Brown|2006|pp=7–8}}</ref>{{Ref|Spukcane|[a]}} are believed to be either their direct descendants, or descendants of people from the [[Great Plains]].<ref name="Ruby 5-6">{{harvp|Ruby|Brown|2006|pp=5–6}}</ref> When asked by early white explorers, the Spokanes said their ancestors came from "up North."<ref name="Ruby p. 5"/> Early in the 19th century, the [[Northwest Fur Company]] sent two white fur trappers west of the Rocky Mountains to search for [[fur]].<ref>{{harvp|Ruby|Brown|2006|p=34}}</ref> These were the first white men met by the Spokanes, who believed they were sacred, and set the trappers up in the [[Colville River (Washington)|Colville River]] valley for the winter.<ref name="Ruby 35">{{harvp|Ruby|Brown|2006|p=35}}</ref>

===Trading post===
The explorer-geographer [[David Thompson (explorer)|David Thompson]], working as head of the [[North West Company]]'s [[Columbia Department]], became the first European to explore the Inland Empire (now called the [[Inland Northwest (United States)|Inland Northwest]]).<ref name="Stratton19">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=19}}</ref> Crossing what is now the Canada–US border from [[British Columbia]], Thompson wanted to expand the North West Company further south in search of furs. After establishing the [[Kullyspell House]] and [[Saleesh House]] trading posts in what are now Idaho and Montana, Thompson then attempted to expand further west. He sent out two trappers, [[Jacques Raphael Finlay]] and Finan McDonald, to construct a [[fur trade|fur trading post]] on the Spokane River, which flows west from [[Lake Coeur d'Alene]] to the [[Columbia River]], and trade with the local Indians.<ref name="SpokaneH">{{cite web |last=Oldham |first=Kit |title=The North West Company establishes Spokane House in 1810 |work=Essay 5099 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=January 23, 2003 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5099| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> This post was established in 1810, at the confluence of the [[Little Spokane River|Little Spokane]] and [[Spokane River|Spokane]] rivers, becoming the first enduring European settlement of significance in what later became Washington state.<ref name="Stratton19"/> Known as the [[Spokane House]], or simply "Spokane", it was in operation from 1810 to 1826.<ref name="Phillips"/> Operations were run by the British North West Company and later the [[Hudson's Bay Company]], and the post was the headquarters of the fur trade between the Rocky and Cascade mountains for 16 years. After the latter business absorbed the North West Company in 1821, the major operations at the Spokane House were eventually shifted north to [[Fort Colville]], reducing the post's significance.<ref>{{harvp|Meinig|1993|p=69}}</ref>

[[File:Spokane Falls 1888.jpg|thumb|left|alt= Lithograph depicting the Spokane falls in 1888| [[Spokane Falls]] in 1888]]

In 1836, Reverend [[Samuel Parker (missionary)|Samuel Parker]] visited the area and reported that around 800 Native Americans were living in Spokane Falls.<ref>{{harvp|Ruby|Brown|1988|p=75}}</ref> A [[Whitman Mission National Historic Site|medical mission]] was established by [[Marcus Whitman|Marcus]] and [[Narcissa Whitman]] to cater for [[Cayuse people|Cayuse]] Indians and hikers of the Oregon Trail at [[Walla Walla, Washington|Walla Walla]] in the south.<ref name=Essay10777>{{cite web |last=Tate |first=Cassandra |title=Missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman begin their journey to the Northwest, one day after their wedding, on February 19, 1836. |work=Essay 10777 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=May 8, 2014 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=10777| access-date = November 22, 2014}}</ref> 
After [[Whitman massacre|the Whitmans were killed]] by Indians in 1847, Reverend [[Cushing Eells]] established [[Whitman College]] in their memory, also setting up the [[Tshimakain Mission|first church]] in the Spokane area.<ref name=Essay10777 />

In 1853, two years after the establishment of the Washington Territory, the first governor, [[Isaac Stevens]], made an initial effort to make a treaty with [[Chief Garry]] and the Spokanes at Antoine Plantes' Ferry, not far from [[Millwood, Washington|Millwood]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Tate |first=Cassandra |title=Cayuse Indians |work=Essay 10365 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=April 3, 2013 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=10365| access-date = November 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Chief Spokane Garry (ca. 1811–1892) |work=Essay 8713 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=August 1, 2008 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8713| access-date = November 22, 2014}}</ref> After the last campaign of the [[Yakima War|Yakima Indian War]], the [[Coeur d'Alene War]] of 1858 was brought to a close by the actions of Col. [[George Wright (general)|George Wright]], who won decisive victories against a confederation of tribes in engagements at the battles of [[Battle of Four Lakes|Four Lakes]] and [[Battle of Spokane Plains|Spokane Plains]].<ref>{{harvp|Stratton|2005|pp=81–83}}</ref> The cessation of hostilities opened the inter-mountain valley of the Pacific Northwest to colonial expansion and safe habitation by settlers.<ref>{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=84}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Wilma |first=David |title=U.S. Army Colonel George Wright hangs Yakama and Palouse prisoners at the Ned-Whauld River beginning on September 25, 1858 |work=Essay 5141 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=January 29, 2003 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5141| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref>

===American settlement===
[[File:SpokaneMap1890GiesAndCompanyofBuffaloNew York.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Spokane Falls in 1890|Spokane Falls, 1890]]
Joint American–British occupation of [[Oregon Country]], in effect since the [[Treaty of 1818]], eventually led to the [[Oregon Boundary Dispute]] after a large influx of American settlers along the [[Oregon Trail]]. Great Britain ceded its claims to lands in [[Puget Sound]] and the central and lower Columbia Basin by the [[Oregon Treaty]] of 1846. The Hudson's Bay Company wound up its operations in the area over the next few years.

In what is now Spokane, the first American settlers were J.J. Downing and S.R. Scranton, cattle ranchers who [[squatters|squatted]] and established a claim at Spokane Falls in 1871.<ref name="p. 19">{{harvp|Kensel|1971|p=19}}</ref> Together they built a small sawmill on a claim near the south bank of the falls.<ref name="p. 19"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Wilma |first=David |title=J. J. Downing and S. R. Scranton file claims and build a sawmill at Spokane Falls in May 1871 |work=Essay 5132 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=January 27, 2003 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5132| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> [[James N. Glover]] and Jasper Matheney, Oregonians passing through the region in 1873, recognized the value of the Spokane River and its falls for the purpose of water power.<ref name="p. 19"/> They realized the investment potential and bought the claims of {{convert|160|acre|ha}} and the sawmill from Downing and Scranton for a total of $4,000.<ref>{{harvp|Schmeltzer|1988|p=39}}</ref> Glover and Matheney knew that the [[Northern Pacific Railroad Company]] had received a government charter to build a main line across this [[Northern Transcon|northern route]].<ref name="p. 19"/> Amid many delays in construction and uncertainty over the completion of the railroad and its exact course, Matheney sold his interest in the claim to Glover.<ref name="p. 20">{{harvp|Kensel|1971|p=20}}</ref>{{ref|Glover|[b]}} Glover confidently held on to his claim and became a successful Spokane business owner and the city's second mayor.<ref>Durham (1912), p. 362–363</ref> He later came to be known as the "Father of Spokane".<ref>Schmeltzer (1988), p. 40</ref><ref>[https://www.historylink.org/File/22622 Lindholdt] (2022)</ref>

In 1880, [[Fort Spokane]] was established by U.S. Army troops under Lt. Col. [[Henry C. Merriam]] {{convert|56|mi|km}} northwest of Spokane, at the junction of the [[Columbia River|Columbia]] and Spokane Rivers, to protect the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway and secure a place for U.S. settlement.<ref>{{cite web |last=Oldham |first=Kit |title=U.S. Army establishes Fort Spokane at the junction of the Spokane and Columbia rivers in 1882 |work=Essay 5358 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=March 4, 2003 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5358| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> By June 30, 1881, the railway reached the city, bringing major European settlement to the area.<ref>{{harvp|Kensel|1971|p=23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Wilma |first=David |title=First train arrives at Spokane Falls on June 25, 1881 |work=Essay 5137 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=January 28, 2003 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5137}}</ref> The city was officially incorporated with a population of about 1,000 residents on November 29, 1881.<ref name="Durham p. 362">Durham (1912), p. 362</ref><ref name="Incorporation">{{cite web |last=Arksey |first=Laura |title=Spokane Falls (later renamed Spokane) is incorporated as a first-class city on November 29, 1881 |work=Essay 9176 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=October 3, 2009 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9176| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref>{{Ref|incorp|[c]}} When Spokane was officially incorporated in 1881, [[Robert W. Forrest]] was elected as the first mayor of the city, with a Council of seven, S.G. Havermale, A.M. Cannon, Dr. L.H. Whitehouse, L.W. Rima, F.R. Moore, George A. Davis, and W.C. Gray, all serving without pay.<ref name="Durham p. 362"/> The marketing campaigns of transportation companies with affordable fertile land to sell along their trade routes lured many settlers into the region they dubbed "Spokane Country".<ref>{{harvp|Kensel|1971|pp=22–23}}</ref><ref name="Railroads">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=33}}</ref>

[[File:Spokane-chronicle-great-fire-1889.jpg|thumb|left|alt=The makeshift Daily Chronicle office after The Great Fire|The makeshift Daily Chronicle office after The Great Fire]]

The 1883 discovery of gold, silver, and lead in the Coeur d'Alene region of northern Idaho lured prospectors.<ref name="p. 28"/> The Inland Empire erupted with numerous mining rushes from 1883 to 1892.<ref>Kensel (1969), pp. 88–89</ref> Mining and [[smelting]] emerged as a major stimulus to Spokane. At the onset of the initial 1883 [[gold rush]] in the nearby [[Silver Valley, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene mining district]], Spokane became popular with prospectors, offering low prices on everything "from a horse to a frying pan".<ref>Kensel (1969), p. 85. According to the ''Spokane Falls Review'' December 1, 1883, edition.</ref> It would keep this status for subsequent [[Silver rush|rushes]] in the region due to its trade center status and accessibility to railroad infrastructure.<ref>Kensel (1969), pp. 85–89</ref>{{ref|Transport|[d]}}

Spokane's growth continued unabated until August 4, 1889, when a fire, now known as [[Great Spokane Fire|The Great Fire]] (not to be confused with the [[Great Fire of 1910]], which happened nearby), began just after 6:00&nbsp;p.m., and destroyed the city's downtown commercial district.<ref name="GreatSpokaneFire">{{cite web |last=Arksey |first=Laura |title=Great Spokane Fire destroys downtown Spokane Falls on August 4, 1889 |work=Essay 7696 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=March 20, 2006 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=7696| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> Due to technical problems with a pump station, there was no water pressure in the city when the fire started.<ref>Schmeltzer (1988), pp. 42–43</ref> In a desperate bid to starve the fire, firefighters began razing buildings with dynamite. Eventually, the winds and the fire died down; 32 blocks of Spokane's downtown core had been destroyed and one person was killed.<ref name="GreatSpokaneFire" />
[[File:SpokaneFalls1895.jpg|thumb|right|alt=The city of Spokane Falls circa 1895|Spokane ca. 1895]]

Despite this catastrophe, and in part because of it, Spokane experienced a building boom.<ref name="Schmeltzer 44" />{{ref|investment|[e]}} The downtown was rebuilt, and the city was reincorporated under the present name of "Spokane" in 1891.<ref name="Incorporation" /> According to historian David H. Stratton, "From the late 1890s to about 1912, a great flurry of construction created a modern urban profile of office buildings, banks, department stores, hotels and other commercial institutions" which stretched from the Spokane River to the site of the Northern Pacific railroad tracks below the South Hill.<ref name="Creighton7">Creighton (2013), p. 7</ref> Yet the rebuilding and development of the city was far from smooth: between 1889 and 1896 alone, all six bridges over the Spokane River were destroyed by floods before their completion.<ref name="Creighton7"/> In the 1890s the city was subject to intrastate migration by African-Americans from [[Roslyn, Washington|Roslyn]], looking for work after the closure of the area's mines. Two African-American churches, Calvary Baptist and Bethel African Methodist Episcopal, were founded in 1890.<ref>Williamson (2010), p. 7</ref> Just three years after the fire, in 1892, [[James J. Hill]]'s [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railway]] arrived in the chosen site for Hill's [[classification yard|rail yard]]s, the newly created township of [[Hillyard, Spokane, Washington|Hillyard]] (annexed by Spokane in 1924).<ref name="Hillyard">{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Spokane Neighborhoods: Hillyard – Thumbnail History |work=Essay 8406 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=December 15, 2007 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8406| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> Spokane became an important rail shipping and transportation hub for the Inland Empire, connecting mines in the [[Silver Valley, Idaho|Silver Valley]] with agricultural areas around the [[Palouse]] region.<ref name="Railroads"/><ref name="Schmeltzerp.41">Schmeltzer (1988), p. 41</ref> The city's population ballooned to 19,922 in 1890, and to 36,848 in 1900 with the arrival of additional railroads.<ref name="Schmeltzer 44">Schmeltzer (1988), p. 44</ref> By 1910 the population had hit 104,000, and Spokane eclipsed [[Walla Walla, Washington|Walla Walla]] as the commercial center of the Inland Empire.<ref>Stratton (2005), pp. 29–30, 32–33</ref> In time the city came to be known as the "capital" of the Inland Empire and the heart of a vast tributary region.<ref name="p. 28">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=28}}</ref><ref name="Malone">Malone (1996), p. 201</ref> After the arrival of the Northern Pacific, [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific]], Great Northern, and [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific]] railroads, Spokane became one of the most important rail centers in the western U.S.<ref name="Schmeltzer 44" /><ref name="Malone"/><ref>{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=32}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Spokane, Gateway City: Metropolis of the Inland Empire |journal=Railway Employees Magazine and Journal |volume=6 |issue=1 |publisher=Stanford University |location=San Francisco, California |date=October 1911 |pages=2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AINOAQAAIAAJ&q=spokane+gateway+city&pg=RA5-PA2}}</ref>

===Early 20th century===
[[File:MonroeStreetBridgea.jpg|thumb|upright=1.85|alt=Construction of the Monroe Street Bridge, August 3, 1911|The [[Monroe Street Bridge (Spokane River)|Monroe Street Bridge]], 1911]]

Expansion abruptly stopped in the 1910s and was followed by a period of population decline,<ref name="Stagnation">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=35}}</ref> due in large part to Spokane's slowing economy. Control of regional mines and resources became increasingly dominated by national corporations rather than local people and organizations, diverting capital outside of Spokane and decreasing growth and investment opportunities in the city.<ref name="Stagnation" /> During this time of stagnation, unrest was prevalent among the area's unemployed, who became victimized by "job sharks", who charged a fee for signing up workers in the logging camps. Job sharks and employment agencies were known to cheat itinerant workers, sometimes paying bribes to periodically fire entire work crews, thus generating repetitive fees for themselves.<ref>{{cite web |last=Reider |first=Ross |title=IWW formally begins Spokane free-speech fight on November 2, 1909 |work=Essay 7357 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=June 22, 2005 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7357| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> Crime spiked in the 1890s and 1900s,<ref>{{harvp|Stratton|2005|pp=148-151}}</ref><ref>Kienholz (1999), p. 209–210</ref> with eruptions of violent activity involving unions such as the [[Industrial Workers of the World]] (IWW), or "Wobblies" as they were often known, whose [[Free speech fights#Spokane free speech fight|free speech fights]] had begun to garner national attention.<ref name="p. 52">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=152}}</ref> Now, with grievances concerning the unethical practices of the employment agencies, they initiated a free speech fight in September 1908 by purposely breaking a city ordinance on [[soapbox]]ing.<ref name="p. 52"/> With IWW encouragement, union members from many western states came to Spokane to take part in what had become a publicity stunt. Many Wobblies were incarcerated, including feminist labor leader [[Elizabeth Gurley Flynn]], who published her account in the local ''[[Industrial Worker]]''.<ref name="p. 52"/>

[[File:Riverside Ave, Spokane, Washington, ca 1923 (WASTATE 448).jpeg|thumb|left|alt=Riverside Avenue c. 1923|Riverside Avenue c. 1923]]

After mining declined at the turn of the 20th century, agriculture and logging became the primary influences in the Spokane economy.<ref name="Kenselp.25">Kensel (1968), p. 25</ref> The population explosion and the building of homes, railroads, and mines in northern Idaho and southern British Columbia fueled the logging industry.<ref name="Kenselp.25" /> Although overshadowed in importance by the vast timbered areas on the coastal regions west of the Cascades, and burdened with monopolistic rail freight rates and stiff competition, Spokane became a noted leader in the manufacture of doors, [[sash window|window sashes]], blinds, and other [[planing mill]] products.<ref>Kensel (1968), pp. 28–29, 31</ref> Rail freight rates were much higher in Spokane than the rates in coastal [[seaport]] cities such as Seattle and Portland, so much so that [[Minneapolis]] merchants could ship goods first to Seattle and then back to Spokane for less than shipping directly to Spokane, even though the rail line ran through Spokane on the way to the coast.<ref name="Malone"/><ref>Durham (1912), p. 598</ref>{{ref|Hepburn|[f]}}

The Inland Northwest region has also long been associated with farming, especially [[wheat]] production.<ref name="p. 119">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=119}}</ref> Initially, the Palouse was thought to be unsuitable for wheat production due to the hilly terrain, believing wheat could not be cultivated on the tops of the hills, but the region showed great promise for wheat production when it began in the late 1850s in part due to the hilltops.<ref name="p. 119"/> The Palouse was and still is a [[breadbasket]] and was able to develop and grow with the completion of several railroad networks as well as a highway system that began to center around the city of Spokane, aiding farmers from around the region in distributing their products to market.<ref>{{harvp|Stratton|2005|pp=126-127}}</ref> Inland Empire farmers exported wheat, livestock and other agricultural products to ports such as New York, Liverpool and Tokyo.<ref name="p. 127">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=127}}</ref>

Local morale was affected for years by the collapse of the [[Division Street Bridge (Spokane, Washington)|Division Street Bridge]] early in the morning on December 15, 1915, which killed five people and injured over 20, but a new bridge was built (eventually replaced in 1994).<ref>Creighton (2013), p. 82</ref> The 1920 census showed a net increase of just 35 individuals, which actually indicates that thousands left the city when considering the natural growth rate of a population.<ref name="Stagnation"/> Growth in the 1920s and 1930s remained slow but less drastically so, forcing city boosters to market the city as a quiet, comfortable place suitable for raising a family rather than a dynamic community full of opportunity.<ref>{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=35-36}}</ref> The Inland Empire was heavily dependent on natural resources and [[wikt:extractive|extractive]] goods produced from mines, forests, and farms, which experienced a fall in demand.<ref name="p. 38">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=38}}</ref> The situation improved slightly with the start of World War II as aluminum production commenced in Spokane due to the area's cheap electricity (produced from regional dams) and the increased demand for airplanes.<ref name="p. 38"/>

===Second half of the 20th century===
[[File:Expo '74, Spokane, Washington, looking northeast.tif|thumb|alt=Expo '74 in Riverfront Park|[[Expo '74]] in [[Riverfront Park (Spokane, Washington)|Riverfront Park]]]]

After decades of stagnation and slow growth, Spokane businessmen formed Spokane Unlimited in the early 1960s, an organization that sought to revitalize downtown Spokane.<ref>Stratton (2005), pp. 211–212</ref> A recreation park showcasing the [[Spokane Falls]] was the preferred option, and after successful negotiation to relocate the railroad facilities on Havermale Island,<ref name="WorldsFair">Stratton (2005), p. 215</ref> they executed on a proposal to host the first [[Environmentalism|environmentally]] themed [[World's Fair]] in [[Expo '74]] on May 4, becoming the smallest city at the time to host a World's Fair.<ref>Stratton (2005), p. 207</ref><ref name="CC">{{cite news |last=Berger |first=Knute |date=November 6, 2012 |title=Preserving state's heritage: Why Spokane is central |url=http://crosscut.com/2012/11/06/mossback/111332/preserving-states-heritage-spokanes-importance |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109111928/http://crosscut.com/2012/11/06/mossback/111332/preserving-states-heritage-spokanes-importance/ |archive-date=November 9, 2012 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=Crosscut Public Media |df=mdy-all}}</ref> This event transformed Spokane's downtown, removing a century of railroad infrastructure and re-inventing the urban core. After Expo '74, the fairgrounds became the {{convert|100|acre|ha|adj=on}} Riverfront Park.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wilma |first=David |title=Expo 74 Spokane World's Fair opens on May 4, 1974 |work=Essay 5133 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=January 27, 2003 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=5133| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref>

