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Adams
County
Adams
County's Web Site
16th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Ritzville |
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Adams
County, a land of broad wheat fields and irrigated plains, is located in
southeastern Washington. It was named in honor of President John Adams and
created by act of the Washington Territorial Legislature on November 28,
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Asotin
County
Asotin
County's Web Site
35th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Asotin |
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Asotin
County, a land of wheat fields, highland pastures and forested mountains,
is located in the southeastern corner of Washington. The name
"Asotin" is a
Nez Pierce tribe word meaning "Eel
Creek." The county was created by act of
the Washington Territorial
Legislature on October 27, 1883.
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Benton
County
Benton
County's Web Site
21st
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Prosser |
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Benton
County, a land of Yakima River Valley plains, Columbia River bench lands,
and Horse Heaven Hills plateaus, is located in south central Washington.
It
was named in honor of Thomas H. Benton, U.S. Senator from Missouri in the
1840's, who was an advocate of far-western development. Benton County was
created by the Washington State Legislature on March 8, 1905.
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Chelan
County
Chelan
County's Web Site
3rd
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Wenatchee |
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Chelan County, a land of scenic Cascade Mountains, irrigated valleys and
Columbia River terraces, is located in north central Washington.
"Chelan" is a Native-American name meaning "deep water", given to a large glacial
lake which is a scenic feature. The county was created by the Washington
State Legislature on March 13, 1899.
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Clallam
County
Clallam
County's Web Site
20th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Port Angeles |
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Clallam
County, a land of forested Olympic Mountains, Pacific Ocean shores, and
river valleys, is located on the northern end of the Olympic Peninsula in
northwestern Washington. Klallam, from which the county name is derived,
means "strong people." The county was created by the Territorial
Legislature on April 26, 1854.
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Clark
County
Clark
County's Web Site
34th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Vancouver |
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Clark
County, with its lower Columbia River bottom and bench lands, and
forested
Cascade foothills, is located on the border of southwestern Washington.
The county was named after the U.S. Army Officer, Captain William Clark,
whose expedition descended the Columbia River in November 1805. The area
was organized into Clark County by the Oregon Territorial government in
1850.
Early maps from the late 1800's show the spelling of this county as
Clarke.
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Columbia
County
Columbia
County's Web Site
31st
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Dayton |
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Columbia
County, located in the Blue Mountain region of southeastern Washington,
has an agricultural/timber based economy. It was named for the great
"River of the West", and was created by act of the Washington
Territorial Legislature on November 11, 1875.
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Cowlitz
County
Cowlitz
County's Web Site
28th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Kelso |
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Cowlitz
County is an area of fertile bottom lands and forested Coast and
Cascade
Range country in southwestern Washington. The name was adopted from the
Native-American Cow e liskee or Cow e liske, meaning river of shifting sands. The
area was established as Cowlitz County by the Washington
Territorial
Legislature on April 22, 1854.
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Douglas
County
Douglas
County's Web Site
17th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Waterville |
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Douglas
County is located in north central Washington in a dry region generally
termed "the Big Bend Country." It was named after Stephen A.
Douglas, U.S. Senator and political leader of Illinois. On November 23,
1883, what is now Douglas and Grant Counties was created by the
Territorial Legislature as
Douglas County.
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Ferry
County
Ferry
County's Web Site
9th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Republic |
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Ferry
County, land of Okanogan highlands and valleys, borders Canada in the
northeastern region of Washington. The county was created by the
Washington Legislature on February 21, 1899. The legislative act named the
new county in honor of Elisha P. Ferry, the first Governor of the State of
Washington.
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Franklin
County
Franklin
County's Web Site
27th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Pasco |
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Franklin
County is an important area of irrigated agriculture and dry land wheat
farming located in the southern part of the Columbia Basin of central
Washington. Named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, Franklin County was
created by act of the Washington Territorial Legislature on November 28,
1883.
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Garfield
County
Garfield
County's Web Site
33rd
Largest County
by Area - County Seat: Pomeroy |
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Garfield
County is located in the Palouse Hills and Blue Mountains regions of
Southeastern Washington. Named in honor of President James A. Garfield,
the county was created by act of the Washington Territorial Legislature on
November 29, 1881.
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Grant
County
Grant
County's Web Site
4th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Ephrata |
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Grant
County, a land of irrigated plains, coulees, and dry uplands, is located
in central Washington. Named in honor of President Ulysses S. Grant, Grant
County was created by the State Legislature on February 24, 1909.
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Grays
Harbor County
Grays
Harbor County's Web Site
15th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Montesano |
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Grays
Harbor County is made up of the Chehalis River Valley, tidewater plains
and bays, and the forested uplands of the Coast Range on the Pacific Coast
of southwestern Washington. This county was original incorporated as
Chehalis County around 1858, then was renamed in 1915 by a legislative act
to Grays
Harbor County after Captain Robert Gray.
