Spokane, the state's second largest city and the largest city on the "dry side", is located in eastern Washington. Protected by the Cascade Mountains to the west and the Rockies to the east, Spokane offers a pleasant climate with more hours of daylight than any other major US city. Spokane (Indian word meaning "children of the sun") enjoys almost 100 days a year without a cloud in the sky. The overall weather is generally dry and warm in summer, cold and moderately humid in winter. Most of the precipitation falls between October and March 1st and half of that is snowfall.

Spokane has many architecturally distinct residential areas with the fine streetscapes and vistas that can be found in the Browne's Addition, the Hill, Rockwood, and Manito Park districts.