The Fremont Troll is a colossal mixed media statue clutching an actual Volkswagen Beetle, as if it had just swiped it from the road above. Originally, the car held a time capsule, including a plaster bust of Elvis Presley, which was stolen when the sculpture was vandalized.

When Washington Territory was formed in 1853, Olympia was named the provisional territorial capital by Isaac Stevens, Washington's first territorial governor. In 1855, the designation was confirmed by the territorial legislature. Olympia's incorporation as a Town occurred on January 28, 1859.

Seattle is called the "Emerald City" because the city and surrounding areas are filled with greenery all year round, even in the winter due to all the evergreen trees in the area. It is also known as "Jet City" and "Rain City".

Mount St. Helens is most notorious for its major eruption on May 18, 1980, the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in U.S. history. Fifty-seven people were killed, and 250 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles (24 km) of railways, and 185 miles (298 km) of highway were destroyed. A massive debris avalanche also reduced the elevation of the mountain's summit from 9,677 ft (2,950 m) to 8,363 ft (2,549 m), leaving a 1 mile (1.6 km) wide horseshoe-shaped crater.

Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable, pronounced as tone).

When his people were driven from their traditional clamming grounds, Chief Seattle (also spelled Si'ahl) met "Doc" Maynard in Olympia. They formed a friendly relationship, and Maynard persuaded the settlers at the white settlement of Duwamps to rename their town Seattle as a show of support for Chief Seattle's people, establishing relatively peaceful relations with the tribes.

Adopted as the state fish in 1969, the steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is one of the most popular fish for recreational fishing in Washington.

Father's Day was founded in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910, by Sonora Smart Dodd. Her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, was a single parent who raised his six children there. After hearing a sermon about Mother's Day at Central Methodist Episcopal Church, she told her pastor that fathers should have a similar holiday. Although she initially suggested June 5, her father's birthday, the pastors of the Spokane Ministerial Alliance did not have enough time to prepare their sermons, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June.

Washington is the biggest producer of apples, raspberries, and sweet cherries in America. As of 2013, more than 90 percent of America's red raspberries and close to three out of every five apples in the U.S. were grown in Washington. In fact, Washington has led the U.S. in apple production since the 1920s.

The Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum) is found primarily near the Pacific coast, but its range extends to the Cascade Mountains in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.