The growth witnessed in the late 1970s and early 1980s was interrupted by another U.S. recession in 1981, in which silver, timber, and farm prices dropped.<ref name="Diverse">Schmeltzer (1988), p. 87</ref> The period of decline for the city lasted into the 1990s and was also marked by a loss of many steady family-wage jobs in the manufacturing sector.<ref name="Thumbnail"/> At this time, market forces began to impact the local [[Kaiser Aluminum]] plant and layoffs, pension cuts, a 1998–1999 labor strike, and eventually bankruptcy in 2002 followed.<ref name=Essay10119>{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Spokane Valley — Thumbnail History |work=Essay 10119 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=May 25, 2012 |url=http://historylink.org/File/10119| access-date = January 11, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Thumbnail"/> Although this was a tough period, Spokane's economy had started to benefit from some measure of economic diversification; growing companies such as [[Key Tronic]] and other research, marketing, and assembly plants for technology companies helped lessen Spokane's dependence on natural resources.<ref name="Diverse"/>

===21st century===
[[File:SpokaneSkywalks.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Spokane's skywalk network is among the nation's most extensive|Spokane has an extensive [[Skywalk]] network]]

As of 2014, Spokane is still trying to make the transition to a more [[service economy|service-oriented economy]] in the face of a less prominent manufacturing sector.<ref name="Thumbnail">{{cite web |last=Arksey |first=Laura |title=Spokane – Thumbnail History |work=Essay 7462 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=September 4, 2005 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=7462| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> Developing the city's strength in the medical and health sciences fields has seen some success, resulting in the expansion of the University District with two medical school branches.<ref name=WWAMI/><ref name=ElsonSFloyd/><ref>{{cite news |last=Geranios |first=Nicholas K. |title=With new school opening, medical education surges in Spokane |publisher=The Seattle Times Company |date=February 12, 2017 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/with-new-school-opening-medical-education-surges-in-spokane/| access-date = January 13, 2018}}</ref> The city faces challenges such as a scarcity of high-paying jobs, pockets of poverty, and areas of high crime.<ref name="Thumbnail"/>

The opening of the [[River Park Square]] in 1999 served as a [[urban renewal|catalyst]] and sparked a downtown rebirth that included the building of the Spokane Arena and expansion of the [[Spokane Convention Center]].<ref name="Thumbnail"/><ref>Spirou (2010), p. 210</ref> Other major projects include the building of the Big Easy concert house (now the [[Knitting Factory]]) and renovation of the historic [[Montvale Hotel]], the Kirtland Cutter-designed Davenport Hotel (after being vacant for over 20 years), the Fox Theater (now home to the Spokane Symphony)<ref name="Davenport">{{cite web |last=Arksey |first=Laura |title=Davenport Hotel (Spokane) |work=Essay 7545 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=November 29, 2005 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7545| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Fox">{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Restored Fox Theater in Spokane reopens as the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox in a gala concert on November 17, 2007 |work=Essay 8681 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=July 2, 2008 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8681| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> as well as the completion of the WSU Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Building in 2013 and the Davenport Grand Hotel in 2015, [[Ridpath Hotel]] in 2018 and the ongoing renovation of [[Riverfront Park (Spokane, Washington)|Riverfront Park]] (as of May 2019).<ref>{{cite news |last=Lawrence-Turner |first=Jody |title=WSU Spokane prepares to open pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences building |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=December 5, 2013 |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/dec/05/wsu-spokane-prepares-to-open-pharmaceutical-and/| access-date = August 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Grand opening at the Davenport Grand Hotel |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=June 18, 2015 |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/jun/18/grand-opening-at-the-davenport-grand-hotel/| access-date = August 12, 2016}}</ref><ref name=RPreno>{{cite web |title=Riverfront Park Redevelopment |url=https://my.spokanecity.org/riverfrontpark/master-plan/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150907041912/https://my.spokanecity.org/riverfrontpark/master-plan/|url-status= dead|archive-date= September 7, 2015 |publisher=City of Spokane|access-date= August 12, 2016}}</ref> The Kendall Yards development on the west side of downtown Spokane is one of the largest construction projects in the city's history. Directly across the Spokane River from downtown, it will blend residential and retail space with plazas and walking trails.<ref name="Thumbnail" />

==Geography==

===Topography===
[[File:Spokane at night 20071003.jpg|thumb|upright=2|alt=The Spokane skyline at night from the southwest in Palisades Park|Spokane at night from the west, with [[Krell Hill]] silhouetted by radio antennas]]

Spokane is located on the [[Spokane River]] in [[eastern Washington]] at an elevation of {{convert|1843|ft|m}} above sea level,<ref>{{cite web |title=NWS Spokane, WA |publisher=National Weather Service |url=http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Spokane&state=WA&site=OTX&textField1=47.6589&textField2=-117.425&e=1| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> about {{convert|18|mi|km}} from [[Idaho]], {{convert|92|mi|km}} south of the [[Metaline Falls-Nelway Border Crossing|Canadian border]], {{convert|229|mi|km}} due east of Seattle, and {{convert|279|mi|km}} southwest of [[Calgary]].<ref>{{cite web |title=How Far is it Between |publisher=Free Map Tools |url=https://www.freemaptools.com/how-far-is-it-between.htm| access-date = March 31, 2018}}</ref> The lowest elevation in the city of Spokane is the northernmost point of the Spokane River within city limits (in [[Riverside State Park]]) at {{convert|1608|ft|m}}; the highest elevation is on the northeast side, near the community of [[Hillyard, Spokane, Washington|Hillyard]] (though closer to Beacon Hill and the North Hill Reservoir) at {{convert|2591|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite map |publisher=2004 DeLorme |title=Delorme Topo USA 5.0 West Region (CD-ROM) |edition=5.0}}</ref> Spokane is part of the [[Inland Northwest (United States)|Inland Northwest]] region, consisting of eastern Washington, [[Idaho Panhandle|north Idaho]], northwestern [[Montana]], and northeastern [[Oregon]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Inland Empire |publisher=Merriam-Webster, Incorporated |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inland%20empire| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> The city has a total area of {{convert|60.02|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|59.25|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.77|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=December 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=July 2, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Upper Spokane Falls 20080524.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|alt=The Spokane River rushes past Canada island in Riverfront Park|The Upper [[Spokane Falls]] of the Spokane River flowing by Canada island]]

Spokane lies mostly within the [[Spokane Valley]] Outwash Plains at the periphery of the [[North Central Rockies forests]] ecoregion and partly within the eastern edge of the basaltic [[Channeled Scablands]] steppe of the [[Columbia Plateau (ecoregion)|Columbia Plateau]] ecoregion, a plain that eventually rises sharply to the east towards the rugged, timbered [[Selkirk Mountains]].<ref name="NWS">{{cite web |title=Station Information Data Sheet – Spokane, Washington |publisher=National Weather Service |date=April 2008 |url=http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/otx/spokane.php| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref><ref name=ecoregion/> The foothills of the [[Rocky Mountains|Rockies]]—the [[Coeur d'Alene Mountains]]—rise about {{convert|25|mi}} to the east in north Idaho. The city is in a transition area between the barren landscape of the [[Columbia River Drainage Basin|Columbia Basin]] and the coniferous forests to the east; to the south are the lush [[prairie]]s and rolling hills of the [[Palouse]].<ref name="ecoregion">{{cite web|title=Ecoregions of the Pacific Northwest|url=https://gaftp.epa.gov/EPADataCommons/ORD/Ecoregions/reg10/pnw_map.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813044225/https://gaftp.epa.gov/EPADataCommons/ORD/Ecoregions/reg10/pnw_map.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 13, 2021|publisher=[[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]]| access-date = July 9, 2023}}</ref> The highest peak in Spokane County is [[Mount Spokane]], at an elevation of {{convert|5883|ft|m}}, on the eastern side of the Selkirk Mountains.<ref>{{cite web |title=Feature Detail Report for: Mount Spokane |publisher=United States Geological Survey |url=https://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:34351196088528::NO::P3_FID:1512684| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> The Spokane River is the area's most prominent water feature, a {{convert|111|mi|km|adj=on}} tributary of the [[Columbia River]], originating from [[Lake Coeur d'Alene]] in northern Idaho.<ref name="Soltero">Soltero et al. (1992), p. 460</ref> The river flows west across the Washington state line through downtown Spokane, meeting [[Latah Creek]], then turns to the northwest, where it is joined by the [[Little Spokane River]] on its way to the Columbia River, north of [[Davenport, Washington|Davenport]].<ref name="Soltero" /> The Channeled Scablands and many of the area's numerous large lakes, such as Lake Coeur d'Alene and [[Lake Pend Oreille]], were formed by the [[Missoula Floods]] after the ice-dammed [[Glacial Lake Missoula]] ruptured at the end of the last ice age.<ref>{{Cite report |last=Breckenridge |first=Roy M. |date=May 1993 |title=Glacial Lake Missoula and the Spokane Floods |url=http://www.idahogeology.org/PDF/GeoNotes_(G)/geonote_26.pdf |publisher=Idaho Geological Survey |series=GeoNotes |volume=26| access-date= July 7, 2013| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120426010742/http://www.idahogeology.org/PDF/GeoNotes_(G)/geonote_26.pdf| archive-date= April 26, 2012| url-status= dead}}</ref> The [[Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge]] south of Cheney is the closest natural reserve, the closest National Forest is the [[Colville National Forest]], the closest [[National Recreation Area]] is the [[Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area]] and the closest national park is [[Mount Rainier National Park]], approximately a four-and-a-half hour drive from Spokane.

=== Cityscape ===
{{wide image|SpokaneDTPanorama.jpg|1300px|Panorama of Downtown Spokane looking north from the Deaconess Medical Center parking garage.}}
{{wide image|SpokaneCliffDrive Dec 2015.jpg|1300px|Panorama of Downtown Spokane looking north from Cliff Drive.}}

==== Neighborhoods ====
{{Main|Neighborhoods in Spokane, Washington}}
[[File:MonroeStreetCorridorSpokane.jpg|thumb|alt=Monroe Street corridor and surrounding Emerson-Garfield neighborhood|Monroe Street corridor and surrounding [[Emerson/Garfield, Spokane|Emerson/Garfield]] neighborhood]]

Spokane's neighborhoods range from the [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]]-style South Hill and Browne's Addition, to the Davenport 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 18 recognized [[National Register of Historic Places|National Register Historical Districts]].<ref name="CC" /><ref>{{cite web |date=September 13, 2012 |title=Thousands of Preservationists Will Gather in Spokane, Washington to Discuss the Power of Preservation to Create Jobs, Enrich Communities and Drive Social Change |url=http://www.preservationnation.org/who-we-are/press-center/press-releases/2012/thousands-of-preservationists.html#.U1yN4KIqfFw |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=National Trust for Historic Preservation}}</ref><ref>{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

Some of Spokane's best-known neighborhoods are [[Neighborhoods in Spokane, Washington#Riverside|Riverside]], [[Neighborhoods in Spokane, Washington#Browne.27s Addition|Browne's Addition]], and [[Hillyard, Spokane|Hillyard]]. The Riverside neighborhood consists primarily of downtown Spokane and is the central business district of Spokane. The neighborhoods south of downtown Spokane are collectively known as the South Hill. Downtown Spokane contains many of the city's public facilities, including City Hall, Riverfront Park (site of Expo '74), and the Spokane Convention Center, First Interstate Center for the Arts and Spokane Arena. The Spokane County Courthouse and public safety campus is adjacent to downtown in the historic [[Neighborhoods in Spokane, Washington#West Central|West Central]] neighborhood. To the east of downtown is [[Neighborhoods in Spokane, Washington#East Central|East Central]] and the adjacent [[University District (Spokane, Washington)|University District]] and budding "International District". 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 the [[Queen Anne style architecture in the United States|Queen Anne]] and early [[American Craftsman]] styles.<ref name="BA">Stratton (2005), pp. 168–169</ref> The area houses the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. In northeast Spokane, the Hillyard neighborhood began in 1892 as the chosen site for James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway yard, placed outside Spokane city limits to avoid "burdensome taxes".<ref name="Hillyard" /> The downtown Hillyard Business District, located on Market Street, was the first Spokane neighborhood listed in the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="Hillyard" /> Many of the former town's houses were built to house railroad workers, mainly immigrant laborers working in the local yard, who gave Hillyard an independent, blue-collar character.<ref name="Hillyard" /> Hillyard has become a home for much of Spokane's growing [[Russians|Russian]], [[Ukrainians|Ukrainian]], and [[Southeast Asia]]n communities.<ref name="Hillyard" /><ref name="TheTimes" /><ref name="TheSpokesman" />

==== Architecture ====
{{Main|Architecture of Spokane, Washington}}

===== Commercial and public buildings =====
[[File:Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes - Spokane.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=The Romanesque Revival-style Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in Downtown Spokane|The Romanesque Revival-style [[Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes (Spokane, Washington)|Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes]]]]

Spokane neighborhoods contain a patchwork of architectural styles that give them a distinct identity and illustrate the changes throughout the city's history.<ref name=SpokaneStyle>{{cite news |last1=Iannelli |first1=E.J. |last2=Kwak |first2=Young |title=Spokane Style |url=http://www.inlander.com/spokane/spokane-style/Content?oid=2518516 |access-date=November 6, 2016 |publisher=INLANDER}}</ref> Most of Spokane's notable buildings and landmarks are in the Riverside neighborhood and the downtown commercial district, where many of the buildings were rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1889 in the [[Romanesque Revival]] style.<ref name="GreatSpokaneFire" /> Examples include the Great Northern clock tower, Review Building, [[Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes (Spokane, Washington)|Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes]], [[First Congregational Church of Spokane|First Congregational Church]], Washington Water Power [[Post Street Electric Substation|Post Street substation]], Peyton Building, and The Carlyle.<ref name="Emporis">{{cite web |title=Spokane |url=http://www.emporis.com/city/spokane-wa-usa |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006074918/http://www.emporis.com/city/spokane-wa-usa |archive-date=October 6, 2013 |access-date=November 3, 2014 |publisher=Emporis}}</ref>

The principal architect of many buildings of this period was [[Kirtland Cutter|Kirtland Kelsey Cutter]].<ref name="Thumbnail" /> Self-taught, he came to Spokane in 1886, and began by designing "Chalet Hohenstein" for himself and other residences for his family, while also working as a bank teller.<ref>{{cite web |last=Arksey |first=Laura |date=March 23, 2009 |title=Cutter, Kirtland Kelsey (1860–1939), Architect |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=115 |access-date=November 2, 2014 |work=Essay 115 |publisher=HistoryLink}}</ref> Other structures designed by Cutter include the Spokane Club, Washington Water Power Substation, [[Monroe Street Bridge (Spokane River)|Monroe Street Bridge]] (featured in the city seal), the [[Central Steam Heat Plant|Steam Plant]], and the [[Davenport Hotel (Spokane)|Davenport Hotel]]. Built in renaissance and Spanish Revival style, the Davenport Hotel cost two million dollars to complete and included new technologies at the time of its opening in September 1914, such as chilled water, elevators, and air cooling.<ref name="Davenport" />

In the second half of the 20th century, Spokane again became noticed for its architecture, this time by a new generation of architects in the [[Mid-century modern|modernist]] movement, which flourished in the city. During this period which lasted from 1948 to the mid-1970s, prolific architects in the city gave Spokane a great breadth of mid-century architecture.<ref>{{cite web| last = Rogers| first = Adrian| title = New exhibit explores midcentury architecture in Spokane| newspaper = The Spokesman-Review| date = March 3, 2013| url = https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/mar/03/modernism-at-the-mac/| access-date = August 1, 2022}}</ref> The modernists in Spokane gave the city a new look and were instrumental in the developments, design, and legacy of the [[Expo '74]] World's Fair in what is now [[Riverfront Park (Spokane, Washington)|Riverfront Park]].<ref>{{cite web| title = Spokane Mid-20th Century Architectural Survey Report| publisher = Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation| work = Painter Preservation, helveticka, Spokane Historic Preservation Office, City of Spokane-Spokane Historic Landmarks Commission| date = August 2017| url = http://midcenturyspokane.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/MCM_Survey_082417.pdf| access-date = January 15, 2022}}</ref>

During this time, one of the city's foremost and influential architects was Warren C. Heylman.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schmeltzer |first=Mike |date=September 24, 2017 |title=Spokane a city of Modernist architectural gems |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/sep/24/spokane-a-city-of-modernist-architectural-gems/ |access-date=September 24, 2017 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> Heylman's career was most productive during the 1960s and 1970s where his main body of work was done in the modernist style, designing numerous residential houses, apartment buildings, and architectural embellishments.<ref name="Heylman">{{cite news |last=Deshais |first=Nicholas |date=July 10, 2016 |title=Warren Heylman's architectural vision 'all over' Spokane |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/jul/10/warren-heylman-spokane-architecture/ |access-date=November 6, 2016 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> Some of his most noteworthy works in Spokane include [[The Parkade]], Spokane International Airport, Spokane Regional Health Building, and the Burlington Northern Latah Creek Bridge over Hangman Valley.<ref name="Heylman" />

[[File:The Davenport Hotel (Spokane, Washington).jpg|thumb|left|alt=Kirtland Cutter's Renaissance Revival-style Davenport Hotel, widely considered his [[magnus opus]]|The Renaissance Revival-style Davenport Hotel designed by Kirtland Cutter]]

Other well-represented architectural styles downtown include [[art deco architecture|Art Deco]] (Spokane City Hall, [[August Paulsen|Paulsen Center]], [[Fox Theater (Spokane, Washington)|Fox Theater]], [[John R. Rogers High School]], City Ramp Garage), [[Renaissance Revival]] (Steam Plant Square, [[United States Post Office, Courthouse, and Custom House (Spokane, Washington)|Thomas S. Foley Courthouse]], [[Spokane Club Building-Legion Building|Legion Building]], [[San Marco (Spokane, Washington)|San Marco]]), [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] (Masonic Center, [[Hutton Building]], [[Bing Crosby Theater]]), [[Chicago school (architecture)|Chicago School]] ([[Old National Bank Building|U.S. Bank Building]], Liberty Building, [[Spokane City Hall Building|Old City Hall]]) and [[modernism (architecture)|Modernist]] ([[Parkade Plaza|The Parkade]], [[Ridpath Hotel]], Bank of America Financial Center).<ref name="Emporis" /> The [[List of tallest buildings in Spokane|tallest building in the city]], at {{convert|288|ft|m}}, is the Bank of America Financial Center.<ref name="Emporis" /> Also of note is the Spokane County Courthouse in West Central (the building on the seal of Spokane County), the [[Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Spokane, Washington)|Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist]] in Rockwood, the [[Benewah Milk Bottle]]s in Riverside and Garland, Mount Saint Michael in Hillyard, and the [[Cambern Dutch Shop Windmill]] in South Perry.

===== Residential =====
[[File:Patsy_Clark_House_(Spokane,_WA)_(2877645119).jpg|thumb|right|alt=The Patsy Clark Mansion in Browne's Addition|[[Patsy Clark Mansion]] in Browne's Addition]]
As an early affluent Spokane neighborhood, the Browne's Addition neighborhood and residences contain the largest variety of residential architecture in the city.<ref name="BA" /> These residences are lavish and personalized, featuring many architectural styles that were popular and trendy in the Pacific Northwest from the late 19th century to 1930, such as the Victorian and Queen Anne styles.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historic Districts of Spokane: Browne's Addition Historic District |url=http://properties.historicspokane.org/district/?DistrictID=18 |access-date=November 3, 2014 |publisher=City – County of Spokane Historic Preservation Office}}</ref> In high demand following his firms' design of the [[Idaho Building (Chicago World's Fair)|Idaho Building]] at the [[World's Columbian Exposition|Chicago World's Fair]] in 1893, Cutter found work constructing many mansions for mining and railroad tycoons such as [[Patsy Clark Mansion|Patrick "Patsy" Clark]] and Daniel C. Corbin and son Austin.<ref>Stratton (2005), pp. 167–173</ref>

The older neighborhoods of the early 20th century, such as West Central, East Central, [[Logan, Spokane|Logan]], Hillyard, and much of the lower South Hill, feature a large concentration of American Craftsman style [[bungalow]]s. In Hillyard, the most architecturally intact neighborhood in Spokane, 85 percent of these buildings are historic.<ref>{{cite news |date=September 20, 2001 |title=Historic Hillyard |url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=092001&ID=s1026394 |access-date=November 2, 2014 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> As the city expanded mainly to the north in the middle of the 20th century, the bungalows in the "minimal traditional" style commonplace from the 1930s to the 1950s tend to predominate in the Northwest, North Hill, and [[Bemiss, Spokane|Bemiss]] neighborhoods. This architectural style occupies the neighborhoods where the integrity of Spokane's street grid pattern is largely intact (especially the areas north of downtown and south of Francis Ave.), and the houses have backyard [[alley]]s for carports, deliveries, and refuse collection. Contemporary suburbs and architecture are prevalent at the north and south edges of Spokane as well as in the new Kendall Yards neighborhood north of downtown.<ref>{{cite news |last=McLean |first=Mike |date=January 14, 2010 |title=Greenstone to jump-start urban project |url=http://www.spokanejournal.com/local-news/greenstone-to-jump-start-urban-project |access-date=November 24, 2014 |publisher=Spokane Journal of Business}}</ref>

==== Parks and recreation ====
[[File:Manito, Spokane, WA, USA - panoramio (22).jpg|thumb|right|alt=The European Duncan Garden in Manito Park and Botanical Gardens|Duncan Garden at Manito Park]]

In 1907, Spokane's board of park commissioners retained the services of the [[Olmsted Brothers]] to draw up a plan for Spokane's parks.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |date=July 18, 2007 |title=Olmsted Parks in Spokane |url=http://historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8218 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |work=Essay 8218 |publisher=HistoryLink}}</ref> Much of Spokane's park land was acquired by the city prior to World War I, establishing it early on as a leader among Western cities in the development of a citywide park system.<ref>Schmeltzer (1988), pp. 64–65</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Arksey |first=Laura |date=April 5, 2010 |title=Spokane Board of Park Commissioners begins its duties on June 1, 1907 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9387 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |work=Essay 9387 |publisher=HistoryLink}}</ref> Spokane has a system of over 87 parks totaling {{convert|4100|acre|km2}} and includes six neighborhood aquatic centers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parks |url=http://spokaneparks.org/index.php/Parks/page/77 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127140322/http://spokaneparks.org/index.php/Parks/page/77/ |archive-date=November 27, 2013 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=City of Spokane Parks & Recreation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Aquatics Facilities |url=http://spokaneparks.org/index.php/Parks/page/328 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127140517/http://spokaneparks.org/index.php/Parks/page/328 |archive-date=November 27, 2013 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=City of Spokane Parks & Recreation}}</ref> Some of the most notable parks in Spokane's system are [[Riverfront Park (Spokane, Washington)|Riverfront Park]], [[Manito Park and Botanical Gardens]], [[Riverside State Park]], [[Mount Saint Michael|Saint Michael's Mission State Park]], [[John A. Finch Arboretum]], [[High Bridge Park]] and [[Liberty Park (Spokane, Washington)|Liberty Park]].