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Island
County
Island
County's Web Site
38th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Coupeville |
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Island
County consists of two major islands in Puget Sound in northwestern
Washington. One of the two islands is Whidbey; the other is Camano. Island
County was created by the Oregon Territorial Legislature on January 6,
1853.
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Jefferson
County
Jefferson
County's Web Site
18th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Port Townsend |
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Jefferson
County, a land of forested mountains and seashores, is located in the
central portion of the Olympic Peninsula in northwestern Washington.
American settlers petitioned successfully for a county government and the
Oregon
Territorial Legislature proclaimed Jefferson a county December 22,
1852, shortly before Washington Territory was established by Congress in
1853.
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King
County
King
County's Web Site
12th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Seattle |
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King
County a land of Puget Sound shores, lakes, valley lowlands, and forested
Cascade Mountains, is located in west central Washington. King County was
created by the Oregon Territorial Legislature on December 22, 1852, and
named in honor of William R. King, Vice-President of the U.S. from 1852 to
1856.
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Kitsap
County
Kitsap
County's Web Site
36th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Port Orchard |
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Kitsap
County is a forested glacial till plain and a peninsular area located in
the center of Puget Sound to the immediate west of Seattle. Two prominent
land forms, the Kitsap Peninsula and Bainbridge Island, make up this
maritime
county of inlets and islands. Kitsap County, name for
Native-American
Chief Kitsap (meaning "brave"), was created by the Territorial
Legislature on January 16, 1857.
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Kittitas
County
Kittitas
County's Web Site
7th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Ellensburg |
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Kittitas
County, a land of forested Cascade Mountains and upper Yakima River Valley
plains, is located in central Washington. Kittitas County was separated
from Yakima County on November 24, 1883.
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Klickitat
County
Klickitat
County's Web Site
14th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Goldendale |
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Klickitat
County is located in south-central Washington between the Cascade
Mountains and the Horse Heaven Hills. It runs along the Columbia River
Gorge bordering Oregon. The county was named after the Klickitat
Native-American
tribe and in 1859 became a separate county government.
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Lewis
County
Lewis
County's Web Site
6th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Chehalis |
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Lewis
County, a land of forested Cascade and Coast Range Mountains and Chehalis
and Cowlitz River Valley plains, is located in southwestern
Washington.
The Oregon Territorial Legislature created Lewis County on December 18,
1845.
Lewis was the first county in WA State to be created.
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Lincoln
County
Lincoln
County's Web Site
8th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Davenport |
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Lincoln
County, a land of broad wheat fields, is located in the Big Bend region
of
eastern Washington. Named in honor of President Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln
County was created by the Washington Territorial Legislature on November
24, 1883.
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Mason
County
Mason
County's Web Site
29th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Shelton |
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Mason
County is made up of Puget Sound inlets, river valleys, and forested
foothills of the Olympic Mountains. In 1854, the Territorial Legislature
established Sawamish County, which was renamed Mason County in 1864.
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Okanogan
County
Okanogan
County's Web Site
1st
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Okanogan |
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Okanogan
County, a land of forested highlands and valley farmlands, is located on
the Canadian border of north central Washington. The name means
"rendezvous" and refers to the place where the Okanogan River
joins the Columbia. The Washington Territorial Legislature created
Okanogan County on February 2, 1888.
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Pacific
County
Pacific
County's Web Site
30th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: South Bend |
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Pacific
County is a land of tidewater plains and bays and Coastal Range hills at the
mouth of the Columbia River in southwestern Washington. The county was
named after the Pacific Ocean which it borders. Pacific County was
established in 1851, being the third county to be created in the present
Washington area.
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Pend
Oreille County
Pend
Oreille County's Web Site
25th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Newport |
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Pend Oreille County, in the Okanogan
Highland Valley, is located in the
northeast corner of the state. The
county was named by a French trapper
who discovered a Native-American
tribe in the area wearing dangling
earring
pendants, and therefore
named it after these devices. Pend
Oreille was established as a county
on November 11, 1911.
Pend Oreille was the last county in WA
State to be created.
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Pierce
County
Pierce
County's Web Site
24th
Largest
County by Area - County Seat: Tacoma |
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Pierce
County, a land of Puget Sound shores, glaciated plains, and the high
Cascades of the Mount Rainier region, is located in western Washington.
The Oregon Territorial Legislature created Pierce County December 22,
1852,
shortly before Washington Territory was created by Congress in 1853.
It was named in honor of Franklin Pierce, fourteenth President of the
United States.
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San
Juan County
San
Juan County's Web Site
39th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Friday Harbor |
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San
Juan County consists of an archipelago of 172 islands in the maritime
waters of northwestern Washington. It was named by Spanish explorers who
entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca in 1790, San Juan County was officially
established as a separate county by act of the Washington Territorial
Legislature on October 31, 1873.
