Northwestern United States

File:US map-Northwest.PNG

The two dark red states are almost always, and the three striped states usually, included as making up the Northwestern United States.

The Northwestern United States, also known as the American Northwest or simply the Northwest, is an informal geographic region of the United States. The region consistently includes the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Some sources include Southeast Alaska in the Northwest. The related but distinct term Pacific Northwest generally excludes areas from the Rockies eastward, whereas the term "Inland Northwest" excludes areas west of the Cascades.

The Northwestern United States is a subportion of the Western United States (which is, itself, even more ambiguous). In contrast, states included in the neighboring regions (Southwestern United States and Great Plains) and Utah are not simultaneously considered part of both regions.

Like the southwestern United States, the Northwest definition has moved westward over time. The current area includes the old Oregon Territory (created in 1848–Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and areas in Montana west of the Continental Divide). The region is similar to Federal Region X, which comprises Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.

It is home to about 14.3 million people (as of 2016). Some of the fastest growing cities in this region and in the nation include Seattle, Spokane, Bellevue, Tacoma, Kennewick, Pasco, Yakima, Portland, Eugene, Salem, Boise, Idaho Falls, Missoula, Bozeman, and Billings.

Etymology

As the United States' westward expansion, the country's western border also shifted westward, and consequently, so did the location of the Northwestern and Southwestern United States. In the early years of the United States, newly colonized lands lying immediately west of the Allegheny Mountains were detached from Virginia and given the name Northwest Territory. During the decades that followed, the Northwest Territory covered much of the Great Lakes region east of the Mississippi River.

Centers of population

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Seattle, the largest metropolitan area in the Northwest

File:Portland Night panorama.jpg

Portland, the second largest metropolitan area in the Northwest

File:Boise, idaho.jpg

Boise, the third largest metropolitan area in the Northwest

File:SpokaneFromPalisades 20070614.jpg

Spokane, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the Northwest

As of 2016, the Northwestern states have a cumulative population of 14,297,316, with Oregon and Washington accounting for 77% of the entire five-state region's population. As of 2016, there are 25 metropolitan statistical areas in the Northwest with populations of 100,000 or more, none of which are in Wyoming. Since adjacent metropolitan areas often function as one combined agglomeration, the U.S. Census Bureau additionally defines nine combined statistical areas across the Northwest, eight of which having populations of 100,000 or more.

Rank	Combined or Metropolitan Statistical Area	State(s)	Population (2020)
1	Seattle–Tacoma	Washington	4,018,598
2	Portland–Vancouver–Salem	Oregon Washington	2,510,259
3	Boise–Mountain Home–Ontario	Idaho Oregon	770,353
4	Spokane–Spokane Valley–Coeur d'Alene	Washington Idaho	574,585
5	Eugene-Springfield	Oregon	382,986
6	Medford–Grants Pass	Oregon	221,844
7	Kennewick–Pasco–Richland-Walla Walla	Washington	303,501
8	Yakima	Washington	251,879
9	Idaho Falls–Rexburg–Blackfoot	Idaho	155,361
10	Bellingham	Washington	131,016

Presidential elections

(Green indicates Populist Party affiliation, peach indicates the Republican Party, blue indicates the Democratic Party, and plum indicates the Bull Moose Party.)

Presidential electoral votes in the Northwestern States since 1892
Year	Idaho	Montana	Oregon	Washington	Wyoming
1892	style="background:Template:Party color"|Weaver	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harrison	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harrison	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harrison	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harrison
1896	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bryan	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bryan	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|McKinley	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bryan	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bryan
1900	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bryan	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bryan	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|McKinley	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|McKinley	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|McKinley
1904	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|T. Roosevelt	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|T. Roosevelt	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|T. Roosevelt	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|T. Roosevelt	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|T. Roosevelt|
1908	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Taft	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Taft	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Taft	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Taft	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Taft
1912	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Wilson	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Wilson	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Wilson	T. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Wilson
1916	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Wilson	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Wilson	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Hughes	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Wilson	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Wilson
1920	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harding	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harding	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harding	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harding	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harding
1924	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Coolidge	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Coolidge	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Coolidge	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Coolidge	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Coolidge
1928	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Hoover	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Hoover	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Hoover	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Hoover	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Hoover
1932	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt
1936	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt
1940	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt
1944	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|F. Roosevelt	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Dewey
1948	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Truman	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Truman	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Dewey	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Truman	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Truman
1952	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"| Eisenhower	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Eisenhower	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"| Eisenhower	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Eisenhower	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Eisenhower
1956	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"| Eisenhower	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Eisenhower	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"| Eisenhower	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Eisenhower	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Eisenhower
1960	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon
1964	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Johnson	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Johnson	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Johnson	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Johnson	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Johnson
1968	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Humphrey	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon
1972	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Nixon
1976	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Ford	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Ford	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Ford	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Ford	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Ford
1980	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Reagan	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Reagan	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Reagan	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Reagan	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Reagan
1984	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Reagan	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Reagan	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Reagan	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Reagan	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Reagan
1988	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bush	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bush	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Dukakis	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Dukakis	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bush
1992	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bush	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Clinton	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Clinton	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Clinton	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bush
1996	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Dole	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Dole	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Clinton	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Clinton	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Dole
2000	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bush	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bush	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Gore	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Gore	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bush
2004	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bush	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bush	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Kerry	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Kerry	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Bush
2008	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|McCain	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|McCain	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Obama	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Obama	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|McCain
2012	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Romney	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Romney	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Obama	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Obama	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Romney
2016	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Trump	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Trump	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Clinton	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Clinton	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Trump
2020	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Trump	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Trump	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Biden	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Biden	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Trump
2024	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Trump	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Trump	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harris	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Harris	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|Trump

See also

• List of online encyclopedias of U.S. states
• Northwest Territorial Imperative, a proposed White ethnostate in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho and a portion of Montana), proposed by many white nationalists
• American Redoubt, a proposed political migration movement that designates Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, along with parts of Oregon and Washington, as a safe haven for conservative Christians

Further reading

• Lavender, David. Land of Giants: The Drive to the Pacific Northwest, 1750- 1950 (1958) online
• Schwantes, Carlos. The Pacific Northwest: An Interpretive History (1996) online
• Warren, Sidney. Farthest Frontier: The Pacific Northwest (1949) online
• Winther, Oscar Osburn. The great northwest: a history (Greenwood Press, 1981)