Riverfront Park, created after Expo '74 and occupying the same site, is {{convert|100|acre|ha}} in downtown Spokane and the site of some of Spokane's largest events.<ref name="Riverfront">{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |date=May 28, 2014 |title=Expo '74: Spokane World's Fair |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?displaypage=output.cfm&file_id=10791 |access-date=October 9, 2014 |work=Essay 10791 |publisher=HistoryLink}}</ref> The park has views of the [[Spokane Falls]] and holds a number of civic attractions, including a skyride, a rebuilt [[gondola lift]] that carries visitors across the falls from high above the river gorge.<ref name="Riverfront" /> The park also includes the historic hand-carved [[Riverfront Park Carousel|Riverfront Park Looff carousel]] created in 1909 by [[Charles I. D. Looff]].<ref name="Riverfront" /> Riverfront Park is currently being renovated and modernized (as of October 2016).<ref name="RPreno" /> Manito Park and Botanical Gardens on Spokane's South Hill features the Duncan Gardens, a classical [[European Renaissance]]-style garden and the Nishinomiya Japanese Garden designed by [[Nagao Sakurai]]. Riverside State Park, close to downtown, is a site for outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, and horse riding.<ref>Landers (2003), pp.90–95</ref>

The Spokane area has many trails and [[rail trails]], the most notable of which is the [[Spokane River Centennial Trail]], which features over {{convert|37.5|mi|km}} of paved trails running along the Spokane River from Spokane to the Idaho border.<ref>Mueller (2004), pp. 270–274</ref> This trail continues on towards [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]] for {{Convert|24|mi|km|0}} as the [[North Idaho Centennial Trail]] and is often used for alternative transportation and recreational use. In the summer, it has long been popular to visit North Idaho's "Lake Country", such as [[Lake Coeur d'Alene]], [[Lake Pend Oreille]], [[Priest Lake]], or one of the other nearby bodies of water and beaches.<ref name="Thumbnail" /><ref>{{cite news |author=Patterson, Caroline |date=June 2006 |title=Idaho's Lake Country |url=http://www.sunset.com/travel/northwest/idahos-lake-country-00400000015398/ |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=Sunset |volume=216 |issue=6}}</ref> In the winter, the public has access to five ski resorts within a couple hours of the city. The closest of these is the [[Mount Spokane|Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Mount Spokane |url=http://www.parks.wa.gov/549/Mount-Spokane |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017225705/http://www.parks.wa.gov/549/Mount-Spokane |archive-date=October 17, 2014 |access-date=October 9, 2014 |publisher=Washington State Parks |df=mdy-all}}</ref> which has trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and dog sledding.<ref>{{cite web |last=Arksey |first=Laura |date=August 2, 2006 |title=Mount Spokane State Park |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7819 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |work=Essay 7819 |publisher=HistoryLink}}</ref>

Zoological parks in Spokane include [[Cat Tales Zoological Park]], a wildlife sanctuary primarily for big cats and the Blue Zoo an interactive aquarium in the [[NorthTown Mall (Spokane, Washington)|NorthTown Mall]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Cat Tales |url=https://www.cattales.org/about-cat-tales.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425050417/https://www.cattales.org/about-cat-tales.html |archive-date=April 25, 2020 |access-date=June 16, 2020 |website=Cat Tales Wildlife Center}}</ref><ref>[https://spokane.bluezoo.us/?_ga=2.252440650.2111171074.1592280774-2035672830.1592280774 Aquarium | Annual Passes | Events | Parties | Field Trips | Spokane, WA<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Flora and fauna===
[[File:Yellow Bellied Marmot (3516840552).jpg|thumb|right|alt=Yellow bellied marmot|Urban-dwelling [[yellow bellied marmot]]s are resident in the city, although the rodents typically inhabit remote, mountainous locations.<ref>{{cite web |author=Gonzaga University|title=The Rise of the Urban Marmot |newspaper=Newswise |date=August 6, 2014 |url=https://www.newswise.com/articles/the-rise-of-the-urban-marmot2| access-date = June 13, 2021}}</ref>]]
The area supports an abundance of wildlife in part because of its varied geology and natural history. The area contains a wide range of vegetation, from densely wooded [[Temperate coniferous forest|coniferous forests]] to rolling grassy hills and meadows.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canadian Rocky Mountains Vegetation |publisher=Landscope |url=http://www.landscope.org/washington/natural_geography/ecoregions/canadian_rockies/vegetation/ |access-date=August 6, 2016 |archive-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326190012/http://www.landscope.org/washington/natural_geography/ecoregions/canadian_rockies/vegetation/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir are common in the drier and lower elevation areas throughout the region. The [[ponderosa pine]] is the official tree of the City of Spokane, which is where specimens were first collected by botanist [[David Douglas (botanist)|David Douglas]] in 1826.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wasson |first=David |title=Ponderosa pine named Spokane's official city tree |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=April 22, 2014 |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/apr/22/ponderosa-pine-named-spokane-official-city-tree/| access-date = August 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Callaham |first=Robert Z. |title=Pinus ponderosa: A Taxonomic Review With Five Subspecies in the United States |work=RESEARCH PAPER PSW-RP-264 |publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]] |date=September 2013 |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_rp264/psw_rp264.pdf| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref>{{ref|Douglas|[g]}}

The Canadian Rockies ecoregion supports 70 mammals, 16 reptiles and amphibians, 168 birds, and 41 fish species.<ref name=wildlife>{{cite web |title=Canadian Rocky Mountains Wildlife |publisher=Landscope |url=http://www.landscope.org/washington/natural_geography/ecoregions/canadian_rockies/wildlife/ |access-date=August 6, 2016 |archive-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326194254/http://www.landscope.org/washington/natural_geography/ecoregions/canadian_rockies/wildlife/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> There is a high concentration of raptors in the area, bald eagles are a common sight near Lake Coeur d'Alene in December and January when [[Sockeye salmon#Landlocked populations|kokanee]] spawn.<ref>{{cite web |title=North Region: City of Coeur d'Alene |publisher=Idaho Fish and Game |url=http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ifwis/ibt/site.aspx?id=n20 |access-date=August 6, 2016 |archive-date=September 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919140243/http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ifwis/ibt/site.aspx?id=n20 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The most common fish present in area lakes is the Washington-native [[rainbow trout]], which is the official fish of Washington state.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rainbow trout: Information & Facts |publisher=Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife |url=http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/Species/1246/| access-date = August 6, 2016}}</ref> Big game common in eastern Washington include black and grizzly bears, [[caribou]], [[Rocky Mountain elk]], bighorn sheep, and cougar.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eastern – Region 1 |publisher=Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife |url=http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/regions/region1/ |access-date=August 6, 2016 |archive-date=August 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809235057/http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/regions/region1/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Whitetail deer, mule deer, and [[moose]] are also found in abundance. The [[gray wolf]] population has been making a recovery in the Inland Northwest. As of June 2016, there are 16 wolf packs in eastern Washington.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wolf Packs in Washington |publisher=Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife |date=June 2016 |url=http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/packs/| access-date = August 20, 2016}}</ref> In August 2016, photo evidence confirmed a solitary wolf in Mount Spokane State Park.<ref>{{cite news |last=Landers |first=Rich |title=Wolf on Mount Spokane? So what else is new? |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=August 20, 2016 |url=http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2016/aug/09/wolf-mount-spokane-so-what-else-new/| access-date = August 20, 2016}}</ref>

Although the ecoregion remains ecologically intact, it faces conservation challenges that include the negative effects of certain forestry management and logging practices, higher risks of forest fires due to the alteration of the trees that make up the forest composition, and [[habitat fragmentation]] as a result of urban sprawl and development, which endangers the long-term survival of vulnerable species such as mountain caribou and the [[American goshawk]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Canadian Rocky Mountains Human Impact |publisher=Landscope |url=http://www.landscope.org/washington/natural_geography/ecoregions/canadian_rockies/impact/ |access-date=August 6, 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:Spokane_Great_Northern_Clocktower_in_haze_(20101776384).jpg|thumb|right|alt=The Great Northern clocktower seen amidst an orange haze from wildfire smoke and Rayleigh scattering|The Great Northern clocktower seen amidst an orange [[haze]] from wildfire smoke and [[Rayleigh scattering]]]]

Spokane has a [[humid continental climate|warm-summer humid continental climate]] (''Dsb'' under the [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] classification),<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peel |first1=M. C. |last2=Finlayson |first2=B. L. |last3=McMahon |first3=T. A. |year=2007 |title=Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification |journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=1633–1644 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P |bibcode-access=free |url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html |issn=1027-5606| doi-access=free |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816162501/http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html |archive-date= Aug 16, 2019 }} (Direct: [http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf final revised paper]).</ref> a rare climate due to its elevation and significant winter precipitation; Spokane, however, is adjacent to and sometimes even classified as a [[Mediterranean climate#Warm-summer Mediterranean climate|warm-summer Mediterranean climate]] (''Csb'') because the average temperature for the coldest month is over {{convert|−3|°C|1|order=flip}},<ref name="NCEI Summary of Monthly Normals - 1991-2020 - SPOKANE INTL AP"/> though in the US this threshold is often defined to be {{convert|0|°C|0|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Kottek, M. |author2=J. Grieser |author3=C. Beck |author4=B. Rudolf |author5=F. Rubel |title=World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated |journal=Meteorol. Z. |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=259–263 |url=http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pics/kottek_et_al_2006.gif |format=GIF |doi=10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130 |year=2006 |bibcode=2006MetZe..15..259K | access-date=December 7, 2014}}</ref>

The area typically has a warm, arid climate during the summer months, bracketed by short spring and fall seasons. On average, the warmest month is July and the coolest month is December; July averages {{convert|71.0|°F|1}}, while December averages {{convert|29.1|°F|1}}.<ref name="NCEI Summary of Monthly Normals - 1991-2020 - SPOKANE INTL AP"/>{{ref|Averages|[h]}} Daily temperature ranges are large during the summer, often exceeding {{convert|30|F-change}}, and small during the winter, with a range just above {{convert|10|F-change|1}}.<!--NOT HIGH TEMPERATURE--> The record high and low are {{convert|112|°F}}<ref name = "NOWData OTX"/> and {{convert|-30|°F}}, but temperatures of more than {{convert|100|°F}} or less than {{convert|-5|°F}} are rare. Temperatures of {{convert|90|°F}}+ occur an average of 21 days annually, temperatures of {{convert|100|°F}}+ occur an average of only 1 day annually, and those at or below {{convert|0|°F}} average 2.2 days a year.<ref name = "NOWData OTX"/>

[[File:Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) - Spokane Area, WA(ThreadEx).svg|thumb|right|Climate chart for Spokane]]
Spokane's location, between the [[Cascades Range]] to the west and the [[Rocky Mountains]] to the east and north, protects it from weather patterns experienced in other parts of the [[Pacific Northwest]]. The Cascade Mountains form a barrier to the eastward flow of moist and relatively mild air from the [[Pacific Ocean]] in winter and cool air in summer.<ref name="ClimWA">{{cite web |title=Climate of Washington |work=Climates of the States, Climatography of the United States No. 60 |publisher=National Weather Service |url=http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim60/states/Clim_WA_01.pdf| access-date = December 7, 2014| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150211224040/http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim60/states/Clim_WA_01.pdf| archive-date = February 11, 2015| url-status = dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref> As a result of the [[rain shadow]] effect of the Cascades, the Spokane area has {{convert|16.5|in|mm}} average annual precipitation, less than half of Seattle's {{convert|39.3|in|mm}}.<ref name = "NOWData SEW">{{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=sew |title=NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date = October 18, 2021}}</ref> Precipitation peaks in December, and summer is the driest time of the year. The Rockies shield Spokane from some of the winter season's coldest air masses traveling southward across Canada.<ref name="ClimWA" /> In the summer season, Spokane, like much of the [[western United States]], has been experiencing drier conditions and more frequent and larger [[wildfire]] events since the late 20th century; the fine particulate matter in the smoke can be carried by the wind and blanket the region in a [[haze]] and impact Spokane's [[Air quality index|air quality]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Petersen|first1=Mike|last2=Keesecker|first2=Levi |last3=Li|first3=Wei|display-authors=et al.|title=Chapter 5: Fire and Smoke Impact Study|work=Spokane Climate Project|publisher=Pacific Northwest Climate Impacts Research Consortium|date=September 2013 |url=https://www.spokaneclimateproject.org/wildfires| access-date = July 9, 2023}}</ref>

{{Weather box 
|collapsed = Y
|location = [[Spokane International Airport]], 1991–2020 normals,{{efn-lr|Mean maxima and minima (i.e., the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1881–present{{efn-lr|Official records for Spokane kept at Spokane Weather Bureau Office from February 1881 to July 1889, and at Spokane International Airport since August 1889.<ref>{{cite web |title=Threaded Station Extremes |url=http://threadex.rcc-acis.org/ |website=ThreadEx |publisher=NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and the National Weather Service (NWS), the Northeast Regional Climate Center (NRCC)|access-date= October 18, 2021}}</ref>}}
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 62
|Feb record high F = 63
|Mar record high F = 75
|Apr record high F = 90
|May record high F = 97
|Jun record high F = 109
|Jul record high F = 108
|Aug record high F = 108
|Sep record high F = 99
|Oct record high F = 87
|Nov record high F = 70
|Dec record high F = 60
|Jan avg record high F = 48.2
|Feb avg record high F = 51.1
|Mar avg record high F = 63.0
|Apr avg record high F = 73.9
|May avg record high F = 84.0
|Jun avg record high F = 90.5
|Jul avg record high F = 97.5
|Aug avg record high F = 97.0
|Sep avg record high F = 89.2
|Oct avg record high F = 74.6
|Nov avg record high F = 56.4
|Dec avg record high F = 48.0
|year avg record high F= 99.1
|Jan high F = 34.5
|Feb high F = 39.5
|Mar high F = 48.6
|Apr high F = 56.9
|May high F = 67.1
|Jun high F = 73.7
|Jul high F = 84.4
|Aug high F = 83.8
|Sep high F = 73.6
|Oct high F = 57.7
|Nov high F = 42.3
|Dec high F = 33.8
|year high F = 58.0
|Jan mean F = 29.6
|Feb mean F = 32.9
|Mar mean F = 40.0
|Apr mean F = 47.0
|May mean F = 56.0
|Jun mean F = 62.3
|Jul mean F = 71.0
|Aug mean F = 70.3
|Sep mean F = 61.1
|Oct mean F = 47.9
|Nov mean F = 36.3
|Dec mean F = 29.1
|year mean F = 48.6
|Jan low F = 24.7
|Feb low F = 26.3
|Mar low F = 31.5
|Apr low F = 37.0
|May low F = 44.9
|Jun low F = 50.8
|Jul low F = 57.6
|Aug low F = 56.7
|Sep low F = 48.6
|Oct low F = 38.0
|Nov low F = 30.3
|Dec low F = 24.3
|year low F = 39.2
|Jan avg record low F = 4.4
|Feb avg record low F = 9.8
|Mar avg record low F = 18.5
|Apr avg record low F = 26.4
|May avg record low F = 32.7
|Jun avg record low F = 40.2
|Jul avg record low F = 45.9
|Aug avg record low F = 45.6
|Sep avg record low F = 35.4
|Oct avg record low F = 23.2
|Nov avg record low F = 14.1
|Dec avg record low F = 7.1
|year avg record low F = -3.0
|Jan record low F = −30
|Feb record low F = −24
|Mar record low F = −10
|Apr record low F = 14
|May record low F = 24
|Jun record low F = 33
|Jul record low F = 37
|Aug record low F = 35
|Sep record low F = 22
|Oct record low F = 7
|Nov record low F = −21
|Dec record low F = −25
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.97
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.44
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.83
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.25
|May precipitation inch = 1.55
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.17
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.42
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.47
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.58
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.37
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.06
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.34
|year precipitation inch = 16.45
|Jul snow inch =  0.0
|Aug snow inch =  0.0
|Sep snow inch =  0.1
|Oct snow inch =  0.5
|Nov snow inch =  6.2
|Dec snow inch = 13.8
|Jan snow inch = 12.3
|Feb snow inch =  7.8
|Mar snow inch =  3.9
|Apr snow inch =  0.7
|May snow inch =  0.1
|Jun snow inch =  0.0
|year snow inch = 45.4
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan precipitation days = 14.2
|Feb precipitation days = 10.9
|Mar precipitation days = 11.8
|Apr precipitation days = 10.3
|May precipitation days = 9.7
|Jun precipitation days = 7.8
|Jul precipitation days = 4.0
|Aug precipitation days = 3.2
|Sep precipitation days = 4.7
|Oct precipitation days = 8.9
|Nov precipitation days = 13.4
|Dec precipitation days = 13.8
|year precipitation days = 112.7
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.1
|Oct snow days = 0.3
|Nov snow days = 4.3
|Dec snow days = 9.5
|Jan snow days = 9.5
|Feb snow days = 5.7
|Mar snow days = 4.0
|Apr snow days = 1.0
|May snow days = 0.3
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|year snow days = 34.7

|Jan snow depth inch = 8.1
|Feb snow depth inch = 4.9
|Mar snow depth inch = 2.8
|Apr snow depth inch = 0.2
|May snow depth inch = 0.0
|Jun snow depth inch = 0.0
|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0
|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0
|Sep snow depth inch = 0.1
|Oct snow depth inch = 0.4
|Nov snow depth inch = 2.7
|Dec snow depth inch = 6.4
|year snow depth inch = 11.1

|Jan humidity = 82.5
|Feb humidity = 79.1
|Mar humidity = 70.3
|Apr humidity = 61.0
|May humidity = 58.2
|Jun humidity = 53.9
|Jul humidity = 44.0
|Aug humidity = 45.0
|Sep humidity = 53.9
|Oct humidity = 66.6
|Nov humidity = 82.7
|Dec humidity = 85.5
|year humidity = 65.2
|Jan sun = 78.3
|Feb sun = 118.0
|Mar sun = 199.3
|Apr sun = 242.3
|May sun = 296.7
|Jun sun = 322.8
|Jul sun = 382.4
|Aug sun = 340.4
|Sep sun = 271.2
|Oct sun = 191.0
|Nov sun = 73.8
|Dec sun = 59.1
|year sun = 2575.3
|Jan percentsun = 28
|Feb percentsun = 41
|Mar percentsun = 54
|Apr percentsun = 59
|May percentsun = 63
|Jun percentsun = 68
|Jul percentsun = 79
|Aug percentsun = 77
|Sep percentsun = 72
|Oct percentsun = 57
|Nov percentsun = 26
|Dec percentsun = 22
|year percentsun = 54
|Jan dew point C = -5.6
|Feb dew point C = -3.3
|Mar dew point C = -1.9
|Apr dew point C = -0.2
|May dew point C = 3.2
|Jun dew point C = 6.1
|Jul dew point C = 6.4
|Aug dew point C = 6.2
|Sep dew point C = 4.2
|Oct dew point C = 1.5
|Nov dew point C = -1.1
|Dec dew point C = -4.6
|source 1 = NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990)<ref name = "NOWData OTX">{{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=otx 
|title=NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data 
|publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] 
|access-date = October 18, 2021}}</ref><ref name="NCEI Summary of Monthly Normals - 1991-2020 - SPOKANE INTL AP">
{{cite web 
|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00024157&format=pdf 
|title=Summary of Monthly Normals SPOKANE INTL AP, WA US USW00024157 1991-2020 
|publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] 
|access-date = October 18, 2021
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230710042020/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00024157&format=pdf
|archive-date = 2023-07-10}}</ref><ref name= NOAA2>
{{cite web 
|title=WMO climate normals for Spokane/INTL, WA 1961–1990 
|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
|url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP4/72785.TXT 
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201207010449/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP4/72785.TXT
|archive-date=2020-12-07
|url-status=dead
|access-date = May 28, 2014
}}</ref>
}}

