Spokane Valley is a city in Spokane County, Washington, United States, and the largest suburb of Spokane. It is located east of Spokane, west of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and surrounds the city of Millwood on three sides. Take a look below for 20 awesome and fun facts about Spokane Valley, Washington, United States.
1. The city incorporated as the City of Spokane Valley on March 31, 2003. The Washington State Office of Financial Management estimates the city’s population as 101,060 as of 2019.
2. Spokane Valley is named after the valley of the Spokane River, in which it is located.
3. The city and the general area is colloquially referred to as “The Valley” by residents of the Spokane–Coeur d’Alene area.
4. Spokane Valley hosts a variety of community events such as the Spokane County Interstate Fair, Valleyfest, and the Inland Northwest Craft Beer Festival and is home to the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum and the home ground of the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team.
5. The City of Spokane Valley incorporated on March 31, 2003.
6. At its creation, it was the third-largest newly incorporated city in US history (after Centennial, Colorado, which incorporated in 2001; and Miami Gardens, Florida, which incorporated about five weeks before Spokane Valley).
7. The city formed from combining the urbanized unincorporated areas east of Spokane City, including census-designated places (CDPs) of Dishman, Opportunity, Trentwood, Veradale, part of Greenacres, and East Spokane.
8. The new city boundaries did not include the incorporated areas such as Millwood and Liberty Lake, nor the protected areas such as the Dishman Hills Natural Area.
9. It was initially delayed by a petition from Spokane, because it included the Yardley industrial area, to which Spokane had already extended utilities, and had plans to annex.
10. Prior to the successful vote May 21, 2002, there had been four failed attempts to form a city in the Valley.
11. The main arguments for incorporation centered around increased voice in local governance and the threat of annexation by the City of Spokane.
12. The main arguments against incorporation included contentment with Spokane County provided services and the threat of increased taxes and bureaucracy by the new city. Both sides claimed their opponents’ arguments were entirely untrue scare tactics.
13. The Spokane Islamic Center in Spokane Valley became the first mosque in the Spokane area in 2009.
14. A messianic Jewish synagogue, Synagogue Chavurat HaMashiach, is also located in the city.
15. The greater valley area is also home to the 59th temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dedicated in 1999, which administers 15 regions across eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and northwestern Montana.
16. An organization that is dedicated to cultivating the arts in the city is the Spokane Valley Arts Council, an independent non-profit organization founded in 2004.
17. The council maintains an exhibit of local artists in the CenterPlace Regional Event Center foyer, and commissions sculptures and monuments for community parks and buildings, as well as sponsors an artist showcase auction and fundraiser each October.
18. The City of Spokane Valley was incorporated on March 31, 2003, and operates as a non-charter code city under a council-manager government.
19. Under the council-manager form of government, law making authority is vested in an elected city council and a hired city manager who is responsible to administer and execute the policies and plans of the legislative branch.
20. The city council consists of seven councilmembers whom are elected at-large every two years with four-year terms; Council meetings are held in the Council Chambers of City Hall on Tuesdays at 6pm. The Mayor is appointed from among the councilmembers on a biennial basis at the first meeting of a new council and is the ceremonial leadership position in the city.
