Washington State Nickname: The Evergreen State
Fact-checked • Updated December 16, 2025
"The Evergreen State"
Also Known As:
About the Nickname The Evergreen State
People commonly refer to Washington as The Evergreen State. Dense coniferous forests stay green year-round across much of the state. Douglas fir, western hemlock, and cedar trees dominate the landscape west of the Cascade Mountains.
Meaning of 'The Evergreen State'
The Washington nickname Evergreen State describes forests that keep their needles through winter instead of dropping leaves. Heavy rainfall west of the Cascades creates ideal conditions for conifers. Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, western red cedar, and western hemlock grew in such density that early settlers described traveling through permanent twilight under the canopy.
C.T. Conover, a Seattle real estate developer, promoted the Evergreen State name during the 1890s to attract settlers and investors. He published promotional materials emphasizing Washington's timber resources and green landscape. Newspapers picked up the phrase, and it spread through travel guides and advertisements. Forests covered nearly half of Washington's total area, making timber the backbone of the territorial economy.
The Evergreen State is Washington’s established state nickname. License plates have displayed the phrase since the 1950s without any law requiring it. Some residents question whether the name fits eastern Washington, where sagebrush deserts and wheat fields dominate rather than forests. The Cascade Mountains create such different climates that the two halves of the state look nothing alike.
Other Nicknames
The Chinook State
Traders and settlers in the late 1800s sometimes called Washington the Chinook State after the Native people who controlled the Columbia River region. The Chinook had lived along the river and coast for thousands of years, developing extensive trading networks and controlling prime salmon fishing locations. They created Chinook Jargon, a trade language mixing their own words with French, English, and other tribal languages that became essential for commerce across the Pacific Northwest. Early documents and promotional materials occasionally used Chinook State to describe the territory. A warm winter wind that melts snow rapidly also carries the Chinook name in parts of Washington. The nickname faded as Evergreen State gained popularity, and few modern residents recognize it.
The Green Tree State
Travel writers used Green Tree State occasionally during the early 1900s as a simpler version of Evergreen State. The phrase appeared in brochures and newspaper articles describing Washington's forests to potential visitors and settlers. It meant essentially the same thing but with more straightforward language. Green Tree State never caught on widely, possibly because it sounded too plain or lacked the distinctive quality that made Evergreen State memorable. Historical records from the territorial period mention it sporadically. Modern Washington residents almost never use or recognize this nickname, and it survives mainly in archived documents from early statehood.
Interesting Facts
Fact 1 of 6
The Evergreen State nickname has never been officially adopted by Washington's legislature despite appearing on license plates for decades.
Sources & References
This article has been researched using authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Official Washington state government documentation of state symbols and clarification that the Evergreen State nickname has never been officially adopted by law
Historical documentation of how the Evergreen State nickname developed in the 1890s and its usage despite lacking official legislative designation