{{Weather box <!--Infobox begins-->
|collapsed= Y

|single line= Y
|location= Spokane ([[Felts Field]]), 1991–2020 normals,{{efn-lr|Mean maxima and minima calculated based on data from November 1998 to December 2020 for months and 1999 to 2020 for years.}} extremes 1998{{efn-lr|Starting on October 14, 1998.}}–present
|Jan record high F= 59
|Feb record high F= 64
|Mar record high F= 74
|Apr record high F= 87
|May record high F= 94
|Jun record high F= 113
|Jul record high F= 106
|Aug record high F= 107
|Sep record high F= 97
|Oct record high F= 86
|Nov record high F= 69
|Dec record high F= 63

|Jan avg record high F = 51.8
|Feb avg record high F = 53.7
|Mar avg record high F = 65.0
|Apr avg record high F = 76.5
|May avg record high F = 86.7
|Jun avg record high F = 93.0
|Jul avg record high F = 99.8
|Aug avg record high F = 99.1
|Sep avg record high F = 90.7
|Oct avg record high F = 75.5
|Nov avg record high F = 59.8
|Dec avg record high F = 51.9
|year avg record high F= 101.4

|Jan high F= 37.8
|Feb high F= 42.5
|Mar high F= 51.3
|Apr high F= 59.6
|May high F= 69.7
|Jun high F= 75.8
|Jul high F= 87.1
|Aug high F= 86.2
|Sep high F= 76.0
|Oct high F= 60.3
|Nov high F= 45.1
|Dec high F= 36.9
|year high F = 60.7

|Jan mean F = 31.8
|Feb mean F = 34.6
|Mar mean F = 41.5
|Apr mean F = 48.1
|May mean F = 56.9
|Jun mean F = 63.1
|Jul mean F = 71.5
|Aug mean F = 70.4
|Sep mean F = 61.4
|Oct mean F = 49.1
|Nov mean F = 37.9
|Dec mean F = 31.3
|year mean F= 49.8

|Jan low F= 25.8
|Feb low F= 26.7
|Mar low F= 31.7
|Apr low F= 36.6
|May low F= 44.1
|Jun low F= 50.4
|Jul low F= 56.0
|Aug low F= 54.5
|Sep low F= 46.8
|Oct low F= 38.0
|Nov low F= 30.7
|Dec low F= 25.7
|year low F =38.9

|Jan avg record low F = 9.9
|Feb avg record low F = 13.5
|Mar avg record low F = 19.6
|Apr avg record low F = 26.8
|May avg record low F = 32.5
|Jun avg record low F = 41.4
|Jul avg record low F = 46.5
|Aug avg record low F = 45.7
|Sep avg record low F = 36.3
|Oct avg record low F = 25.0
|Nov avg record low F = 17.6
|Dec avg record low F = 10.3
|year avg record low F= 3.2

|Jan record low F= -10
|Feb record low F= -3
|Mar record low F= 2
|Apr record low F= 24
|May record low F= 28
|Jun record low F= 37
|Jul record low F= 39
|Aug record low F= 40
|Sep record low F= 26
|Oct record low F= 12
|Nov record low F= -2
|Dec record low F= -10

|precipitation colour= green
|Jan precipitation inch= 2.00
|Feb precipitation inch= 1.32
|Mar precipitation inch= 1.82
|Apr precipitation inch= 1.50
|May precipitation inch= 1.70
|Jun precipitation inch= 1.48
|Jul precipitation inch= 0.67
|Aug precipitation inch= 0.54
|Sep precipitation inch= 0.68
|Oct precipitation inch= 1.46
|Nov precipitation inch= 2.01
|Dec precipitation inch= 2.18
|year precipitation inch= 17.36

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 14.6
|Feb precipitation days = 11.6
|Mar precipitation days = 13.1
|Apr precipitation days = 11.0
|May precipitation days = 10.0
|Jun precipitation days =  8.9
|Jul precipitation days =  3.0
|Aug precipitation days =  3.4
|Sep precipitation days =  5.3
|Oct precipitation days = 10.4
|Nov precipitation days = 13.5
|Dec precipitation days = 14.5
|year precipitation days=119.3
|source 1= NOAA<ref name = "NOWData OTX"/><ref name="NCEI Summary of Monthly Normals - 1991-2020 - SPOKANE FELTS FLD">
{{cite web 
|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00094176&format=pdf 
|title=Summary of Monthly Normals SPOKANE FELTS FLD, WA US USW00094176 1991–2020 
|publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] 
|access-date = October 18, 2021
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230710042244/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00094176&format=pdf
|archive-date = July 10, 2023}}</ref>}}
{{Graph:Weather monthly history
| table=Ncei.noaa.gov/weather/Spokane, Washington.tab
| title=Spokane monthly weather statistics
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1880 = 350
| 1890 = 19922
| 1900 = 36848
| 1910 = 104402
| 1920 = 104437
| 1930 = 115514
| 1940 = 122001
| 1950 = 161721
| 1960 = 181608
| 1970 = 170516
| 1980 = 171300
| 1990 = 177165
| 2000 = 195629
| 2010 = 208916
| 2020 = 228989
| 2020n = <ref name="QF2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/spokanecitywashington/PST045221|title=QuickFacts: Spokane city, Washington|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=December 27, 2021}}</ref>
| estyear = 2024
| estimate = 230609
| estref = <ref name="Census-Estimate2024"/>
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<br><ref name="decennial-census">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census.gov: Decennial Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=May 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name="censusbulletin110">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=McDrAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22spokane%22&pg=PP2|title=Census Bulletin No. 110|year=1891}}</ref><ref name="cen2010popbydecade1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-1.pdf#page=508|title=Census.gov: Rank of Places of 100,000 or More by 2010 Population: 1790 to 2010 (1890-1960)}}</ref><ref name="cen2010popbydecade2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-1.pdf#page=507|title=Census.gov: Rank of Places of 100,000 or More by 2010 Population: 1790 to 2010 (1970-2010)}}</ref><ref name="censuspop2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/spokanecitywashington/POP010220|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts - Population, Census, April 1, 2020 - Spokane city, Washington}}</ref><br>2020 Census
}}

===2022 American Community Survey===
{{As of|2022|pre=the}} [[American Community Survey]] estimates, there were {{formatnum:230176}} people and {{formatnum:101130}} households.<ref name=DP05>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP1Y2022.DP05?g=160XX00US5367000 | title= 2022 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimate: Demographic and Housing Estimates for Spokane city, WA | access-date = June 22, 2024 | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><ref name=DP02>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP1Y2022.DP02?g=160XX00US5367000 | title= 2022 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimate: Selected Social Characteristics in the United States for Spokane city, WA | access-date = June 22, 2024 | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> The [[population density]] was {{convert|3347.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were {{formatnum:105002}} housing units at an average density of {{convert|1527.1|/sqmi|/km2|1}}.<ref name=Gaz2023>To calculate density we use the land area figure from the places file in {{cite web| url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html | title = The 2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files}}</ref><ref name=DP05/><ref name=B25001>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2022.B25001?g=160XX00US5367000 | title= 2022 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimate: Housing Units for Spokane city, WA | access-date = June 22, 2024 | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> The racial makeup of the city was 80.7%&nbsp;White, 2.9%&nbsp;some other race, 2.5%&nbsp;Black or African American, 2.0%&nbsp;Asian, 0.8%&nbsp;Native American or Alaskan Native, and 0.5%&nbsp;Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, with 10.5%&nbsp;from two or more races.<ref name=DP05/> [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanics or Latinos]] of any race were 8.1%&nbsp;of the population.<ref name=DP05/>

Of the {{formatnum:101130}} households, 24.5%&nbsp;had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.8%&nbsp;had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 35.9%&nbsp;were married couples living together, 7.9%&nbsp;were couples cohabitating, 24.8%&nbsp;had a male householder with no partner present, and 31.4%&nbsp;had a female householder with no partner present.<ref name=DP02/> The median household size was {{formatnum:2.21}} and the median family size was {{formatnum:2.96}}.<ref name=DP02/>

The age distribution was 18.8%&nbsp;under 18, 9.9%&nbsp;from 18 to 24, 30.8%&nbsp;from 25 to 44, 22.9%&nbsp;from 45 to 64, and 17.6%&nbsp;who were 65 or older. The median age was {{formatnum:38.6}} years.<ref name=S0101>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S0101?g=160XX00US5367000 | title= 2022 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimate: Age and Sex for Spokane city, WA | access-date = June 22, 2024 | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> For every 100 females, there were {{formatnum:101.4}} males.<ref name=DP05/>

The median income for a household was ${{formatnum:62287}}, with family households having a median income of ${{formatnum:90205}} and non-family households ${{formatnum:41670}}. The [[per capita income]] was ${{formatnum:38173}}.<ref name=S1902>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S1902?g=160XX00US5367000 | title= 2022 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimate: Mean Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Spokane city, WA | access-date = June 22, 2024 | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><ref name=S1901>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S1901?g=160XX00US5367000 | title= 2022 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimate: Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Spokane city, WA | access-date = June 22, 2024 | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> Males working [[full-time job]]s had median earnings of ${{formatnum:57382}} compared to ${{formatnum:51996}} for females.<ref name=S2001>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S2001?g=160XX00US5367000 | title= 2022 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimate: Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Spokane city, WA | access-date = June 22, 2024 | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> Out of the {{formatnum:225660}} people with a determined poverty status, 11.8%&nbsp;were below the [[poverty line]]. Further, 14.7%&nbsp;of minors and 8.8%&nbsp;of seniors were below the poverty line.<ref name=S1701>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S1701?g=160XX00US5367000 | title= 2022 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimate: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months for Spokane city, WA | access-date = June 22, 2024 | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of [[German American|German]] descent made up 19.5%&nbsp;of the population of the town, followed by [[English American|English]] at 13.1%, [[Irish American|Irish]] at 11.5%, [[American ancestry|American]] at 7.6%, [[Norwegian American|Norwegian]] at 5.5%, [[Italian American|Italian]] at 4.3%, [[Scottish American|Scottish]] at 2.7%, [[Swedish American|Swedish]] at 2.3%, [[French American|French]] at 2.2%, [[Polish American|Polish]] at 2.0%, [[Welsh American|Welsh]] at 1.5%, [[Ukrainian American|Ukrainian]] at 1.3%, [[Dutch American|Dutch]] at 1.2%, [[Scotch-Irish American|Scotch-Irish]] at 1.1%, [[Arab American|Arab]] at 1.0%, [[Russian American|Russian]] at 1.0%, [[Danish American|Danish]] at 0.7%, [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]n at 0.6%, [[Czech American|Czech]] at 0.6%, and [[Swiss American|Swiss]] at 0.6%.<ref name=DP02/>

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Spokane, Washington – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Spokane city, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=160XX00US5367000&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Spokane city, Washington|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US5367000&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Spokane city, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US5367000&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|171,918
|175,482
|style='background: #ffffe6; |176,397
|87.88%
|84.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |77.03%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|3,898
|4,643
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,921
|1.99%
|2.22%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.59%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|3,208
|3,663
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,726
|1.64%
|1.75%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.63%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|4,343
|5,266
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6,407
|2.22%
|2.52%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.80%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|348
|1,152
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,665
|0.18%
|0.55%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.16%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|285
|281
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,211
|0.15%
|0.13%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.53%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race or Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|5,772
|7,962
|style='background: #ffffe6; |16,604
|2.95%
|3.81%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.25%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|5,857
|10,467
|style='background: #ffffe6; |16,058
|2.99%
|5.01%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.01%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''195,629'''
|'''208,916'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''228,989'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 228,989 people, 101,130 households in the city.<ref name="QF2020" />

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 208,916 people, 87,271 households, and 49,204 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|3526.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 94,291 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1591.4|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial make-up of the city was 86.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.6% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 2.3% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.0% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.6% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], and 1.3% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]]. 5.0% of residents were of [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] heritage, of any race.

There were 87,271 households, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.6% were non-families. In 2010, 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.97.<ref name="wwwcensusgov" />

The median age in the city was 35 years. In Spokane, 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18, 12.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24, 27.6% were from 25 to 44, 25.1% were from 45 to 64, and 12.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender make-up of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.<ref name="wwwcensusgov" />

[[File:Cathedral of St. John in Spokane.jpg|thumb|left|alt=The Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist dominates the South Hill skyline| [[Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Spokane, Washington)|Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist]]]]

=== Religion ===
According to the [[Association of Religion Data Archives]]' 2010 Metro Area Membership Report, the denominational affiliations of the Spokane MSA are 64,277 [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Protestant]], 682 [[Black church|Black Protestant]], 24,826 [[Mainline Protestant]], 754 [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]], 66,202 [[Catholicism|Catholic]], 31,674 Other, and 339,338 Unclaimed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA |work=Metro-Area Membership Report |publisher=The [[Association of Religion Data Archives]], Pennsylvania State University |year=2010 |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/m/44060/rcms2010_44060_metro_name_2010.asp |access-date=January 2, 2014 |archive-date=June 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630013129/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/m/44060/rcms2010_44060_metro_name_2010.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref> As of 2016, there are also at least three Jewish congregations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Temple Beth Shalom |publisher=Temple Beth Shalom |url=http://spokanetbs.org/| access-date = December 21, 2016}}("almost 200 member families")</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Congregation Emanu-El |publisher=Congregation Emanu-El |url=http://www.spokaneemanu-el.org/| access-date = December 21, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Chabad of Spokane County |publisher=Chabad of Spokane County |url=http://jewishspokane.com| access-date = December 21, 2016}}</ref>

The Emanu-El congregation erected the first synagogue in Spokane and the state of Washington on September 14, 1892.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Jewish Community of Spokane |work=Essay 8640 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=July 4, 2008 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8640| access-date = December 2, 2014}}</ref> The city's first mosque opened in 2009 as the Spokane Islamic Center.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stamp |first=Mary |title=Muslim mosque invites dialogue |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=February 14, 2009 |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/feb/14/muslim-mosque-invites-dialogue| access-date = December 2, 2014}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://rra.hartsem.edu/finkescheitlearticle.htm |title=Accounting for the Uncounted: Computing Correctives for the 2000 RCMS Data |first1=Roger |last1=Finke |first2=Christopher |last2=Scheitle |journal=Review of Religious Research |volume=47 |number=1 |year=2005 |page=5 |doi=10.2307/4148278 |jstor=4148278 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204185852/http://rra.hartsem.edu/finkescheitlearticle.htm |archive-date=February 4, 2012|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The city serves as the [[Cathedra|seat]] of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane]], which was established in 1913,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/about_us.php |title=A Short History of the Diocese |publisher=Diocese of Spokane|access-date=November 19, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141121103518/http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/about_us.php|archive-date=November 21, 2014}}</ref> and the [[Episcopal Diocese of Spokane]], established in 1929.<ref name="episcopal">{{cite web |url=http://library.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/spokane-diocese |title=Spokane, Diocese of |publisher=Episcopal Church|access-date=March 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305040650/http://library.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/spokane-diocese|archive-date=March 5, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Spokane Washington Temple]], established in 1999, serves [[Latter-day Saints]] from the east of the county.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/spokane-washington-temple/ |title=Spokane Washington Temple |publisher=LDSChurchTemples.com|access-date=November 19, 2014}}</ref>

Spokane has hosted an annual multicultural celebration, Unity in the Community, since 1995.<ref>{{cite news |last=Scott |first=Chey |title=A Day for Diversity |publisher=INLANDER |date=August 14, 2012 |url=http://www.inlander.com/spokane/a-day-for-diversity/Content?oid=2138982 |access-date = October 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Unity in the Community reflects commitment to diversity in the Inland Northwest |publisher=The Fig Tree |url=http://www.thefigtree.org/sept12/090512unitycommunity.html#| access-date = October 5, 2014}}</ref> The city has become more diverse in recent decades. People from countries in the former [[Soviet Union]] (especially Russians and Ukrainians) form a comparatively large demographic in Spokane and Spokane County, the result of a large influx of immigrants and their families after the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.<ref name="TheTimes">{{cite news |last=Ashton |first=Linda |title=Spokane Is New Refugee Magnet For Ex-Soviets – Washington State Among The Country's Most Popular Destinations For Newcomers |newspaper=The Seattle Times |date=January 30, 1994 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19940130/1892502/spokane-is-new-refugee-magnet-for-ex-soviets----washington-state-among-the-countrys-most-popular-destinations-for-newcomers|access-date = May 30, 2014}}</ref><ref name="KyivPost">{{cite news |title=City in eastern Washington state has become home to many Russians and Ukrainians |newspaper=Kyiv Post |date=May 23, 2002 |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/city-in-eastern-washington-state-has-become-home-t-11151.html| access-date = October 4, 2014}}</ref> According to the 2000 Census, the number of people of Russian or Ukrainian ancestry in Spokane County was reported to be 7,700 (4,900 residing in the city of Spokane), amounting to two percent of the county.<ref name="KyivPost" /> Among the fastest-growing demographics in Spokane is the [[Pacific Islander]] ethnic group, which is estimated to be the third-largest minority group in the county, after the Russian and Ukrainian community and Latinos.<ref name="TheSpokesman">{{cite news |last=Sowa |first=Tom |title=Marshallese making a new life in Spokane |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=March 4, 2012 |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/04/marshallese-making-a-new-life-in-spokane| access-date = October 4, 2014}}</ref> Spokane was once home to a sizable Asian community, mostly Japanese, centered in a district called [[Chinatown, Spokane|Chinatown]] from the early days of the city until 1974.<ref name="Chinatown">{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Spokane Neighborhoods: Old Chinatown – Trent Alley – Thumbnail History |work=Essay 8120 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=March 30, 2007 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=8120| access-date = October 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Spokane's Japanese Community |work=Essay 8048 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=January 8, 2007 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8048| access-date = September 13, 2014}}</ref> As in many western [[railway town]]s, the Asian community started off as an encampment for migrant laborers working on the railroads. The Chinatown Asian community thrived until the 1940s and experienced a population boom during WWII as Japanese families fled the exclusion zones along the coast, after which its population decreased and became integrated and dispersed, losing its Asian character; urban blight and the preparations leading up to Expo '74 led to Chinatown's eventual demolition.<ref name="Chinatown" />

[[File:Race and ethnicity 2010- Spokane (5560431618).png|thumb|Demographic map of the Spokane metro area. Each dot is 25 people. {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ff0000|White}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#0000ff|Black}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#00ffaa|Asian}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ffa600|Hispanic}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=#ffff07|Other}}]]

===Metropolitan area===
{{Main|Spokane metropolitan area}}

The Spokane metropolitan area consists of Spokane County. As of the 2022 census estimates, the Spokane metropolitan area had a population of 597,919. Directly east of Spokane County is the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of [[Kootenai County, Idaho]], anchored by the city of [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]]. The urban areas of the two MSAs largely follow the path of Interstate 90 between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene. The Spokane area has suffered from suburbanization and [[urban sprawl]] in past decades, despite Washington's use of [[urban growth boundary|urban growth boundaries]]; the city ranks low among major Northwest cities in population density and [[smart growth]] according to the Sightline Institute, however [[Smart Growth America]] in a 2014 study ranked the census defined MSA as the 22nd most compact and connected in the nation using their Sprawl Index factors: development density, land use mix, activity centering, and street accessibility.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seven Northwest Cities: The Smart-Growth Ranking |url=http://www.sightline.org/maps/charts/Sprawl-ByCity-CS07 |publisher=Sightline Institute|access-date=December 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/app/legacy/documents/measuring-sprawl-2014.pdf |publisher=Smart Growth America |date=Apr 2014 |title=Measuring Sprawl 2014 |access-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-date=August 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812220830/https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/app/legacy/documents/measuring-sprawl-2014.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Spokane and Coeur d'Alene [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]]s (MSA) are now included in a single [[Combined Statistical Area]] (CSA) by the [[Office of Management and Budget]].<ref name="CSA">{{cite news |last=Stucke |first=John |title=Spokane, Coeur d'Alene now one statistical region |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=June 8, 2011 |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/jun/08/spokane-coeur-dalene-now-one-statistical-region| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> The [[Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID CSA|Spokane–Coeur d'Alene CSA]] had around 781,497 residents in 2022.

