Washington State, having 6.8 million people living within its borders, is the 13th largest state in the Union in terms of total population, though it ranks 18th in terms of total area and 25th in terms of overall population density. It was ceded to the U.S. in 1846 after Great Britain and the U.S. determined what the boundary of the U.S. and then-British Canada would be. It was admitted to the Union as a state in 1889, thanks mainly to the growth of Seattle, which became one of the largest ports on the west coast during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The economy of Washington State is based primarily on manufacturing and computer software. Agriculture, retail and taxes are also major contributors to the economy; Washington State has a much different tax policy than other states. Other major economic sectors include telecommunications, electronics, aluminum, textiles and clothing manufacturing, other manufacturing firms, biotechnology, lumber, mining, real estate, and – oddly – beverages. Agriculture plays a minor role in the economy, though the state is known for its apples – it is known as the Apple State, among other things.
Almost every major interstate highway goes through Seattle somehow. As the state’s largest city and largest economic sector, Seattle is the lifeblood of the state of Washington. The state, on the whole, has relatively few interstate roads; however, it has a high number of limited-access state highways. This is mainly due to Washington’s unique geographic makeup. The Cascade Mountains bisect the state and create almost two completely different regions, with Western Washington much more heavily populated and more popular in terms of auto transport, and eastern Washington being more rural and arid. I-5 is the primary north-south corridor and passes up from Portland, runs through Vancouver and into Seattle before continuing further north. I-82 is the primary east-west interstate and runs from Seattle in the west across the state and into Idaho, before connecting with I-90 and, eventually, I-84 in northeastern Oregon.
Because of its unique geographic makeup the state of Washington has an interesting climate that can be problematic for auto transporters running east-west routes. Snowfall is relatively uncommon at lower elevations in Seattle and across the western half of the state, but rainfall during the spring is common, as are more mellow temperatures on the whole. Eastern Washington sees less rainfall in the spring but more snowfall in the winter, as well as higher temperatures in the summer months. Auto transport to or from Washington, especially the western half (the more populated half, anyway) is easiest and cheapest from the southern states, especially California, Arizona and New Mexico, because carriers typically will travel up to I-5 and head north through the more populated areas.
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