Spokane is located in Eastern Washington about 20 miles west of Idaho and 110 miles south of the Canadian border. Encompassing around 70 square miles, it has been the largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis and between Calgary and Salt Lake City since it was founded in 1810.
The heart of the city is the Spokane River and its beautiful upper and lower falls, which run through the Downtown area and bisect the city. The Spokane area can be characterized by hills, plains, prairies, and coniferous forests. Mount Spokane is the highest peak near the city.
Spokane's climate is impacted by its location between the Cascade Mountain Range to its west and the Rocky Mountains to the East and North. The mountains shield the city from weather patterns experienced in other parts of the Pacific Northwest. The regions sees more distinguishable four seasons than the western part of Washington state. The area averages 16.5 inches of annual precipitation, 48 inches of snow during the winter, and 80-90 degree temperatures during the hottest summer months.