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Spokane, Washington}}

[[File:Peyton Building.JPG|thumb|left|alt=The Peyton Building in Spokane's Central Business District|The [[Spokane Stock Exchange]] once occupied the Peyton Building]]

Spokane became an important rail and shipping center because of its location between mining and farming areas.<ref name="Railroads" /><ref name="Schmeltzerp.41" /> In the early 1880s, gold and silver were discovered in the Inland Empire; as a regional shipping center, the city furnished supplies to the miners who passed through on their way to the mineral-rich [[Silver Valley, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]], [[Colville, Washington|Colville]] and [[Kootenays|Kootenay]] districts.<ref name="p. 28" /> The mining districts are still considered among the most productive in North America.<ref>{{cite web |last=Higgs |first=Robert |title=Coasian Contracts in the Coeur d'Alene Mining District |work=Working Paper #52 |publisher=The Independent Institute |date=June 2, 2004 |url=http://www.independent.org/publications/working_papers/article.asp?id=1337 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |archive-date=June 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615183125/http://independent.org/publications/working_papers/article.asp?id=1337 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Natural resources have historically been the foundation of Spokane's economy, with the mining, logging, and agriculture industries providing much of the region's economic activity. After mining declined at the turn of the 20th century, agriculture and logging replaced mining as the primary influences in the economy.<ref name="Kenselp.25" /> [[Lumberjack]]s and millmen working in the hundreds of mills along the railroads, rivers, and lakes of northern Washington and Idaho were provisioning themselves in Spokane.<ref>Kensel (1968) p. 31</ref> Agriculture has always been an important sector in the local economy. The surrounding area, especially to the south is the [[Palouse]],<ref>{{harvp|Kensel|1971|p=21}}</ref> a region that has long been associated with farming, especially [[wheat]] production where it is one of the largest [[Wheat production in the United States|wheat producing regions in the United States]].<ref name="p. 119" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Wheat |publisher=Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, [[Iowa State University]] |date=April 2012 |url=http://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/grains-oilseeds/wheat/| access-date = September 3, 2017}}</ref> As with the mining industry in the late 1880s, Spokane was an important agricultural market and trade center. Inland Empire farmers exported wheat, livestock and other agricultural products to the ports such as New York, Liverpool and Tokyo.<ref name="p. 127" /> Today, a large share of the wheat produced in the region is shipped to [[Far East]] markets.<ref>Stratton (2005), p. 128</ref> The Inland Northwest also supports many [[Washington wine|vineyards]] and [[Microbrewery|microbreweries]] as well.<ref>Kensel (1969), p. 91</ref><ref>Schmeltzer (1988), p. 93</ref> By the early 20th century Spokane was primarily a commercial center rather than an industrial center.<ref>Kensel (1969), pp. 96–97</ref>

[[File:OldNationalBank.jpg|thumb|upright| alt=The Old National Bank Building in Spokane's Central Business District|The [[Old National Bank Building]]]]

In Spokane, wood and food processing, printing and publishing, primary metal refining and fabrication, electrical and computer equipment, and transportation equipment are leaders in the manufacturing sector.<ref name="SCP" /> Gold mining company [[Gold Reserve (company)|Gold Reserve]], and [[Fortune 1000]] company [[PotlatchDeltic|Potlatch Corporation]] – a forest products company that operates as a [[real estate investment trust]] – are headquartered in the city proper.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gold Reserve, Inc.: Introduction |url=http://www.goldreserveinc.com/default.asp |publisher=Gold Reserve Inc.|access-date=October 10, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016072745/http://www.goldreserveinc.com/default.asp|archive-date=October 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Potlatch |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/snapshots/1071.html |publisher=CNNMoney |access-date=December 7, 2014}}</ref> Mining, forestry, and agribusiness remain important to the local and regional economy, but Spokane's economy has diversified to include other industries, including the high-tech and biotech sectors.<ref name="Diverse" /> Spokane is becoming a more service-oriented economy in the face of a less prominent manufacturing sector which declined in the 1980s, particularly as a medical and [[biotechnology]] center;<ref name="Thumbnail" /> Fortune 1000 technology company [[Itron]], for instance, is headquartered in the area.<ref>{{cite web |title=Itron, Inc. |work=Fortune |date=June 2, 2014 |url=http://fortune.com/fortune500/itron-inc-984 | access-date=October 9, 2014}}</ref> Avista Corporation, the holding company of [[Avista Utilities]], is the only company in Spokane that has been listed in the [[Fortune 500]], ranked 299 on the list in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title=Avista: FORTUNE 500 appearances |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500_archive/snapshots/2002/149.html |publisher=Fortune| access-date= November 8, 2014}}</ref> Other companies with head offices in the Spokane area include technology company [[Key Tronic]], vacation rental provider Stay Alfred, and [[microcar]] maker [[Commuter Cars]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Key Tronic Corp |url=https://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=KTCC |publisher=CNNMoney |access-date=December 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Contact Us |url=https://www.stayalfred.com/contact-us/ |publisher=Stay Alfred|access-date= September 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Contact |url=http://www.commutercars.com/contact.html |publisher=Commuter Cars|access-date= September 4, 2017}}</ref> Despite diversification to new industries, Spokane's economy has struggled in recent decades. Spokane was ranked the #1 "Worst City For Jobs" in America in both 2012<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45kfmm/no-1-worst-metro-area-for-jobs-this-fall-spokane-wash-2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007015849/http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45kfmm/no-1-worst-metro-area-for-jobs-this-fall-spokane-wash-2/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 7, 2012 |title=No. 1 worst metro area for jobs this fall: Spokane, Wash. – In Photos: The Best and Worst Cities for Jobs This Fall |last=Smith |first=Jacquelyn |website=Forbes|access-date=April 12, 2016}}</ref> and 2015,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mkl45ehkdj/1-spokane-wa-2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326193308/http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mkl45ehkdj/1-spokane-wa-2/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 26, 2015 |title=Spokane, WA – In Photos: Where The Jobs Will (And Won't) Be In 2015 |last=Adams |first=Susan |website=Forbes|access-date=April 12, 2016}}</ref> while also ranking #4 in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/fjle45iffi/no-4-worst-city-for-jobs-this-fall-tie-spokane-washington/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912034413/http://www.forbes.com/pictures/fjle45iffi/no-4-worst-city-for-jobs-this-fall-tie-spokane-washington/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 12, 2014 |title=No. 4 Worst City For Jobs This Fall (tie): Spokane, Washington – In Photos: The Best And Worst Cities For Jobs This Fall |last=Dill |first=Kathryn |website=Forbes|access-date=April 12, 2016}}</ref> Additionally, Forbes named Spokane the "Scam Capital of America" in 2009<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0525/106-investment-guide-09-scam-capital-of-america.html |title=Fraud: Scam Capital of America |last=Barrett |first=William P. |date=May 6, 2009 |website=Forbes|access-date=April 12, 2016}}</ref> due to widespread business fraud. Trends of fraud were noted as far back as 1988,<ref name="forbes.com">{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/williampbarrett/2011/09/22/the-merry-scamsters-of-spokane-strike-again/#7f521c3c658c |title=The Merry Scamsters of Spokane Strike Again! |website=Forbes|access-date=April 12, 2016}}</ref> again in 2002,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2002/1209/068.html |title=The Informer |last=Moreno |first=Janet Novack, William P. Barrett Dirk Smillie, Katarzyna |date=December 9, 2002 |website=Forbes|access-date=April 12, 2016}}</ref> and continuing through 2011.<ref name="forbes.com" />

As of 2013, the top five employers in Spokane are the [[State of Washington]], [[Spokane Public Schools]], [[Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital]], the [[92d Air Refueling Wing]], and [[Spokane County]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Employers |url=http://www.greaterspokane.org/business-overview/90-top-employers.html |publisher=Greater Spokane Incorporated |access-date=December 7, 2014 |archive-date=January 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128062449/http://www.greaterspokane.org/business-overview/90-top-employers.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The largest military facility and employer, the 92d Air Refueling Wing, was stationed at [[Fairchild Air Force Base]] near [[Airway Heights]]. The leading industries in Spokane for the employed population 16 years and older were educational services, health care, and social assistance (26.5 percent), retail trade (12.7 percent), and arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation food services (10.4 percent).<ref name="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 7, 2014}}</ref><!-- The preceding information can be obtained from the American Community Survey for Selected Economic Characteristics --> As the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest, as well as parts of southern [[British Columbia Interior#Southern Interior|British Columbia]] and [[southern Alberta|Alberta]], Spokane serves as a commercial, manufacturing, transportation, medical, shopping, and entertainment hub.<ref name="SCP">{{cite web |last=Payne |first=Loretta |author2=Froyalde, Revelyn |title=Spokane County Profile |publisher=Employment Security Department, Labor Market and Economic Analysis Branch |date=January 2001 |url=http://www.wa.gov/esd/lmea/pubs/profiles/spokane.pdf| access-date = December 7, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070206043625/http://www.wa.gov/esd/lmea/pubs/profiles/spokane.pdf |archive-date = February 6, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Meyers |first=Jessica |title=Should Spokane learn to 'speak Canadian?' |publisher=The Herald Business Journal |date=July 30, 2007 |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20070730/BIZ/707300314/| access-date = December 13, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182331/http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20070730/BIZ/707300314/|archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref> In 2017, the Spokane–Spokane Valley [[Metropolitan statistical area|MSA]] had a gross metropolitan product of $25.5 billion while the Coeur d'Alene metropolitan area was $5.93 billion.<ref>{{cite web |title=GDP & Personal Income |url=https://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7001=2200&7002=2&7003=200&7004=NAICS&7005=1&7006=XX&7007=2010#reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=200&7035=-1&7004=naics&7005=-1&7006=44060&7036=-1&7001=2200&7002=2&7090=70&7007=2013,2010&7093=levels |publisher=[[United States Department of Commerce]]: Bureau of Economic Analysis |access-date=January 21, 2019 |archive-date=August 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814233827/https://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7001=2200&7002=2&7003=200&7004=NAICS&7005=1&7006=XX&7007=2010#reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=200&7035=-1&7004=naics&7005=-1&7006=44060&7036=-1&7001=2200&7002=2&7090=70&7007=2013,2010&7093=levels |url-status=dead }}</ref>

As of 2014, economic development in the Spokane area primarily focuses on promoting the following industries: manufacturing (especially aerospace manufacturing), health sciences, professional services, information science and technology, finance and insurance as well as clean technology, and digital media.<ref name="SpokaneHub">{{cite web |title=Spokane: Hub of the Inland Northwest |publisher=Greater Spokane Incorporated |year=2008 |url=http://www.greaterspokane.org/admin/lib/docs/pdf/spokane.pdf| access-date = December 7, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090325073918/http://www.greaterspokane.org/admin/lib/docs/pdf/spokane.pdf|archive-date=March 25, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Targeted Industries |publisher=Spokane Area Workforce Development Council |url=http://www.wdcspokane.com/targeted-industries| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> To aid economic development, the eastern branch of Innovate Washington, a state-supported [[business incubator]] was placed in the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=Innovate Washington |publisher=Innovate Washington |url=http://www.innovatewashington.org/| access-date = September 13, 2014| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141006015745/http://www.innovatewashington.org/| archive-date = October 6, 2014| url-status = dead}}</ref>

In recent years, Spokane has become a growing technology hub for both established companies and startups. [[Fortune 1000]] cybersecurity leader, [[F5, Inc.]], has two offices in the area with over 250 employees whom are focused on hardware product development, software engineering, global services support, and digital sales.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spokane |url=https://www.f5.com/company/careers/locations/spokane |access-date=July 18, 2022 |website=www.f5.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=F5 Networks opens second facility in Liberty Lake > Spokane Journal of Business |url=https://www.spokanejournal.com/local-news/-f5-networks-opens-second-facility-in-liberty-lake/ |access-date=July 18, 2022 |website=www.spokanejournal.com}}</ref> Other established firms are moving to Spokane, such as [[Remitly]], an app-based financial services corporation, which was founded by Josh Hug, a Whitworth University graduate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Josh Hug {{!}} Dean's Executive Speaker Series {{!}} Whitworth University |url=https://www.whitworth.edu/cms/academics/school-of-business/executive-speaker-series/josh-hug/ |access-date=July 18, 2022 |website=www.whitworth.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Levy |first=Nat |date=October 16, 2019 |title=Remitly opens 2nd U.S. office in Spokane, 300 miles east of Seattle HQ |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2019/remitly-opens-2nd-u-s-office-spokane-300-miles-east-seattle-hq/ |access-date=July 18, 2022 |website=GeekWire |language=en-US}}</ref> Ignite Northwest, led by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Tom Simpson, has invested over $100 million through the Spokane Angel Alliance and Ignite to fund and support early stage companies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ignite Funds |url=https://www.ignitenorthwest.com/funds |access-date=July 18, 2022 |website=www.ignitenorthwest.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Culture==
[[File:SpokaneFoxTheaterBalcony.jpg|thumb|left|alt=The art deco interior of the Fox Theater|The [[art deco]] interior of the [[Fox Theater (Spokane, Washington)|Fox Theater]]]]

===Arts and theater===
Spokane's main art districts are located in the Davenport Arts District, the [[Neighborhoods in Spokane, Washington#Garland|Garland Business District]], and East Sprague.<ref>{{cite news |last=Crane |first=Julianne |title=Take a walk for the arts |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=April 1, 2004 |url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/pf.asp?date=040104&ID=s1504786 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |archive-date=August 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090816145412/http://www.spokesmanreview.com/pf.asp?date=040104&ID=s1504786 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The First Friday Artwalk, which occurs the first Friday of every month, is dedicated to local vendors and performers displaying art around downtown.<ref>{{cite web |title=First Friday |publisher=Downtown Spokane Partnership |url=http://www.downtownspokane.org/first-friday.php| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> The two most important Artwalk dates (the first Friday of February and October) attract large crowds to the art districts.
The Davenport Arts District has the largest concentration of art galleries and is home to many of Spokane's main performing arts venues, including the [[Knitting Factory]], [[Fox Theater (Spokane, Washington)|Fox Theater]], and [[Bing Crosby Theater]]. The Knitting Factory is a concert house that serves as a setting for many mainstream touring musicians and acts. The [[Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox]], restored to its original 1931 Art Deco state after years of being derelict,<ref name="Fox" /> is home to the [[Spokane Symphony|Spokane Symphony Orchestra]]. The Metropolitan Performing Arts Center was restored in 1988 and renamed the Bing Crosby Theater in 2006 to honor the former Spokanite.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sowa |first=Tom |title=Met Theater will be renamed to honor Bing Crosby |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=September 29, 2006 |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2006/sep/29/met-theater-will-be-renamed-to-honor-bing-crosby| access-date = October 13, 2014}}</ref> Touring stand-up comedians are hosted by the Spokane Comedy Club.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spokane Comedy Club |publisher=Spokane Comedy Club |url=http://www.spokanecomedyclub.com/pages/contact| access-date = February 18, 2017}}</ref> Theater is provided by Spokane's only resident professional company, The Modern Theater,<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |publisher=The Modern Theater |url=http://www.themoderntheater.org/| access-date = January 24, 2014}}</ref> though there are also the [[Spokane Civic Theatre]] and several other amateur community theaters and smaller groups. The [[First Interstate Center for the Arts]] often hosts large traveling exhibitions, shows, and tours. Spokane was awarded the [[All-America City Award]] by the [[National Civic League]] in 1974, 2004, and 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Winners of the All-America City Award |publisher=[[National Civic League]]| access-date = December 7, 2014 |url=http://www.allamericacityaward.com/things-to-know-about-all-america-city-award/past-winners-of-the-all-america-city-award/past-winners-of-the-all-america-city-award-1970s/| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141205073247/http://www.allamericacityaward.com/things-to-know-about-all-america-city-award/past-winners-of-the-all-america-city-award/past-winners-of-the-all-america-city-award-1970s/| archive-date = December 5, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Spokane offers an array of musical performances catering to a variety of interests. Spokane's local music scene, however, is considered somewhat lacking by the Spokane All-Ages Music Initiative and other critics, who have identified a need for a legitimate all-ages venue for music performances.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spokane All-Ages Music Initiative (SAAMI) |url=http://profileengine.com/groups/profile/426979459/spokane-allages-music-initiative-saami |access-date=November 21, 2014 |archive-date=January 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117234634/http://profileengine.com/groups/profile/426979459/spokane-allages-music-initiative-saami |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Spokane Symphony presents a full season of classical music, and the Spokane Jazz Orchestra, a full season of jazz music.<ref>{{cite web |title=About SSO |publisher=Spokane Symphony |url=http://www.spokanesymphony.org/16,aboutsso| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> The Spokane Jazz Orchestra, formed in 1962, is a 70-piece orchestra and non-profit organization.<ref>{{cite web |title=SJO History |publisher=Spokane Jazz Orchestra |url=http://www.spokanejazz.org/about-sjo/sjo-history| access-date = December 7, 2014| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150201112310/http://www.spokanejazz.org/about-sjo/sjo-history| archive-date = February 1, 2015 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Museums===
{{Multiple image
| image1            = Spokane Museum of Art and Culture.JPG
| image2            = Interior of the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture (6062827971).jpg
| footer            = Northwest Museum of Arts in Culture
| total_width       = 400
}}
There are several museums in the city, most notably the [[Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture]], located a few blocks from the center of downtown in Browne's Addition, amid the mansions of Spokane's late 19th-century "Age of Elegance". A [[Smithsonian]] affiliate museum, it houses a large collection of Native American artifacts as well as regional and national traveling art exhibits.<ref name="MAC">{{cite web |title=About the MAC |publisher=Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture |url=http://northwestmuseum.org/about| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture |publisher=Smithsonian Affiliations |url=http://affiliations.si.edu/AffiliateDetail.Asp?AffiliateID=104| access-date = December 7, 2014| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141208211202/https://affiliations.si.edu/AffiliateDetail.Asp?AffiliateID=104| archive-date = December 8, 2014| url-status = dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The Mobius Science Center and the related Mobius Kid's Museum in downtown Spokane seek to generate interest in [[STEM fields|science, technology, engineering, and math]] among the youth in a hands-on experience.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mobius |publisher=Mobius Spokane |url=http://www.mobiusspokane.org| access-date = February 8, 2013}}</ref> The Jundt Art Museum at Gonzaga University features {{convert|2800|ft2}} of exhibition space and contains sizable collections of prints from the Bolker, Baruch, Jacobs, and [[Corita Kent]] collections.<ref name="Jundt" /><ref>Ware (2004), p. 339</ref> The museum houses glass art by [[Dale Chihuly]], bronze sculptures by [[Auguste Rodin]], tapestries, paintings, ceramics, photographs, and a wide range of gifts, including from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation and Collections.<ref name="Jundt">{{cite web |url=http://www.gonzaga.edu/Campus-Resources/Museums-and-Libraries/Jundt-Art-Museum/ |title=Jundt Art Museum |publisher=Gonazaga University|access-date=December 7, 2014}}</ref> On the campus of Gonzaga University, the Crosby House, Bing Crosby's childhood home, houses the Bing Crosby Memorabilia Room, the world's largest Crosby collection with around 200 pieces.<ref>Bao et al. (2014), p.461</ref> A museum of flight showcasing historic airplanes and curated by the Historic Flight Foundation is located at Felts Field.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/oct/09/businessman-and-aviation-enthusiast-opening-flying/ |title=Businessman and aviation enthusiast opening flying museum at Felts Field &#124; The Spokesman-Review |website=www.spokesman.com|date=October 9, 2019 }}</ref>

===Events and activities===
Spokane is known as the birthplace of the national movement started by [[Sonora Smart Dodd]] that led to the proposal and the eventual establishment of [[Father's Day (United States)|Father's Day]] as a [[List of observances in the United States by presidential proclamation|national holiday]] in the U.S.<ref>Schmidt (1995), pp. 275–276</ref> The first observation of Father's Day in Spokane was on June 19, 1910.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Father's Day is conceived by Spokane's Sonora Smart Dodd and celebrated for the first time in Spokane on June 19, 1910. |work=Essay 9458 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=June 17, 2010 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9458| access-date = November 15, 2014}}</ref> Sonora conceived the idea in Spokane's Central Methodist Episcopal Church, while listening to a Mother's Day sermon.<ref>Schmidt (1995), p. 276</ref>

[[File:Bloomsday 2008 - Fort George Wright Drive 20080504.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Runners participating in Spokane's annual Lilac Bloomsday Run| Lilac Bloomsday Run]]

The [[Lilac Bloomsday Run]], held in the spring on the first Sunday of May, is a {{convert|7.46|mi|km|adj=on}} race for competitive runners as well as walkers that attracts international competition.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |publisher=Lilac Bloomsday Association |url=http://www.bloomsdayrun.org/history-stats/history |access-date=December 7, 2014 |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510155232/http://www.bloomsdayrun.org/history-stats/history |url-status=dead }}</ref> Also in May is the Lilac Festival which honors the military, celebrates youth, and showcases the region.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lilac Festival |publisher=Spokane Lilac Festival Association |url=http://www.spokanelilacfestival.org/index.html| access-date = December 7, 2014| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141015211941/http://www.spokanelilacfestival.org/index.html| archive-date = October 15, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Spokane's unofficial nickname, the "[[Lilac]] City", refers to a flowering shrub that has flourished since its introduction to the area in the early 20th century.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kiddo |first=Linda |title=History of the Spokane Lilac Festival |publisher=Spokane Lilac Festival |date=February 2004 |url=http://www.spokanelilacfestival.org/history.html| access-date = December 15, 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080424001505/http://www.spokanelilacfestival.org/history.html |archive-date = April 24, 2008}}</ref> In June the city hosts [[Spokane Hoopfest]], a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, among the largest of its kind.<ref>{{cite web |title=A History: 1990–present |publisher=Spokane Hoopfest Association |url=http://www.spokanehoopfest.net/organization/Pages/history.aspx| access-date = December 7, 2014| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141016010853/http://www.spokanehoopfest.net/organization/Pages/history.aspx| archive-date = October 16, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> One of Spokane's most popular local events is Pig Out in the Park, an annual six-day food and entertainment festival where attendees may eat a variety of foods and listen to free live music concerts featuring local, regional, and national recording artists in Riverfront Park.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pig Out In The Park |publisher=Burke Marketing |url=http://spokanepigout.com/| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref>

