Spokane

Spokane

Spokane (/spoʊˈkæn/ ⓘ spoh-KAN)[8] is the most populous city in and seat of government of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, 92 miles (148 km) south of the Canadian border, 18 miles (30 km) west of the Washington–Idaho border, and 279 miles (449 km)[9] east of Seattle, along Interstate 90. Spokane is the economic and cultural center of the Spokane metropolitan area, the Spokane–Coeur d'Alene combined statistical area, and the Inland Northwest. It is known as the birthplace of Father's Day, and locally by the nickname of "Lilac City".[10] Officially, Spokane goes by the nickname of Hooptown USA, due to Spokane annually hosting Spokane Hoopfest, the world's largest basketball tournament.[11] The city and the wider Inland Northwest area are served by Spokane International Airport, 5 miles (8 km) west of Downtown Spokane, which is located near another airfield at Fairchild Air Force Base. According to the 2010 census, Spokane had a population of 208,916,[12] making it the second-most populous city in Washington,[13] and the 97th-largest city in the United States.[14] At the 2020 census, Spokane's population was 228,989.[4] A 2023 estimate sets the population of the Spokane Metropolitan Area at 600,292.[15]