Welcome to Eastern Washington Windermere

SPOKANE COUNTY

County Offices
1116 W Broadway Avenue
Spokane 509-477-3698
https://www.spokanecounty.org/

Chamber of Commerce
801 W. Riverside
Spokane 509-624-1393
https://greaterspokane.org/

Home to Washington State’s second largest city, Spokane County serves as a hub of healthcare, business, industry, and culture for Eastern Washington and the entire Inland Northwest. This area of remarkable natural beauty is 92 miles from the US-Canada border and 18 miles from the Washington-Idaho border. Businesses and residents enjoy first-rate transportation facilities via Interstate 90 from Seattle to downtown Spokane, then east to Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and Coeur d’ Alene in Idaho. Other major thoroughfares include U.S. Highways 2, 395, and 195. The latter is known as the Inland Empire Highway and connects to Interstate 90 west of Spokane and travels south through the Palouse. Commercial airline service is available at Spokane International Airport.

Recent years have seen an increase in business and residential growth, fueled in part by newcomers from West Coast cities who appreciate more affordable housing, easier commutes, and four-season outdoor recreation. The county’s economic strength blends military activity at Fairchild Air Force Base with manufacturing, health sciences, services, information technology, and digital media. With job creation and entrepreneurial activity both on the rise, Spokane County now houses the eastern branch for Innovate Washington, the state-supported business incubator. The leading city of Spokane has been the epicenter of expansion and renovations in recent years, from Riverfront Park to Kendall Yards—a thriving urban neighborhood of gathering places, art walks, parks and open spaces.

Services

First-rate healthcare services and resources are anchored by the two largest hospitals just south of downtown Spokane. Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center ensures access to world-class care including a regional transplant center and the only Level II Pediatric Trauma Center and Level IV NICU in Eastern Washington. The 632-bed general hospital employs more than 4,000 professionals and support staff along with more than 800 specialists and primary physicians. Services include emergency care, Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, women’s health, specialized centers for robotic/minimally invasive surgery, cardiology, orthopedic surgery, stroke center, neuroscience, and cancer care. The 388-bed MultiCare Deaconess Hospital combines passionate service with state-of-the-art clinical care including a Level III trauma center, chest pain center, total joint restoration center, stroke center, maternal fetal medicine program, Level III Neonatal ICU, and the area’s only national accreditation in bariatric surgery. Located on the north side of Spokane, Providence Holy Family Hospital offers a full range of medical and surgical services. Other major resources serving the county include Valley Hospital and Medical Center in Spokane Valley, a Shriners Hospitals for Children, the Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute.

Residents of all ages enjoy access to quality public and private educational opportunities, from preschool through college and professional training. Options for parochial or private school education include Saint George’s School, an independent college-preparatory day school for K-12 with small classes, arts taught by professionals, and varsity sports. Career training and two-year transfer degrees are available on two campus for Community Colleges of Spokane: Spokane Community College (SCC) and Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC). In addition to the main campus in Spokane, SCC serves rural Eastern Washington with four centers while SFCC has centers on Fairchild Air Force Base and in Pullman. The campus for Eastern Washington University (EWU) is located 15 miles southwest of Spokane in Cheney, although EWU and Washington State University are both represented on Spokane’s Riverpoint Campus. In fact, Spokane is the location of WSU Health Sciences including the schools for nursing and pharmacy and the college of medicine. Three outstanding private colleges are located within the county, including Gonzaga University and Whitworth University. As an extension of Japan’s Mukogawa Women’s University, the Mukogawa U.S. Campus Spokane focuses on English language competence and reciprocal cultural understanding.

Lifestyle

Surrounded by majestic mountain ranges, Spokane County offers more sunshine and receives about half the rainfall of Seattle. Regional recreational destinations include Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Colville National Forest, and Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. For weekend getaways, Mount Rainier National Park is less than a five-hour drive. Riverfront Park headlines a long list of local attractions, with gondola rides, a 1909 Looff Carrousel, a meandering 16-foot wide Skate Ribbon with attached pond, and Providence Playscape designed for physical and social inclusion. Mobius Science Center is another gem, filled with exhibits for hands-on exploration and discovery. World-class golf, fishing, hiking, biking rafting, kayaking, ziplining, winter sports, and camping combine with urban attractions like Discovery Playground at Mirabeau Point Park, Cat Tales Zoological Park, Manito Park and Botanical Gardens, and Blue Zoo Aquarium. Mount Spokane State Park features 90 miles of bike trails and 100 miles of hiking and horse trails. The 40-mile Centennial Trail features 18 trailheads for paths covering Washington and Idaho terrain. Spectator sport thrills are available at Spokane County Raceway or collegiate as well as professional and semi-professional team excitement. When shopping is the sport, the county offers everything from sprawling malls to vintage shops, local boutiques, and colorful farmers markets.