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Skagit
County
Skagit
County's Web Site
22nd
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Mount Vernon |
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Skagit
County, a land of Puget Sound islands, reclaimed tidal lands, wide
valleys, and forested Cascade Mountains, is located in northwestern
Washington. The Washington Territorial Legislature created Skagit County
on November 28, 1883. It was named after its most important geographic
feature,
the waterway and the wide, fertile valley of the Skagit River.
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Skamania
County
Skamania
County's Web Site
23rd
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Stevenson |
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Skamania County, located in the southwestern portion of the state, lies
entirely within the Cascade Mountains and is bordered on the south by
the Columbia River Gorge. Skamania a Native-American word meaning "swift river" and
refers
to the swift currents of the Columbia River. The county was created
on March 5, 1854 by the Washington Territorial Legislature.
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Snohomish
County
Snohomish
County's Web Site
13th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Everett |
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Snohomish
County, land of Puget Sound shores, valley lowlands and forested
mountains, is located in northwestern Washington. It was created by the
Washington Territorial Legislature on January 14, 1861, and is named for
the Snohomish Native-American tribe and the river which bears their name.
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Spokane
County
Spokane
County's Web Site
19th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Spokane |
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Spokane
County, at the center of the "Inland Empire," includes parts of
the Spokane Valley plains, Okanogan and Selkirk Highlands, and fertile
Palouse
Hills of eastern Washington. The Washington Territorial
Legislature first created Spokane County on January 29, 1858, from the
northeastern part of Walla Walla County. In 1864, Spokane was reorganized
as part of Stevens County. In 1879,
it was re-created again as Spokane
County. Spokane, in the language of the Spokane Native-Americans, means "Chief
of the Sun." It was derived from a famous chief of the Middle Spokane
Tribe, Illim Spokanee.
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Stevens
County
Stevens
County's Web Site
5th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Colville |
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Stevens
County, land of upper Columbia River tributary valleys and forested
Okanogan highlands, borders Canada in the northeastern section of
Washington. Named in honor of Isaac I. Stevens, first territorial Governor
of Washington, Stevens County was created by the Legislature of the
Territory on January 20, 1863.
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Thurston
County
Thurston
County's Web Site
32nd
Largest
County by Area - County Seat: Olympia |
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Thurston
County occupies an area of glacial plains, Coast Range, and Cascade
Mountains located at the southern extremity of Puget Sound in western
Washington. The Oregon Territorial Legislature created Thurston County on
January 12, 1852. It was named in honor of Samuel R. Thurston, first
delegate from Oregon Territory to Congress.
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Wahkiakum
County
Wahkiakum
County's Web Site
37th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Cathlamet |
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Wahkiakum
County is a land of forested Coast Range hills and valley bottoms located
near the mouth of the Columbia River in southwestern Washington. Wahkiakum
means "tall timber" in the Chinook Native-American language. The County
of Wahkiakum as a government was created by the Washington
Territorial
Legislature on April 25, 1854.
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Walla
Walla County
Walla
Walla County's Web Site
26th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Walla Walla |
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Walla
Walla County is located on the Columbia Plateau and in the Blue
Mountain
region of southeastern Washington. Its unusual name comes from the Sahaptin
Native-American language and means "a place of many waters." The original
boundaries of Walla Walla County, as created in 1854, included all the
present counties of Washington east of the Cascades. The present
boundaries were created in 1875.
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Whatcom
County
Whatcom
County's Web Site
11th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Bellingham |
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Whatcom County, a land of inland
seashores, forested mountains, and
the
fertile Nooksack Valley, is
located on the Canadian border of
northwestern Washington. Whatcom
County was created by the Washington
Territorial Legislature on March 9,
1854. The name is from the
Native-American, meaning "noisy
waters," given to Whatcom Creek on
Bellingham Bay.
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Whitman
County
Whitman
County's Web Site
10th
Largest County by Area - County Seat: Colfax |
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Whitman
County, rich land of large wheat fields, is located in the Palouse Hills
region of southeastern Washington. The Washington Territorial Legislature
created Whitman County on November 29, 1871. It was named in honor of the
massacred missionary, Marcus Whitman, who had introduced Christianity to
this portion of Washington.
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Yakima
County
Yakima
County's Web Site
2nd
Largest
County by Area - County Seat: Yakima |
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Yakima
County, a state and national leader in several farm products, is located
in south central Washington. Named after the Yakima Native-Americans, whose large
reservation covers nearly 39 percent of the area, the county lies partly
in
the Cascade Range and partly in up folded ridges and a broad irrigated
valley of the Columbia Plateau. Yakima, as a name, is from the
Native-American word
"eyakima" meaning "well fed people." Yakima County was
created by the Washington Territorial Legislature on January 21, 1865.
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