The Spokane International Film Festival, held every February, is a small, juried festival that features documentaries and [[Short film|shorts]] from around the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spokane International Film Festival |publisher=Spokane International Film Festival |url=http://spokanefilmfestival.org/| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> The Spokane Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, held every November, features contemporary, independent films of interest to the [[LGBT]] community.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spokane's LGBT Film Festival |publisher=Spokane Film Festival |url=http://www.spokanefilmfest.org/| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref>

Other notable events in the Spokane region include the Spokane County Interstate Fair, Japan Week, Spokane Pride Parade and the Lilac City Comicon. The Spokane County Interstate Fair is held annually in September at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center in [[Spokane Valley, Washington|Spokane Valley]].<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Fair |publisher=Spokane County Fair and Expo Center |url=https://www.spokanecounty.org/1079/About-the-Fair| access-date = July 6, 2019}}</ref> Japan Week is held in April and celebrates the sister-city relationship with [[Nishinomiya, Hyogo]], demonstrating the many commonalities shared between the two cities.<ref>{{cite web |title=Japan Week Spokane |publisher=Japan Week Spokane |url=http://www.japanweekspokane.com/| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> Students from the Spokane campus of [[Mukogawa Women's University|Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute]], Gonzaga, Whitworth, and other area schools organize an array of Japanese cultural events. The gay and lesbian Spokane Pride Parade is held each June.<ref>{{cite web |title=About OutSpokane |publisher=OutSpokane |url=http://www.outspokane.com/about_outspokane.html| access-date = December 7, 2014| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150201133318/http://www.outspokane.com/about_outspokane.html| archive-date = February 1, 2015 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> There is an annual [[Renaissance fair]] and [[American Civil War reenactment|Civil War reenactment]] as well.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Spokane Renaissance Faire |publisher=The Spokane Renaissance Faire |url=http://www.spokanerenfaire.com/| access-date = August 21, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Battle of Deep Creek |publisher=Washington Civil War Association |url=http://spokanecivilwar.com/| access-date = August 21, 2016}}</ref>

==Government and politics==
{{See also||Government of Washington (state)|List of mayors of Spokane, Washington}}
[[File:SpokaneCityHallMay2017.jpg|thumb|right|260px|alt=The Art Deco City Hall building|Spokane City Hall]]

The City of Spokane operates under a [[Mayor–council government|mayor–council]] form of government, with executive and legislative branches that are elected in [[non-partisan]] elections.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 1900 |title=City Government |url=http://www.spokanecity.org/government |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=City of Spokane}}</ref> [[David Condon]] was elected mayor in November 2011 and took office on the last business day of the year.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brunt |first=Jonathan |date=November 10, 2011 |title=It's now Spokane Mayor-Elect Condon |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/nov/10/its-now-spokane-mayor-elect-condon |access-date=December 7, 2014 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> The previous mayor was [[Mary Verner]], who succeeded [[Dennis P. Hession]] who himself succeeded the recalled [[James E. West (politician)|James "Jim" West]]. The city elected [[James Everett Chase]] as its first African-American mayor in 1981, and after his retirement, elected the city's first woman mayor, Vicki McNeil.<ref>Schmeltzer (1988), p. 71</ref> Spokane is the [[county seat]] of [[Spokane County, Washington|Spokane County]], a position it wrested from [[Cheney, Washington|Cheney]] in 1886.<ref name="NAco">{{cite web |title=About Counties: Washington |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=National Organization of Counties}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |date=August 11, 2007 |title=Armed Cheney citizens forcibly remove the county seat from Spokane Falls to Cheney on March 21, 1881 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8249 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |work=Essay 8249 |publisher=HistoryLink}}</ref> Spokane is a part of [[Washington's 3rd legislative district]], which is represented in the [[Washington State Senate]] by [[Andy Billig]].<ref name="WA_State_Lawmakers">{{cite web |title=House of Representatives Members, Districts, and Counties: Members of the 66th Legislature 2019-2020 |url=https://app.leg.wa.gov/Rosters/MembersByDistrictAndCounties |publisher=Washington State Legislature}}</ref> The 3rd Legislative District is represented in the [[Washington House of Representatives]] by [[Marcus Riccelli]] and [[Timm Ormsby]].<ref name="WA_State_Lawmakers" />

Federally, Spokane is within [[Washington's 5th congressional district]], and has been represented in the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] by Republican [[Michael Baumgartner]] since 2025.<ref name="Leg">{{cite web |title=Find Your Legislator |url=http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=Washington State Legislature}}</ref> Washington State is represented nationally in the [[United States Senate|Senate]] by Democrat [[Patty Murray]] and Democrat [[Maria Cantwell]].<ref name="Leg" /> In the [[2012 United States presidential election|2012 general election]], Spokane County favored [[Mitt Romney]] for president over [[Barack Obama]] by 51.5 to 45.7 percent; on the state ballot, the county supported the [[Washington Initiative 502|legalization of recreational marijuana ballot measure]] by 52.2 to 47.9 percent but opposed the [[Washington Referendum 74|legalization of same-sex marriage]] by 55.9 to 44.1 percent.<ref name="2012Election">{{cite web |date=November 27, 2012 |title=Spokane County Elections: November 6, 2012 General Election |url=https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20121106/spokane/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511215256/http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20121106/spokane/ |archive-date=May 11, 2019 |access-date=July 28, 2021 |publisher=Washington Secretary of State Elections Division}}</ref> Spokane native [[Tom Foley]] was a Democratic [[Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] and served as a representative of Washington's 5th district for 30 years, enjoying large support from Spokane, until his narrow defeat in the "[[Republican Revolution]]" of 1994,<ref>Stratton (2005), pp. 7–8</ref><ref name="Foley">{{cite web |last=Oldham |first=Kit |date=August 19, 2003 |title=George Nethercutt, running on term limit pledge, defeats House Speaker Tom Foley on November 8, 1994 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=5517 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |work=Essay 5517 |publisher=HistoryLink}}</ref> the only time U.S. voters have turned out a sitting Speaker of the House since 1860.<ref>Stratton (2005), p. 8</ref>

===Crime===
{{Further|Spokane Police Department}}
{{Infobox UCR
|city_name= Spokane
|year= 2022
|homicide= 18
|rape= 194
|robbery= 309
|aggravated_assault= 1,039
|violent_crime= 1,560
|burglary= 1,786
|larceny_theft= 9,987
|motor_vehicle_theft= 1,843
|arson= 75
|property_crime= 13,691
|source_url= https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend
|source_name= 2022 FBI UCR Data
|notes= 2022 population: 230,160
}}

The crime rate per 1,000 people in the Spokane metropolitan area (Spokane County) was 64.8 in 2012, higher than the Washington state average of 38.3; the violent crime rate of 3.8 and property crime rate of 61 also exceed the statewide averages of 2.5 and 35.8, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 30, 2013 |title=Statistical Analysis Center |url=http://wa-state-ofm.us/UniformCrimeReport/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141128221704/http://wa-state-ofm.us/UniformCrimeReport/ |archive-date=November 28, 2014 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |work=Uniform Crime Report |publisher=Washington State Office of Financial Management |df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[NeighborhoodScout]] describes Spokane as "Safer than 2% of U.S. Cities".<ref name="NeighborhoodScout">{{cite web |title=Spokane, WA: Crime Rates |url=http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/wa/spokane/crime |access-date=January 5, 2020 |publisher=[[NeighborhoodScout]]}}</ref>

[[File:SpokaneCountyCourthouse 2017 0304.jpg|thumb|left|alt=The Spokane County Courthouse in the West Central neighborhood|Spokane County Courthouse]]

Half of all property crimes are localized in about 6.5 percent of the city.<ref name="Crime">{{cite news |last=Cuniff |first=Meghann |date=March 31, 2012 |title=Property crimes to get new focus |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/31/property-crimes-to-get-new-focus |access-date=December 7, 2014 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> Spokane had the fourth-highest rate of auto theft in the U.S. in 2010 and 2011, according to the [[National Insurance Crime Bureau]].<ref name="Crime" /> Drive-by shootings and drug use, particularly [[crack cocaine]] use, became worse in the early 1990s, and four drive-by shootings were recorded in December 1993 alone.<ref name="Kienholz">Kienholz (1999), p.188</ref> In the 1990s, the [[Spokane Police Department]] (SPD) established a special gang unit, with an officer "collecting intelligence on gang activity and disseminating it to street officers".<ref name="Kienholz" /> The 1990s also saw Spokane's most prolific serial killer, [[Robert Lee Yates]], who killed thirteen prostitutes in Spokane's East Sprague red light district and confessed to two others in [[Tacoma, Washington]].<ref>Fox et al. (2014), pp. 144–145</ref> The transition of the Spokane Police Department to a community-policing [[Police precinct|precinct]] model has helped curb crime rates since its introduction downtown, and has been expanded citywide.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jonathan |first=Brunt |date=October 22, 2013 |title=Spokane Police Department to open two new precincts |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/oct/22/spokane-police-department-to-open-two-new |access-date=October 11, 2014 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> The crime woes are possibly due in part to an imbalance that Spokane County prisons receive of pre-release and work-release prisoners; An investigation by the ''Tacoma News Tribune'' found that while Spokane County accounts for 6.21 percent of the inmates in state prisons, it receives a disproportionate 16.73 percent of the inmate population to be released into the general population.<ref>{{cite web |last=Turner |first=Joseph |date=October 20, 2006 |title=Pierce County: Dumping ground |url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25857493.html |access-date=August 6, 2016 |publisher='The News Tribune}}</ref>

Spokane and the Spokane Police Department have received national publicity and scrutiny in the 2000s and 2010s due to many [[List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States|officer-involved shootings]] and allegations of excessive force. The most high-profile of these incidents was the 2006 [[death of Otto Zehm]], a mentally challenged man who was initially suspected of theft at a convenience store.<ref>{{cite news |last=Clouse |first=Thomas |date=May 31, 2006 |title=Zehm death a homicide |url=http://www.spokesman.com/tools/story_pf.asp?ID=133348 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626033342/http://www.spokesman.com/tools/story_pf.asp?ID=133348 |archive-date=June 26, 2008 |access-date=November 21, 2014 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> Zehm was later found to have committed no crime, but was struck with batons by several officers and tasered.<ref>{{cite news |last=Geranios |first=Nicholas |date=November 16, 2012 |title=Otto Zehm Beating: Officer Karl F. Thompson Jr. Sentenced In Death Of Man With Mental Disabilities |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/22/police-chief-touts-progress-on-use-of-force |access-date=November 21, 2014 |work=The Huffington Post}}</ref> The increased pressure on the SPD prompted an independent review by a commission of the organization's use-of-force policies, an internal culture audit, and the purchase of [[body camera]]s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Deshais |first=Nicholas |date=August 22, 2013 |title=Police chief touts progress on Use of Force recommendations |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/22/police-chief-touts-progress-on-use-of-force |access-date=November 21, 2014 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref>

=== Housing ===
Restrictive zoning regulations were implemented in Spokane in the middle of the 20th century.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Spokane permanently relaxes regulations allowing more multiplexes and development flexibility |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/nov/22/spokane-permanently-relaxes-regulations-allowing-m/ |website=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Redlining, Racial Covenants, and Housing Discrimination in Spokane |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/22767 |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=www.historylink.org}}</ref> These zoning regulations were frequently motivated by a desire to keep lower-income families out of certain neighborhoods, in particular racial minorities.<ref name=":1" />

In 2022, Spokane relaxed its zoning regulations to permit on an interim basis duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes and townhomes in all residential zones of Spokane. In 2023, Spokane permanently permitted up to six housing units to be built on any lot in a residential area, as well as allow nonresidential businesses (such as grocery stores) and facilities (such as schools and churches) in residential areas.<ref name=":1" />

==Education==
{{Main|Education in Spokane, Washington}}

===Public and private schools===
[[Spokane Public Schools]] (District 81) was organized in 1889, and is the largest public school system in Spokane, and the second-largest in the state, as of 2014, serving roughly 30,000 students in six high schools, six middle schools, and thirty-four elementary schools.<ref>{{cite web |last=Emerson |first=Stephen B. |title=Spokane: Early Education |work=Essay 8723 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=August 8, 2008 |url=http://www.historylink.org/File/8723| access-date = October 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=District Profile |publisher=Spokane Public Schools |url=http://www.spokaneschools.org/Page/54 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |archive-date=January 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107015906/http://www.spokaneschools.org/Page/54 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other public school districts in the Spokane area include the [[Mead School District]] in north Spokane County, outside city limits. A variety of state-approved, independent [[charter school]]s and private and [[Parochial school|parochial]] elementary and secondary schools augment the public school system. The [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane]] manages ten such schools in & around the area.<ref>{{cite web |title=Catholic Schools, Diocese of Spokane |publisher=Catholic Diocese of Spokane |url=http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/find_school.php| access-date = December 7, 2014| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141210201959/http://www.dioceseofspokane.org/find_school.php| archive-date = December 10, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Higher education===
{{Multiple image
| image1            = St Aloysius at GU.jpg
| alt1              = St. Aloysius Church
| caption1          = 
| image2            = WSU Health Sciences Spokane campus 2015.jpg
| header_align      = <!-- left/right/center -->
| footer            = [[St. Aloysius Church (Spokane, Washington)|St. Aloysius Church]] at Gonzaga University and the [[WSU Health Sciences Spokane campus]], located in the [[University District (Spokane, Washington)|University District]]
| footer_align      = <!-- left/right/center -->
}}
Spokane is home to many higher education institutions. They include the private universities [[Gonzaga University|Gonzaga]] and [[Whitworth University|Whitworth]], and the public [[Community Colleges of Spokane]] system ([[Spokane Community College]] and [[Spokane Falls Community College]]) as well as a variety of technical institutes. Gonzaga University and [[Gonzaga University School of Law|Law School]] were founded by the Italian-born priest [[Joseph Cataldo]] and the [[Jesuits]] in 1887.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Gonzaga University |work=Essay 8097 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=February 21, 2007 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8097| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> Whitworth was founded in Tacoma, Washington in 1890 and moved to its present location in 1914.<ref>{{cite web |last=Arksey |first=Laura |title=Whitworth College |work=Essay 8125 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=April 21, 2007 |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/8125| access-date = May 22, 2019}}</ref> It is affiliated with the [[Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)|Presbyterian Church]] and had 2,500 students studying in 53 different undergraduate and degree programs as of 2011.<ref>{{Cite book |title=2011 College Access and Opportunity Guide |pages=458–478 |publisher=Center for Student Opportunity |location=Bethesda, Maryland |date=July 1, 2010 |isbn=978-1-4022-4405-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jDjmMta1kfQC&pg=PA408}}</ref> While Spokane is one of the larger cities in the U.S. 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]] in the University District, just adjacent to downtown and across the Spokane River from the Gonzaga campus.<ref>{{cite web |title=WSU Spokane |publisher=Washington State University |url=http://spokane.wsu.edu| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=EWU Spokane |publisher=Eastern Washington University |url=http://www.ewu.edu/locations/riverpoint-campus.xml| access-date = December 7, 2014| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140201160009/http://www.ewu.edu/locations/riverpoint-campus.xml| archive-date = February 1, 2014| url-status = dead}}</ref> [[Washington State University Spokane]] is WSU's health sciences campus and houses the school's [[Washington State University College of Nursing|College of Nursing]], College of Pharmacy, and [[Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine]].<ref name=ElsonSFloyd>{{cite web |title=WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine |publisher=Washington State University |url=https://medicine.wsu.edu/| access-date = August 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Academic Programs |url=http://spokane.wsu.edu/admissions/academic-programs.html |publisher=Washington State University|access-date=October 12, 2014}}</ref> The main EWU campus is located {{convert|15|mi|km}} southwest of Spokane in nearby Cheney, and WSU is located {{convert|65|mi|km}} to the south in [[Pullman, Washington|Pullman]]. In addition to WSU's health science presence in Spokane, there is also a four-year [[medical school]] branch affiliated with the [[University of Washington]]'s [[WWAMI Regional Medical Education Program|WWAMI]] program.<ref name=WWAMI>{{cite web |title=UW Medicine: Spokane |url=http://www.uwmedicine.org/education/md-program/admissions/applicants/wwami-first-year/wwami-spokane |publisher=University of Washington| access-date=October 9, 2014}}</ref> An international branch campus of the [[Mukogawa Women's University]], the Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute, is located in Spokane.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute |url=http://www.mfwi.edu/ |publisher=Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute |access-date=December 7, 2014 |archive-date=December 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217124315/http://mfwi.edu/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Libraries ===
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 the Spokane Falls and five branch libraries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Branch Locations and Hours |url=http://spokanelibrary.org/index.php?page=branches |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141123164449/http://www.spokanelibrary.org/index.php?page=branches |archive-date=November 23, 2014 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=Spokane Public Library}}</ref> Special collections focus on Inland Pacific Northwest history and include reference books, periodicals, maps, photographs, and other archival materials and government documents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ned M. Barnes Northwest Room Resources |url=http://www.spokanelibrary.org/index.php?page=research&cat=findthebest&id=50&sub=36 |access-date=October 12, 2014 |publisher=Spokane Public Library}}</ref>

==Sports==
{{Main|Sports in Spokane, Washington}}
[[File:SpokaneArenaSECorner.jpg|thumb|right|alt=The Spokane Arena sports venue|Numerica Veterans Arena]]

Spokane is close to dozens of lakes and rivers for outdoor sports and recreation. People use these for swimming, boating, kayaking, rafting, and fishing. Nearby mountains provide for skiing, hiking, biking and sightseeing.<ref name="LiveAndLaunch">{{cite news |title=100 best places to live and launch |publisher=CNNMoney |date=July 2, 2008 |url=https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0803/gallery.best_places_to_launch.fsb/77.html| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref>
The Spokane region's professional and semi-professional sports teams include the [[Spokane Indians]] in Minor League Baseball and the [[Spokane Chiefs]] in junior ice hockey.<ref name="Teams">{{cite web |title=Recreation & Sports |publisher=Experience Spokane |url=http://www.experiencespokane.com/sports/ |access-date=December 7, 2014 |archive-date=December 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228151206/http://experiencespokane.com/sports/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Collegiate sports in Spokane focus on the local teams such as the [[Gonzaga Bulldogs]] who compete in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]'s [[Division I (NCAA)|Division I]] [[West Coast Conference]] and the [[Whitworth Pirates]] playing in the [[Division III (NCAA)|Division III]] [[Northwest Conference]] and local media covers other regional teams, including the [[Eastern Washington Eagles]], [[Washington State Cougars]], and the [[Idaho Vandals]].<ref name="Teams"/>

===Baseball===
The Spokane Indians located in the suburb [[Spokane Valley, Washington|Spokane Valley]], are a [[High-A|Class High-A]] baseball team in the [[Northwest League]] (NWL) and have been a [[farm team]] of the [[Colorado Rockies]] since 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spokane Indians receive invitation to become High-A affiliate of Colorado Rockies  |date=December 10, 2020 |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/10/spokane-indians-receive-invitation-to-become-high-/ |publisher=The Spokesman-Review| access-date= December 10, 2020}}</ref> The Indians play their home games at the 6,803-seat [[Avista Stadium]] and have won seven NWL titles since their Short-Season-A debut in 1982. Prior to 1982, the Indians played at the [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A level]]. The team achieved considerable success in the early 1970s, winning the [[Pacific Coast League]] championship in 1970, and having a 94–52 record.<ref>{{cite web |title=1970 PCL Championship Team |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-11565988 |publisher=Minor League Baseball| access-date= November 5, 2014}}</ref> In the 1920s and 1930s the Spokane City League, a semiprofessional baseball league of teams of the Inland Empire, reached its peak.<ref>Popejoy (2010), p.127</ref>

===Hockey===
The Spokane Chiefs are a junior ice hockey team that play in the [[Canadian Hockey League]]'s [[Western Hockey League]].<ref name="CBC">{{cite news |title=Spokane Chiefs win Memorial Cup |publisher=CBC |date=May 25, 2008 |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/spokane-chiefs-win-memorial-cup-1.757728| access-date = November 6, 2014}}</ref> They play their home games in the Spokane Arena and have a regional rivalry with the [[Tri-City Americans]]. They have won the CHL's top prize, the [[Memorial Cup]], two times in club history, first in 1991 and again in 2008.<ref name="CBC"/>

===Soccer===
Spokane is host to [[United Soccer League]] professional men's [[USL League One]] ([[Spokane Velocity|Spokane Velocity FC]]), a women's pre-professional [[USL W League]] team, as well as a women's professional [[USL Super League]] team ([[Spokane Zephyr FC]]).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=New soccer club owners in Spokane announce addition of professional women's team {{!}} The Spokesman-Review |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/oct/07/new-soccer-club-owners-in-spokane-announce-additio/ |access-date=2023-02-17 |website=www.spokesman.com|date=October 8, 2022 }}</ref> They play their home games in [[One Spokane Stadium|ONE Spokane Stadium]].