Spokane County is equally rich in cultural attractions that support vibrant performing and visual arts including scores of fine galleries that draw enthusiastic crowds to monthly Art Walks. Leading museums include Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, the interactive Historic Flight Museum, and Jundt Art Museum on the Gonzaga University campus—also the location of Bing Crosby’s childhood home and Memorabilia Room. Downtown Spokane is home to First Interstate Center for the Arts with a 2,700-seat theater for events and performances including Broadway shows. The Davenport Arts District offers a cluster of premier venues like the Knitting Factory, Fox Theater, and Bing Cosby Theater. Restored to its original 1933 Art Deco beauty, Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox is home to the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. Other talented groups include the Spokane Jazz Orchestra, Modern Theater company, and Spokane Civic Theatre. For outdoor entertainment, Spokane offers the Pavilion at Riverfront while Spokane Valley is home to the CenterPlace Regional Event Center. One of the area’s proudest distinctions is the Historic Davenport Hotel, where timeless elegance meets a century of glamour in the Autograph Collection of film stars, writers, and politicians. Throughout the county, newcomers will find urban, suburban, and rural settings for a wide variety of homes from townhomes and modest bungalows to exclusive gated community living. For an outstanding quality of life today and continued prosperity and growth tomorrow, few places can rival Spokane County.

COMMUNITIES

Airway Heights
Municipal Offices
509-244-5578
http://www.cawh.org/

Chamber of Commerce
509-747-8480
https://westplainschamber.org/
The small but growing community of Airway Heights has appropriately taken “Honoring the past, embracing the future” as its trademark. The city name reflects its location in close proximity to the world of aerospace activity and runways at Fairchild Air Force Base and Spokane International Airport. Located in the West Plains area of Spokane, the city is traversed by Highway 2 just minutes away from Interstate 90. Residents can also access Spokane Transit Authority bus service between downtown Spokane as far west as Fairchild Air Force Base. Children in Airway Heights are served by the Cheney School District in nearby Cheney. The nearest major hospital is only a 10-minute drive from home at MultiCare Deaconess Hospital in Spokane. Key facilities that bring local residents together for enrichment and recreation include the Airway Heights Library and an active Airway Heights Parks & Recreation. The local Spokane County Raceway is one of the largest tracks in the Inland Northwest. Minutes from home, residents can access a world of cultural, entertainment, shopping, and recreational amenities in Spokane.

Cheney
Municipal Offices
509-498-9200
https://www.cityofcheney.org/

Chamber of Commerce
509-747-8480
https://westplainschamber.org/
Located just 17 miles southwest of the city of Spokane, the welcoming city of Cheney draws newcomers to a lively college town. Incorporated in 1883, the city excels in architectural charm and offers walking tour brochures of its downtown district and the campus of Eastern Washington University (EWU). The presence of EWU enriches the community intellectually, culturally, and socially including a calendar of special events, performing arts, and activities. Downtown Cheney has evolved into an appealing “university district” hosting festivals, farm-fresh markets, and locally owned businesses. The city also serves as a regional gateway to the Columbia Plateau and Fish Lake trails, both of which explore the unique geology of the Great Ice Age Floods. Recreational opportunities are anchored by an active Parks & Recreation Department with seven parks, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and sports fields. While MultiCare Deaconess Hospital in Spokane is available for advanced care, most needs can be met at MultiCare Rockwood Cheney Clinic. In addition to accommodating 10,000 college students each year, Cheney offers a welcoming home to many Fairchild Air Force Base military personnel and their families.

Deer Park
Municipal Offices
509-276-8801
https://www.cityofdeerparkwa.com/

Chamber of Commerce
509-276-5900
http://deerparkchamber.com/
The small but growing city of Deer Park welcomes newcomers to a close-knit community north of Spokane that gathers often for festivals and celebrations around the calendar year. Popular events include Winterfest, Fourth of July, Pumpkin Lane, the Kiwanis-sponsored Helmet Drive, a summer concert series, and Settlers Day—one of the oldest parades in Washington State. The city features acres of beautiful parks, a swimming pool, and an 18-hole golf course with RV park. Home to a general aviation airport, the city also offers an industrial park that is continually expanding to accommodate new business and development. Most healthcare needs can be met at Deer Park Family Care Clinic, established by local physicians who merged their practices. Over the years the Clinic has grown to serve as one of the largest primary care providers in the area. Children and youth receive a quality education in the Deer Park School District, which includes an Early Learning Center with an all-inclusive model preschool for income eligible and/or developmentally qualified children age three and four. Nearby Spokane adds a world of recreational, educational, cultural, and shopping amenities.

