What States Border Washington

Idaho and Washington share a border along Washington's eastern edge. The boundary follows a straight north-south line along a surveyed meridian through mountainous terrain.

The Washington-Idaho border runs for about 270 miles from British Columbia in the north to Oregon in the south. The border follows a meridian line surveyed in the 1800s. Washington counties along this border include Pend Oreille, Stevens, Spokane, Whitman, and Asotin. The border crosses through the Selkirk Mountains in the north, the Palouse prairie region in the south, and forested areas in between. Spokane, Washington's second-largest city, sits about 18 miles from the Idaho border.

Oregon and Washington are separated primarily by the Columbia River along Washington's southern edge. This mighty river creates one of the most important boundaries in the Pacific Northwest.

The Washington-Oregon border follows the Columbia River for about 300 miles from Idaho in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. The river carved the Columbia River Gorge through the Cascade Mountains, creating one of the most scenic river canyons in North America. A small land border exists in the far southwest corner. Washington counties along this border include Asotin, Garfield, Columbia, Walla Walla, Benton, Klickitat, Skamania, Clark, and Cowlitz. The Tri-Cities area (Kennewick, Pasco, Richland) sits on the Columbia in Washington. Vancouver, Washington sits across the river from Portland, Oregon in the west.

British Columbia and Washington are separated by an international border along Washington's northern edge. The boundary runs east-west across the top of the state, following the 49th parallel north latitude for most of its length.

The Washington-British Columbia border extends for about 425 miles from the Pacific Ocean in the west to Idaho in the east. The border was established by the Oregon Treaty of 1846, which set the U.S.-Canada boundary at the 49th parallel from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Georgia. Washington counties along this border include Whatcom, Okanogan, Ferry, Pend Oreille, and the San Juan Islands. Vancouver, British Columbia (not to be confused with Vancouver, Washington) is a major Canadian city near this border. Blaine, Washington sits directly on the border crossing at Peace Arch. The border crosses through mountains, forests, farmland, and water passages including the Strait of Georgia.

The Pacific Ocean forms Washington's western boundary from British Columbia in the north to Oregon in the south. Washington's coast is less developed than California's or Oregon's southern coast, with much protected as Olympic National Park.

Washington's Pacific coastline stretches about 157 miles of general shoreline. The coast includes sea stacks, tide pools, sandy beaches, and temperate rainforest. Washington counties with Pacific coastline include Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, and Pacific. The Olympic Peninsula dominates the northwestern coast. Major features include the Strait of Juan de Fuca (connecting the Pacific to Puget Sound), Cape Flattery (the northwesternmost point in the continental U.S.), and Long Beach Peninsula. The Columbia River empties into the Pacific at the Washington-Oregon border.