Central Waterfront in downtown Seattle, Washington's
largest city

Washington is the 42nd state of the United States of America. It is located on the West Coast of the country, in a region known as the Pacific Northwest that is known for its lush rainforests and gorgeous landscape that give some of the best sceneries in the world.

Washington is known by the nickname the “Evergreen State” for its abundance of evergreen trees that dominate the rainforests. The abundance of rain in the region, with some areas receiving as much as 160 inches of precipitation annually, also helps keeps its vegetation green throughout the year.

To distinguish it from Washington, D.C., the U.S. capital, the state is commonly referred to as Washington state or sometimes the State of Washington. The state was also named “Columbia” after the Columbia River; however, it was renamed “Washington” after George Washington, the first President of the United States, to avoid confusion with the District of Columbia.

Even before the arrival of European settlers into the area, the land that would become Washington was populated by tribes of Native Americans who hunted the area for seals, deer, and salmon fishing. In the 17th century, Spanish explorers led by Captain Don Bruno de Heceta and British explorers led by Captain James Cook arrived and claimed swaths of the coastal lands. In 1790, Spain ended its claims in the territory following the British-Spanish Nootka Convention and opened the coast to explorers and traders from other nations.

A century later, in 1889, Washington was admitted into the union as the 42nd state of the U.S.

Washington Military Boarding Schools

Due to a thriving economy, the educational system of Washington is well developed. It has several military schools and programs offered by private institutions all over the state. The influence of several major military installations in the state, notably Fairchild and McChord of the U.S. Air Force, Fort Lewis of the U.S. Army, Kitsap, Everett and Whidbey Island of the U.S. Navy, and other large military related reservations including Yakima Training Center and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, are also major influences for military education in the state.

Currently, there are dozens of private military schools, college prep military schools, public elementary military schools, as well as military programs offered by state colleges in Washington. To find a military boarding school, just click on any of the links below.