===Major events===
The [[Spokane Arena]] is the city's premier sports venue. In the years since the Spokane Arena opened, it has played host to several major sporting events. The first major event was the [[1998 Memorial Cup]], the championship game of the Canadian Hockey League.<ref>{{cite web |last=Knight |first=Stephen |title=1998 Memorial Cup Notebook |publisher=Canoe Inc. |date=May 8, 1998 |url=http://www.canoe.ca/MemorialCup98/may17_memnotes_smk.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721195859/http://www.canoe.ca/MemorialCup98/may17_memnotes_smk.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 21, 2012 |access-date=December 7, 2014 }}</ref> Four years later in 2002, the city hosted the [[2002 Skate America]] figure skating competition<ref>{{cite web |title=2002 Smart Ones Skate America |publisher=U.S. Figure Skating |date=October 27, 2002 |url=http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_details.asp?id=25110| access-date = December 7, 2014| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141015234359/http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_details.asp?id=25110| archive-date = October 15, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> and then the [[2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships]] in the Spokane Arena.<ref name="FigureSkating">{{cite web |title=Spokane, Wash., Selected to Host 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships |publisher=U.S. Figure Skating |date=May 5, 2008 |url=http://www.usfigureskating.org/Story.asp?id=41450 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |archive-date=June 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613143932/http://www.usfigureskating.org/Story.asp?id=41450 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The latter event set an attendance record, selling nearly 155,000 tickets. Spokane later hosted the [[2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships]]<ref name="FigureSkating" /> – ending eighteen days before the start of the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in [[Vancouver|Vancouver, British Columbia]] and then the [[2016 Team Challenge Cup]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Clouse |first=Thomas |title=Spokane lands another major skating event: Team Challenge Cup |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=September 24, 2015 |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/sep/24/sport-counts-on-its-biggest-fans/| access-date = August 30, 2016}}</ref> Spokane is also home to [[The Podium (sports facility)|The Podium]] indoor hydraulic track and event space, and multi-use [[One Spokane Stadium]].

==Media==
{{See also|Category:Mass media in Spokane, Washington}}
[[File:Review Tower Spokane.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=The Spokesman-Review building|The Review Building]]

===Print===
Newspaper service in Spokane is provided by its only major daily newspaper, ''[[The Spokesman-Review]]'', which has a daily circulation of 76,291 and Sunday circulation of 95,939.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 26, 2010 |title=U.S. newspaper circulation falls 8.7 percent |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2011707170_newspapercirc27.html?prmid=related_stories_section |access-date=October 13, 2014 |newspaper=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Spokesman-Review |url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070711051803/http://www.spokesmanreview.com/ |archive-date=July 11, 2007 |access-date=December 7, 2014 |newspaper=[[The Spokesman-Review]]}}</ref> ''The Spokesman-Review'' was formed from the merger of the ''Spokane Falls Review'' (1883–1894) and the ''Spokesman'' (1890–1893) in 1893 and was first published under the present name on June 29, 1894.<ref>Dyar (1952), pp. 1–658</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kershner |first=Jim |date=May 19, 2007 |title=Bumpy beginning, but quite a ride |url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/125/125yr-story.asp |access-date=December 7, 2014 |work=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> It later absorbed the competing afternoon paper ''The [[Spokane Daily Chronicle]]'', a significant newspaper that existed from 1881 until 1982 and returned in 2021.<ref name="S-R">{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |date=September 26, 2012 |title=The Spokesman-Review (Spokane) |url=http://historylink.org/File/10153 |access-date=October 25, 2016 |work=Essay 10153 |publisher=HistoryLink}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |year=1890–1982 |others=Library of Congress |title=About Spokane daily chronicle. (Spokane, Wash.) 1890–1982 |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86072020/ |access-date=May 5, 2018 |publisher=Chronicle Pub. Co. |lccn=sn86072020 |oclc=14374699 |location=Spokane, Wash.}}</ref>{{ref|Spokesman|[j]}} More specialized publications include the weekly [[alternative newspaper]] ''[[Inlander (newspaper)|Inlander]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Dean |date=May 8, 2020 |title=Why journalists at The Inlander didn't jump for joy when a federal loan saved their jobs |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/why-journalists-at-the-inlander-didnt-jump-for-joy-when-a-federal-loan-saved-their-jobs/ |access-date=July 5, 2020 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> the bi-weekly ''[[Spokane Journal of Business]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Walters |first=Daniel |date=September 26, 2019 |title=Spokane is attracting a handful of new employers, all poised for growth |url=https://www.inlander.com/spokane/spokane-is-attracting-a-handful-of-new-employers-all-poised-for-growth/Content?oid=18372676 |access-date=June 29, 2020 |work=Inlander}}</ref> and the student-run ''[[The Gonzaga Bulletin|Gonzaga Bulletin]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sun |first=Rachel |date=March 21, 2018 |title=Student journalists get freedom to publish |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/mar/21/student-journalists-get-freedom-to-publish/ |access-date=June 29, 2020 |work=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> Monthly publications include [[Black Lens News|''The Black Lens'']], an African American community newspaper,<ref>{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Jared |date=February 10, 2020 |title=Black Lens monthly newspaper celebrates 5 years of sharpening Spokane's perception of racism in the community |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/feb/10/black-lens-newspaper-celebrates-5-years-of-sharpen/ |access-date=June 29, 2020 |work=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> a newspaper for parents, ''Kids Newspaper'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Rachel |date=January 10, 2018 |title=Education notebook: Lake Spokane teacher receives award |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/jan/10/education-notebook-lake-spokane-teacher-receives-a/ |access-date=June 29, 2020 |work=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> and a home and lifestyle magazine, ''Spokane Coeur d'Alene Living''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Edelen |first=Amy |date=August 8, 2019 |title=Bozzi Media purchases Nostalgia Magazine |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/aug/08/bozzi-media-purchases-nostalgia-magazine/ |access-date=June 29, 2020 |work=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref>

===Radio===
According to [[Arbitron]], Spokane is the 94th-largest radio market in the U.S., with 532,100 listeners aged 12 and over.<ref>{{cite web |date=Fall 2013 |title=Market Survey Schedule & Population Rankings: Fall 2013 |url=http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/fa13_market_survey_schedule_poprankings.pdf |access-date=October 10, 2014}}</ref> There are 28 AM and FM radio stations broadcast in the city. The five most listened-to stations are [[KKZX|KKZX-FM]] (classic rock), [[KQNT|KQNT-AM]] (news/talk), [[KXLY-FM]] (country), [[KISC|KISC-FM]] (adult contemporary),[[KZBD|KZBD-FM]] (Contemporary Hit Radio), and [[KZZU-FM]] ([[Hot Adult Contemporary|Hot AC]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=#94 Spokane: Summer P2 Arbitrends |url=http://ratings.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb177 |access-date=October 11, 2014 |publisher=Radio Online}}</ref> Spokane's primary sources of non-commercial and community radio include Spokane's [[National Public Radio|NPR]]-affiliate station [[KPBX-FM]] and [[KYRS]], a full-power community radio station.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spokane Public Radio |url=http://spokanepublicradio.org |access-date=October 11, 2014 |publisher=Spokane Public Radio}}</ref>

===Television===
Spokane is the 73rd-largest television market in the U.S., accounting for 0.366% of the total TV households in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 27, 2014 |title=Local Television Market Universe Estimates |url=http://www.tvb.org/media/file/Nielsen_2014-2015_DMA_Ranks.pdf |access-date=October 10, 2014 |publisher=Nielsen Media Research, Inc.}}</ref> The city has six television stations, representing the major commercial networks and public television.<ref name="TV">{{cite web |title=Station Index |url=http://www.stationindex.com/tv/markets/Spokane |access-date=December 7, 2014 |publisher=Station Index}}</ref> Spokane is the television broadcast center for much of eastern Washington (except the [[Yakima, Washington|Yakima]] and [[Tri-Cities, Washington|Tri-Cities]] area), northern Idaho, northwestern Montana, northeastern Oregon, and parts of southern Canada (by [[list of United States television stations available in Canada#Shaw Broadcast Services / nationwide coverage|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. The major network television affiliates include [[KREM (TV)]] 2 ([[CBS]]), [[KXLY-TV]] 4 ([[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]), [[KHQ-TV]] 6 ([[NBC]]; Spokane's first television station, on air on December 20, 1952), [[KAYU-TV|KAYU]] 28 ([[Fox Broadcasting Company|FOX]]), [[KSKN]] 22 ([[The CW]]), [[KSPS-TV]] 7 ([[PBS]]), and [[Idaho Public Television|KCDT-TV]] 26 (PBS; operating out of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho).<ref name="TV" />

==Infrastructure==
[[File:Location Map United States Spokane.png|thumb|right|Street layout of Spokane city center]]

===Transportation===

====City streets====
Spokane's streets use a [[grid plan]] that is oriented to the four [[cardinal direction]]s; generally, 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) Streets. [[Division Street (Spokane, Washington)|Division Street]] divides the city into East and West, while [[Sprague Avenue (Spokane, Washington)|Sprague Avenue]] splits the city into North and South.<ref>{{cite web |title=MapSpokane |url=http://maps.spokanecity.org/?lyr=City%20Council%20District |publisher=City of Spokane| access-date=October 11, 2014}}</ref> Division Street is Spokane's major [[Main Street|retail corridor]]; Sprague Avenue serves the same purpose in Spokane Valley. With over 40,000 vehicles per day in [[average daily traffic]] from [[Interstate 90 (Washington)|Interstate 90]] north to the US 2–US 395 junction, North Division is Spokane's busiest corridor.<ref>{{cite web |title=City of Spokane Traffic Flow Map |publisher=City of Spokane |url=https://static.spokanecity.org/documents/streets/traffic/2012-2013-traffic-flow-map.pdf| access-date = October 12, 2014}}</ref>

Spokane's extensive [[skywalk]] system covers thirteen blocks in the downtown area and is among the largest in the United States; it is used for pedestrian travel in cold and inclement weather and retail space as well.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spotlight on one of the largest Skywalk systems in the US |url=http://www.bycitylight.com/spotlight-archive.php?article=1 |publisher=ByCityLight.com| access-date= November 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>Young et al. (1999), p. 328</ref> Despite this, the city has an average Walk Score of 49 as of 2020, indicating that most errands require a car. Its average Bike Score is 52.<ref name=WalkScore>{{cite web |url=https://www.walkscore.com/WA/Spokane |title=Spokane, WA - Walk Score |publisher=Walk Score  |access-date=September 22, 2020}}</ref>

====Mass transportation====
[[File:Full Spokane City Line bus charging at SCC transit center October 2023.jpg|thumb|STA [[City Line (Spokane, Washington)|City Line]] battery electric bus charging at [[Spokane Community College Transit Center|Spokane Community College]]]]
{{See also|Spokane Transit Authority}}

Before the influx of automobiles, Spokane's electric [[Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad|streetcar and interurban lines]] played a dominant role in moving people and goods around Spokane. Streetcars were installed as early as 1888, when they were pulled by horses.<ref>{{harvp|Creighton|2013|p=64}}</ref> Many older side streets in Spokane still have visible streetcar rails embedded in them. Streetcar service was reduced due to declining ridership beginning in 1922, and by August 1936, all lines had been abandoned or converted to motor buses.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Spokane's Streetcars |work=HistoryLink |date=January 25, 2007 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8080| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref>

Spokane has intercity rail and bus service provided by [[Amtrak]], [[Greyhound Lines|Greyhound]], [[Flixbus]] and [[Jefferson Lines]] 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 (Chicago)|Union Station]] en route to [[Seattle (Amtrak station)|Seattle]] and [[Union Station (Portland)|Portland]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Amtrak Stations – Spokane, WA (SPK) |publisher=National Railroad Passenger Corporation |url=http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=am/am2Station/Station_Page&code=SPK| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> Amtrak's through service to Seattle and Portland is a legacy of [[BNSF Railway]]'s old [[Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway]] trackage.<ref name="Trains">{{cite web |last=Kelly |first=Bruce |title=Hot Spots: Spokane, Wash. |publisher=Trains |url=http://trn.trains.com/en/Railroad%20Reference/Hot%20Spots/2006/07/Spokane%20Wash.aspx| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> Spokane is a major railway junction for the BNSF Railway and the [[Union Pacific Railroad]] and is the western terminus for the [[Montana Rail Link]].<ref name="Trains" />

Public transportation throughout the Spokane area is provided by the [[Spokane Transit Authority]] (STA), which operates a fleet of 164 buses. Its service area covers roughly {{convert|248|sqmi|km2}} and reaches 85 percent of the county's population.<ref>{{cite web |title=Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=Spokane Transit |url=http://www.spokanetransit.com/about-sta/view/faq-frequently-asked-questions/| access-date = December 7, 2014| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141212030906/https://www.spokanetransit.com/about-sta/view/faq-frequently-asked-questions| archive-date = December 12, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The [[STA Plaza]] in downtown Spokane acts as the regional hub for most STA routes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wasson |first=David |date=August 17, 2014 |title=Signs point to dim future for STA Plaza |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/aug/17/signs-point-to-dim-future-for-sta-plaza/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=August 5, 2025}}</ref> As a part of the system's high performance transit network plan, STA introduced Eastern Washington's first bus rapid transit (BRT) route, [[City Line (Spokane, Washington)|City Line]], in July 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dinman |first=Emry |date=July 18, 2023 |title=Inslee, Woodward and others celebrate launch of City Line, Spokane's first rapid bus route |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/jul/18/inslee-woodward-and-others-celebrate-launch-of-cit/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=August 5, 2025}}</ref> STA is also planning a [[Division Bus Rapid Transit|Division Street BRT]] line from downtown Spokane to Mead that is scheduled to open by 2030.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hanlon |first1=James |last2=Gibson |first2=Nick |date=January 13, 2025 |title=STA lands $2 million grant for Division Street rapid bus route to Mead |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jan/13/sta-lands-2-million-grant-for-division-street-rapi/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=August 5, 2025}}</ref>

====Freeways and highways====
[[File:Nighttime view of I-90 in Spokane, from Sunset Hill.jpg|thumb|Overlooking Spokane and [[Interstate 90 in Washington|Interstate 90]] from Sunset Hill]]

[[Interstate 90 in Washington|Interstate 90]] (I-90) runs east–west from Seattle, through downtown Spokane, and eastward through Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and onward to Coeur d'Alene and then [[Missoula]].<ref name="StateMap">{{cite WSDOT map |year=2014 |inset=Spokane |accessdate=August 5, 2025}}</ref> Although they are not limited access highways like I-90, [[U.S. Route 2 in Washington|US 2]] and [[U.S. Route 395 in Washington|US 395]] enter Spokane from the west via I-90 and continue north through Spokane via Division Street. The two highways share the same route until they reach "The Y", a [[Three-way junction|fork]] where US 395 continues northward to [[Deer Park, Washington|Deer Park]], [[Colville, Washington|Colville]] then onward to Canada, and US 2 branches off to the northeast, continuing to [[Mead, Washington|Mead]], [[Newport, Washington|Newport]], and [[Sandpoint, Idaho|Sandpoint]]. [[US Route 195|US 195]], also known as the Inland Empire Highway, connects to Interstate 90 west of Spokane near Latah Creek and travels south through the Palouse.<ref name="StateMap"/>

The [[Washington State Department of Transportation]] (WSDOT) is tasked with improving local highways to keep up with the region's growth and to try to prevent congestion problems that plague many larger cities. The WSDOT is constructing the [[North Spokane Corridor]]. When completed, the corridor will be a {{convert|10.5|mi|km|adj=mid|-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 the Wandermere Golf Course.<ref name="Corridor">{{cite web |title=North Spokane Corridor Quick Facts |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/US395/NorthSpokaneCorridor/Facts.htm| access-date = December 7, 2014| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141020180617/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/US395/NorthSpokaneCorridor/Facts.htm| archive-date = October 20, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

====Airports====
[[File:Spokane Intl Airport - Concourse C at Night.jpg|thumb|right|Concourse C, Spokane International Airport]]

[[Spokane International Airport]] (IATA: GEG, ICAO: KGEG) serves as the primary commercial airport for Spokane, Eastern Washington, and Northern Idaho. It is the second-largest airport in the state of Washington, and is recognized by the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] as a [[Small hub primary airport|small hub]], with service from nine passenger and five cargo airlines.<ref name="SIA">{{cite web |title=Spokane International |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/7091F0ED-2C67-4507-9D4A-6E902F889C23/0/2012SpokaneInternational.pdf |access-date=October 12, 2014 |archive-date=September 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903092607/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/7091F0ED-2C67-4507-9D4A-6E902F889C23/0/2012SpokaneInternational.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The {{convert|4800|acre|km2|2|abbr=on|adj = on}} airport is located {{convert|5|mi|km}} west of downtown Spokane and is approximately a 10-minute drive away. The international airport's 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.<ref name="Airports">{{cite web |last=Arksey |first=Laura |title=Felts Field (Spokane) |work=HistoryLink |date=January 15, 2008 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8464| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref>

[[Felts Field]] is a general aviation airport serving the Spokane area and is located in east Spokane along the south bank of the Spokane River. Aviation at Felts Field dates back to 1913 and the strip served as Spokane's primary airport until commercial air traffic was redirected to Geiger Field after World War II.<ref name="Airports" /> In 1927, the strip was one of the first in the western U.S. to receive official recognition as an airport by the U.S. Department of Commerce and is now named in honor of James Buell Felts, a Washington Air National Guard pilot.<ref name="Airports" />

===Healthcare===
[[File:DeaconessMedicalCenter.jpg|right|thumb|upright|alt=Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane's "Medical District" on the lower South Hill|Deaconess Medical Center]]
The Spokane area has six major hospitals, four of which are full-service facilities.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hospital Directory |publisher=Healthgrades |url=http://www.healthgrades.com/hospital-directory/wa-washington/spokane| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> 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 Canada–US border.<ref>Stratton (2005), p. 9</ref> The city's health-care needs are served primarily by non-profit Seattle-based [[Providence Health & Services]] and non-profit Tacoma-based [[MultiCare Health System|Multicare Health System]], which run the two biggest hospitals, [[Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital|Sacred Heart Medical Center]], and [[MultiCare Deaconess Hospital|Deaconess Hospital]], respectively.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stucke |first=John |title=Providence, CHS have split Spokane's health care system |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=March 17, 2013 |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/mar/17/cornering-the-market-providence-chs-have-split| access-date = October 12, 2014}}</ref> These two hospitals, the 102-bed [[St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute]],<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute |date=August 10, 2015 |publisher=Washington State Hospital Association |url=https://www.wsha.org/members/st-lukes-rehabilitation-institute/| access-date = November 20, 2020}}</ref> 100-bed Inland Northwest Behavioral Health,<ref>{{cite web |title=Inland Northwest Behavioral Health |date=January 10, 2019 |publisher=Washington State Hospital Association |url=https://www.wsha.org/members/inland-northwest-behavioral-health/| access-date = November 20, 2020}}</ref> and most of Spokane's major health-care facilities, are located on Spokane's Lower-South Hill, just south of downtown, in what is known as the "Medical District" of Spokane.<ref>{{cite news |last=McLean |first=Mike |title=WSU Spokane starts work on master-plan update |publisher=Spokane Journal of Business |date=February 13, 2014 |url=http://www.spokanejournal.com/local-news/wsu-spokane-starts-work-on-master-plan-update| access-date = November 6, 2014}}</ref> Sacred Heart Hospital opened originally with just 31 beds<ref>{{cite web |url=http://washington.providence.org/hospitals/sacred-heart-medical-center-and-childrens-hospital/ |title=Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children's Hospital |publisher=Washington.providence.org|access-date=November 19, 2014}}</ref> on Spokane Falls Boulevard on January 27, 1887, but later moved to its present location at 101 West Eighth Avenue.<ref>Popejoy (2010), p.98</ref> As of 2014 it had 642 beds, with 28,319 admissions, 71,543 emergency room visits, and 2,982 births annually, and a full-time staff of 29 doctors and dentists and 583 registered nurses.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/wa/providence-sacred-heart-medical-center-and-childrens-hospital-6910980/details |title=Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital |publisher=U.S. News|access-date=November 19, 2014}}</ref> Deaconess Medical Center, the smaller of the two main hospitals, had 388 beds as of 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/wa/deaconess-medical-center-spokane-6910880/details |title=Deaconess Medical Center |publisher=U.S. News|access-date=November 19, 2014}}</ref> Other hospitals in the area include the Spokane [[Veterans Health Administration|Veterans Affairs Medical Center]] in the northwest part of town, Providence Holy Family Hospital on the north side, and MultiCare Valley Hospital in the [[Spokane Valley, Washington|Spokane Valley]]. One of 20 specialty orthopedic [[Shriners Hospitals for Children|Shriners Hospitals]] in the U.S. is also located in Spokane.<ref>{{cite web |title=Locations |publisher=Shriners International & Shriners Hospitals for Children |url=http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/en/Hospitals/Locations.aspx| access-date = December 7, 2014| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131206095525/http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/en/Hospitals/Locations.aspx| archive-date = December 6, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> One of Washington's two state [[psychiatric hospital]]s, [[Eastern State Hospital (Washington)|Eastern State Hospital]], is located {{convert|15|mi|km}} away in [[Medical Lake, Washington|Medical Lake]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |title=Medical Lake – Thumbnail History |work=Essay 10231 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=October 18, 2012 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=10231| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref>