Liberty Lake
Municipal Offices
509-755-6700
https://www.libertylakewa.gov/

Chamber of Commerce
509-924-4994
https://spokanevalleychamber.org/
Just 20 minutes from downtown Spokane, Liberty Lake offers a growing community where the local government partners with residents and businesses to enhance quality of life and economic vitality. The city supports leading-edge technology and a progressive business environment, including first-rate healthcare close to home at MultiCare Rockwood Liberty Lake Clinic. As Liberty Lake continues to expand, planners are dedicated to preserving the natural environment and harmonizing architectural design with green space. Local highlights include a full-service library, quality education in the Central Valley School District, golf courses, and beautiful Pavilion Park for outdoor activities and community events. This bicycle friendly community also offers a central business district within a half-mile walkable radius for dining, services, and shopping. Located just a mile west of the Washington-Idaho border, Liberty Lake serves as a suburb of Spokane but also a bedroom community to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Along with an open landscape that commands mountain views, residents enjoy the beauty of the lake for which the community was named.

Medical Lake
Municipal Offices
509-565-5000
https://medical-lake.org/

Chamber of Commerce
509-924-4994
https://spokanevalleychamber.org/
The small community of Medical Lake is located just south of Fair Child Air Force Base, making it a convenient home for military personnel and their families. Although this historic town is poised for suburban development, most residents seem to prefer its quiet ambiance. The city nestles in a picturesque area on the West Plains of Spokane County that is dotted with lakes and ponds, including the community’s namesake Medical Lake just a block from Main Street. Local shops and services ensure a convenient lifestyle and the city is home to several wonderful lakefront recreational amenities. Medical Lake is the site of one of Spokane County’s most popular parks with a beautiful setting for picnics and a sandy beach, while Coney Island Park on the east shore of the lake offers a wildlife-rich viewing area in the heart of the business district. Medical Trail Access System encircles the entire lake with four miles of paved trails for walking, cycling, or jogging. Nearby Spokane expands the opportunities for advanced healthcare services along with world-class entertainment, cultural, shopping, and dining experiences.

Spokane
Municipal Offices
509-755-2489
https://my.spokanecity.org/

Chamber of Commerce
509-624-1393
https://greaterspokane.org/
Known as the birthplace of Father’s Day and nicknamed Lilac City, Spokane is proud of its historic architecture, cultural enrichment, recreational amenities, premier healthcare, and educational advantages. Highlights include Riverfront and Manito parks, Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, the Davenport Hotel, and the Fox and Bing Crosby theaters. Residents also enjoy a vast system of 87 parks totaling 4,100 acres with six neighborhood aquatic centers. The city is filled with unique attractions, like the juried Spokane International Film Festival and a skywalk system covering 13 blocks of the downtown area—one of the nation’s longest. Healthcare and education are economic mainstays, with regional medical centers, Gonzaga and Whitworth private universities, two campuses for Community Colleges of Spokane, and expansion centers for Washington State University and Eastern Washington University. Many of the city’s areas and structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including older downtown neighborhoods with Romanesque Revival-style buildings designed by architect Kirtland Kelsey Cutter. With a location near premier mountain recreational destinations, world-class services, endless attractions, and attractive selection of homes and settings, Spokane is a Western city on the rise.

Spokane Valley
Municipal Offices
509-720-5000
https://www.spokanevalley.org/

Chamber of Commerce
509-924-4994
https://spokanevalleychamber.org/
One of the largest suburbs in metropolitan Spokane, “The Valley” is situated east of Spokane and west of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Incorporated in 2001, Spokane Valley blossomed quickly into one of Washington State’s largest cities. Many newcomers were drawn to the area’s abundance of attractive new subdivisions and developments, although many of the older neighborhoods offer mature greenery and enough history for architectural character. Some of the finest properties in the city are located along the Spokane River and above Sprague Avenue in elevations toward the hills. Colorful events and celebrations fill the annual calendar including Valleyfest, Cycle Celebration, Crave Food & Drink Celebration, and a popular farmers market. Residents enjoy easy access to a world of outdoor adventures from hiking and biking to hunting, fishing, and camping. Abundant parks, trails, Spokane River watersports, great golfing, and affordable ski resorts are all close to home. World-class services and amenities are minutes away including regional medical centers, private universities, Spokane’s University District expansion centers, community colleges, and a world of cultural enrichment.