{{Multiple image
| image1            = Upper Falls Weir, Spokane, Washington.jpg
| image2            = The Lower Falls and Hydroelectric Complex in Spokane, Washington.jpg
| footer            = Monroe Street Dam on the Spokane River
}}

===Utilities===
The City of Spokane provides municipal [[water supply network|water]], [[sewage treatment|wastewater management]], and [[solid waste management]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Spokane Regional Solid Waste System |publisher=Spokane Regional Solid Waste System |url=http://www.solidwaste.org/| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> Spokane operates Washington's only [[waste-to-energy]] plant as well as two solid waste [[Transfer station (waste management)|transfer station]]s as part of the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System, a collaboration between the City of Spokane and Spokane County.<ref name="Roesler">{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Roesler |title=Plant's electricity could gain value with 'renewable' status |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/feb/25/from-garbage-to-green/ |format=Reprint |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |date=February 25, 2009 | access-date=December 7, 2014}}</ref> Electricity generated by the waste-to-energy plant is used to operate the facility, with excess energy being sold to [[Puget Sound Energy]].<ref name="Roesler" /> Spokane draws its water from the [[Spokane Valley–Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer]]; this {{convert|370|sqmi|km2|0|adj = on}} "sole source aquifer" is the only water supply for Spokane County in Washington, and for [[Kootenai County, Idaho|Kootenai]] and [[Bonner County, Idaho|Bonner]] counties in Idaho.<ref>{{cite web |title=Compilation of Information for Spokane Valley–Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, Washington and Idaho |work=Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5227 |publisher=United States Geological Survey |date=January 10, 2013 |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2005/5227/section3.html| access-date = September 13, 2014}}</ref> Serving over 500,000 people, the aquifer is distinguished in being one of the [[Aquifers in the United States|largest aquifers in the country]] at 10 trillion gallons, as well as having one of the fastest [[Groundwater discharge|flow rates]] in the country at {{convert|60|ft|m}} per day, and for its purity.<ref name=aquifer>{{cite web |title=The Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer Atlas |publisher=Spokane Aquifer Joint Board |date=December 31, 2009 |url=http://www.spokaneaquifer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/AquiferAtlas.pdf| access-date = November 6, 2016}}</ref>{{Ref|aquifer|[i]}}

Natural gas and electricity are provided by the local utility, [[Avista Utilities]], while [[CenturyLink]] and [[Comcast]] provide television, internet, and telephone service. Spokane hosts three [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] generation facilities on the Spokane River: the Upriver Dam, the [[Upper Falls Power Plant|Upper Falls Dam]], and the Monroe Street Dam. The Upriver Dam is owned and operated by the City of Spokane, and generates the electricity needed to operate the municipal water supply's pressure pumps.<ref name="UpriverDam">{{cite web |title=Water – City of Spokane |url=https://beta.spokanecity.org/publicworks/water/upriverdam/ |publisher=City of Spokane | access-date=March 19, 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://archive.today/20140319084943/https://beta.spokanecity.org/publicworks/water/upriverdam/ | archive-date=March 19, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The power generated in excess of that is sold to Avista Utilities.<ref name="UpriverDam" /> The Upper Falls and Monroe Street dams are owned and operated by Avista Utilities, and have respective generation capacities of 10 and 15 [[Megawatts|MW]].<ref name="SpokaneDams">{{cite web |title=Spokane River Dams |url=http://www.avistautilities.com/environment/spokaneriver/dams/Pages/default.aspx |publisher=Avista Utilities | access-date=March 19, 2014}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from Spokane, Washington}}

==Sister cities==
{{SisterCities|Spokane|six current}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Spokane, Washington |url=http://sistercities.org/interactive-map/Spokane,%20Washington |publisher=[[Sister Cities International]]| access-date= August 22, 2016| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160828192458/http://sistercities.org/interactive-map/Spokane,%20Washington| archive-date= August 28, 2016| url-status= dead}}</ref>

*{{flagdeco|Japan}} [[Nishinomiya]], Japan – since September 1961 (Spokane's first sister city)
*{{flagdeco|ROK}} [[Jecheon]], South Korea
*{{flagdeco|PRC}} [[Jilin City]], China
*{{flagdeco|Ireland}} [[Limerick]], Ireland
*{{flagdeco|Mexico}} [[San Luis Potosí City]], Mexico
*{{flagdeco|Italy}} [[Cagli]], Italy

==See also==
* [[Spokane House]] 
* [[Fort Colville]]
* [[Fort Spokane]]
* [[Spokane Falls]]
* [[Great Spokane Fire]]
* [[Expo '74]]
* [[Inland Northwest]]
* [[Riverfront Park (Spokane, Washington)|Riverfront Park]]

==Notes==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
{{note|Spukcane|[a]}}The name is said to derive from ''Spukcane'', the vocalization of a sound made by a snake which the Chief of the Spokanes came to call "power from the brain" after pondering it made his head vibrate. It is unknown when the present meaning of the word, "Sun People" replaced this earlier meaning.<ref name="Spukcane"/><br />
{{note|Glover|[b]}}Unbeknownst to them, the Spokane Valley was the only area within 200 miles that could provide passage to the Inland Empire through the Rockies at a reasonable grade.<ref name="p. 19" /><br />
{{note|incorp|[c]}}The present name, set forth by an 1891 charter reincorporated the city under the name "Spokane Falls", stating: ''"The corporate name of the city is Spokane Falls, and by that name shall have perpetual succession" (Charter, Article I).'' However, a later article in that same charter which was voted on concurrently changed the name to "Spokane".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spokane, Washington |title=Charter of the city of Spokane, Washington: approved by the people at an election held March 24, 1891, attested and went into effect April 4, 1891 (including amendments). |publisher=W.D. Knight Co. |location=Spokane, Washington |year=1896}}</ref><br />
{{note|Transport|[d]}}Secretary of the Spokane chamber of commerce, John R. Reavis tells of Spokane's significance to the Inland Northwest region as an [[wikt:entrepôt|entrepôt]] distributing center (largely the city's [[wikt:raison d'être|raison d'être]]) in his 1891 Annual Report, writing: "By reason of her geographical position and railroad connections Spokane is fitted as no other city is, or ever can be, to be the distributing center of all that country within a radius of 150 miles, and in some instances territory much farther away. There is no point 150 miles from Spokane that is not at least 225 miles from any other city of 10,000 population. We have about us a territory of 60,000 square miles in extent, to every point of which we are nearer than any other city, to every point of which we have better railroad connections and easier grades than any other city ... We have eight lines of railroad that radiate out in all directions through it, so that shipments made here in the morning can reach any point within its borders by nightfall. We have a telephone system connecting us with almost every shipping town and shipping station within its borders. Goods may be ordered, shipped and received, in most instances, within one day. Never was a city more intimately knit to its surrounding territory than Spokane, and never was one more free from a legitimate rival in trade ..."<ref>{{cite report |last=Reavis |first=John R. |date=1892 |title=''First Annual Report of the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce of Spokane for the Year 1891'' |url=http://www.washington.edu/uwired/outreach/cspn/Website/Classroom%20Materials/Curriculum%20Packets/Building%20Nature/Documents/2.html |publisher=W.D. Knight Co. |edition=1 |location=Spokane, Washington |pages=6–7, 10–12 |others=Pacific Northwest Collections, University of Washington Libraries| access-date = May 5, 2018}}</ref>

{{note|investment|[e]}}The financing for rebuilding the downtown core came in large part from the infusion of investment from Dutch bankers; this investment was so deep that by 1896, one prominent Dutch mortgage company, the ''Northwestern and Pacific Hypotheekbank'' owned a quarter of the city.<ref>Stratton (2005), p. 33, p. 200</ref><br />
{{note|Hepburn|[f]}}In 1892, the [[Interstate Commerce Commission]] agreed with the city after it filed a complaint about these practices, but that decision was struck down by a federal court. In 1906, Spokane sued under the newly passed [[Hepburn Act]], and won on July 24, 1911.<ref>Durham (1912), pp. 599–603</ref><br />
{{note|Douglas|[g]}}The exact circumstances and sequence of events regarding the discovery of the tree are obscure due to conflicting accounts.<br />
{{note|Averages|[h]}}Average monthly temperatures obtained by summing the average monthly highs and lows then dividing by 2.<br />
{{note|aquifer|[i]}}A study published in ''The Spokesman-Review'' on May 6, 1909, by City bacteriologist, Frank Rose found only seven or eight germs per cubic centimeter of water. As a standard, "water that contains 100 germs per cubic centimeter is considered comparatively pure".<ref name=aquifer/><br />
{{note|Spokesman|[j]}}''The Spokesman-Review'' has been a [[List of family-owned newspapers in the United States|family-owned newspaper]] since 1894. The [[Cowles Company|Cowles family]] also owns the city's NBC affiliate, KHQ-TV.<ref name=S-R/><br />
{{Refend}}
{{notelist-lr}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Columns-list|
* {{cite book |last1=Bao |first1=Sandra |last2=Brash |first2=Celeste |last3=Lee |first3=John |last4=Sainsbury |first4=Brendan |title=Lonely Planet Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YO3zAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT461 |date=March 1, 2014 |publisher=Lonely Planet Publications |isbn=978-1-74360-002-3 |page=461}}
* {{Cite book |last=Creighton |first=Jeff |title=Bridges of Spokane |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CqjzFuenhTQC&pg=PA64 |year=2013 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-0-7385-9635-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Durham |first=Nelson W. |title=History of the city of Spokane and Spokane Country, Washington: from its earliest settlement to the present time |volume=3 |publisher=S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. |location=Chicago, Illinois |year=1912 |isbn=978-1-152-77997-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofcityofs01durh}}
* {{Cite book |last=Dyar |first=Ralph E. |title=News for an Empire: The Story of The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington and of the Field It Serves |publisher=The Caxton Printers, Ltd. |location=Caldwell, Idaho |year=1952 |isbn=978-1-258-21546-0}}
* {{cite book |last1=Fox |first1=James Alan |last2=Levin |first2=Jack |title=Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4VMXBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA144 |date=April 29, 2014 |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=978-1-4833-5280-0 |pages=144–145}}
* {{cite journal |last=Kensel |first=W.H. |author-link=W. Hudson Kensel |title=The Early Spokane Lumber Industry, 1871–1910 |journal=Idaho Yesterdays |volume=12 |issue=1 |publisher=[[Idaho State Historical Society]] |location=Boise, Idaho |date=Spring 1968 |url=http://hudson.kensel.com/downloads/The_Early_Spokane_Lumber_Industry_1871_to_1910_W_Hudson_Kensel_Spring_1968.pdf |access-date=October 9, 2014 |archive-date=January 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118034353/http://hudson.kensel.com/downloads/The_Early_Spokane_Lumber_Industry_1871_to_1910_W_Hudson_Kensel_Spring_1968.pdf |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite journal |last=Kensel |first=W.H. |title=Inland Empire Mining and the Growth of Spokane, 1883–1905 |journal=[[Pacific Northwest Quarterly]] |volume=60 |issue=2 |publisher=University of Washington |location=Seattle, Washington |date=April 1969 |url=http://hudson.kensel.com/downloads/Inland%20Empire%20Mining_and_the_Growth_of_Spokane_1883_to_1905_W_Hudson_Kensel_April_1969.pdf |access-date=October 9, 2014 |archive-date=January 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117090941/http://hudson.kensel.com/downloads/Inland%20Empire%20Mining_and_the_Growth_of_Spokane_1883_to_1905_W_Hudson_Kensel_April_1969.pdf |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite journal |last=Kensel |first=W.H. |title=Spokane: The First Decade |journal=Idaho Yesterdays |volume=15 |issue=1 |publisher=Idaho State Historical Society |location=Boise, Idaho |date=Spring 1971 |url=http://hudson.kensel.com/downloads/Spokane_The_First_Decade_W_Hudson_Kensel_Spring_1971.pdf |access-date=October 9, 2014 |archive-date=November 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101221944/http://hudson.kensel.com/downloads/Spokane_The_First_Decade_W_Hudson_Kensel_Spring_1971.pdf |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite book |last=Kienholz |first=M. |title=Police Files: The Spokane Experience 1853–1995 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ss4UWqEx0w0C&pg=PA188 |date=1999 |publisher=Mary Kienholz |isbn=978-0-87062-286-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Landers |first=Rich |title=100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest: Eastern Washington, Northern Rockies, Wallowas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2JxK5cnh3uAC&pg=PA92 |year=2003 |publisher=The Mountaineers Books |isbn=978-0-89886-908-8 |pages=90–95}}
* {{Cite book |last=Malone |first=Michael P. |title=James J. Hill: Empire Builder of the Northwest |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |location=Norman, Oklahoma |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-8061-2860-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=23ZkL2EuxSkC&q=Spokane+Capital+of+the+Inland+Empire&pg=PA201}}
* {{Cite book |last=Meinig |first=Donald W.| author-link=D.W. Meinig |title=The Shaping of America: A Geographical Perspective on 500 Years of History, Volume 2: Continental America, 1800–1867 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven, Connecticut |year=1993 |isbn=0-300-05658-3}}
* {{Cite book |last=Moffatt |first=Riley |title=Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850–1990 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |location=Lanham, Maryland |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-8108-3033-2}}
* {{cite book |last1=Mueller |first1=Marge |last2=Mueller |first2=Ted |title=Washington State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1wq1lfr271oC&pg=PA270 |year=2004 |publisher=The Mountaineers Books |isbn=978-0-89886-893-7 |page=270}}
* {{Cite book |last=Phillips |first=James W. |title=Washington State Place Names |publisher=University of Washington Press |location=Seattle, Washington |year=1971 |isbn=0-295-95158-3}}
* {{Cite book |last=Popejoy |first=Don |title=Early Spokane |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kh2s2HcKhG4C&pg=PA98 |date=2010 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-4396-2528-6}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Ruby |first1=Robert H. |last2=Brown |first2=John A. |title=The Spokane Indians: Children of the Sun |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |location=Norman, Oklahoma |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8061-3761-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qUwYm6e8UxgC}}
* {{cite book |last1=Ruby |first1=Robert H. |last2=Brown |first2=John Arthur |title=Indians of the Pacific Northwest: A History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ww8odDD86oAC&pg=PA75 |year=1988 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn=978-0-8061-2113-0 |page=75}}
* {{Cite book |last=Schmeltzer |first=Michael |title=Spokane: The City and The People |publisher=American Geographic Publishing |location=Helena, Montana |year=1988 |isbn=978-0-938314-53-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Schmidt |first=Leigh E. |title=Consumer Rites: The Buying & Selling of American Holidays |chapter=The Invention of Father's Day: The Humbug of Modern Ritual| chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=maF8mTPsJqsC&q=father%27s+day&pg=PA276 |date=1995 |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton, New Jersey |isbn=978-0-691-01721-1}}
* {{Cite book |last=Soltero |first=Raymond A. |editor=Robert J. Naiman |title=Watershed Management: Balancing Sustainability and Environmental Change |chapter=The Changing Spokane River Watershed |pages=458–478 |publisher=Springer-Verlag |location=New York, New York |year=1992| chapter-url =https://books.google.com/books?id=tkLRW9KMzhsC&pg=PA459 |isbn=978-0-387-94232-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Spirou |first=Costas |title=Urban Tourism and Urban Change: Cities in a Global Economy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1dOsAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA210 |date=2011 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-85903-8 |page=210}}
* {{Cite book |last=Stratton |first=David H. |title=Spokane and the Inland Empire: An Interior Pacific Northwest Anthology |publisher=Washington State University Press |location=Pullman, Washington |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-87422-277-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ware |first=Susan |title=Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary Completing the Twentieth Century |publisher=Harvard University Press |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-674-01488-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WSaMu4F06AQC&pg=PA339}}
* {{Cite book |last=Williamson |first=Jerrelene |title=African Americans in Spokane |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U51zl3w2MicC&pg=PA7 |date=2010 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-0-7385-7011-2}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Young |first1=Don |last2=Young |first2=Marjorie |title=Adventure Guide to Pacific Northwest (Adventure Guide to the Pacific Northwest) |publisher=Hunter Publishing |location=Edison, New Jersey |year=1999 |isbn=978-1-55650-844-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=89cgOTHRpUEC&q=spokane+skywalk&pg=RA1-PA328}}
}}

==Further reading==
{{Columns-list|
* {{Cite book |last1=Bamonte |first1=Tony |last2=Bamonte |first2=Suzanne |title=Spokane Our Early History Under All is the Land |publisher=Tornado Creek Publications |location=Spokane, Washington |year=2011 |isbn=978-0982152935 |oclc=759122758|ref=none}}
* {{Cite book |last=Edwards |first=Jonathan |title=Illustrated history of Spokane county |publisher=W.H. Lever |author2=Nelson Durham |year=1900 |location=Spokane, Washington |url=http://www.secstate.wa.gov/history/publications_view.aspx?pub=100&p=314&i=images/publications/SL_edwardsillustrated/directory.djvu |format=[[DJVU]] |isbn=978-1-153-38635-7 |oclc=25321986 |others=Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection|ref=none}}
* {{Cite book |last=MacGibbon |first=Elma |title=Leaves of knowledge |publisher=Shaw & Borden |year=1904 |location=Spokane, Washington |url=http://www.secstate.wa.gov/history/publications%5Fdetail.aspx?p=63 |format=[[DJVU]] |isbn=978-1-110-68499-1 |oclc=61326250 |others=Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection |chapter=Spokane and the Inland Empire|ref=none}}
* {{Cite book |last=Matthews |first=Henry |title=Kirtland Cutter: Architect in the Land of Promise |publisher=University of Washington Press |location=Seattle, Washington |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-295-98766-8 |oclc=38536054 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book |last=Meinig |first=Donald W. |title=The Great Columbia Plain; a historical geography, 1805–1910 |publisher=University of Washington Press |location=Seattle, Washington |year=1968 |isbn=978-0-295-97485-9 |oclc=436410 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book |last=Morrissey |first=Katherine G. |title=Mental Territories: Mapping the Inland Empire |publisher=Cornell University Press |year=1997 |location=Ithaca, New York |url=https://archive.org/details/mentalterritorie0000morr|url-access= registration |quote=Mental Territories: Mapping the Inland Empire. |isbn=978-0-8014-8326-4 |oclc=37187429 |chapter=Inset – Spokane |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book |last=Schmeltzer |first=Michael |title=Spokane: A City for Living |publisher=American & World Geographic Publishing |location=Helena, Montana |year=1996 |isbn=978-1560371052 |oclc=35008269 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book |last=Wang |first=David |title=Sounding Spokane: perspectives on the built environment of a regional city |publisher=Eastern Washington University Press |location=Spokane, Washington |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-910055-85-7 |oclc=51306066 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book |last=Youngs |first=William T. |title=The Fair and the Falls: Spokane Expo '74: Transforming an American environment |publisher=Eastern Washington University Press |location=Cheney, Washington |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-910055-33-8 |oclc=866331426 |ref=none}}
}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|Spokane|collapsible=Yes|voy=Yes}}
* {{Official website|https://my.spokanecity.org/}}
* [http://www.visitspokane.com/ Visit Spokane]
* [http://www.greaterspokane.org/ Greater Spokane Incorporated], Chamber of commerce
* [http://www.historicspokane.org/ City – County of Spokane Historic Preservation Office]
* [http://spokanehistorical.org/ Spokane Historical], A public history project at Eastern Washington University 
* [http://www.communityindicators.ewu.edu/index.cfm Spokane Community Indicators]

{{Spokane}}
{{Spokane County, Washington}}
{{Washington}}
{{All-American City Award Hall of Fame|state=collapsed}}
{{Washington (state) county seats}}{{Portal bar|Washington (state)|Pacific Northwest|United States|North America|Cities|border=Yes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Spokane, Washington| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Spokane County, Washington]]
[[Category:Cities in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:County seats in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Hudson's Bay Company trading posts]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1871]]
[[Category:1871 establishments in Washington Territory]]
[[Category:Ukrainian communities in the United States]]
[[Category:Washington (state) placenames of Native American origin]]