Spanaway, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spanaway, Washington
CDP
Location of Spanaway, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Pierce
Area
• Total	8.7 sq mi (22.5 km2)
• Land	8.3 sq mi (21.6 km2)
• Water	0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2)
Elevation	381 ft (116 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	35,476
• Density	4,078/sq mi (1,577/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98387
Area code	253/564
FIPS code	53-66255
GNIS feature ID	1512680

Spanaway is a community in Pierce County, Washington, United States. It is called a "census-designated place" (CDP). This means it is a place that the government counts for the census, but it is not officially a city.

In 2020, about 35,476 people lived in Spanaway. This was a big jump from 27,227 people in 2010. Spanaway is close to Tacoma. It is often thought of together with Parkland, another nearby community.

The main road in Spanaway is Pacific Avenue South. This road goes north and south and is also known as State Route 7.

History of Spanaway

Early Days and Native Roots

The Hudson's Bay Company used to control this area until 1863. Their maps show a place called "Spanueh Station" near "Spanueh Lake." This name came from the native Lushootseed word spadue. It means "dug roots," referring to a place where people could find edible roots like camas.

Renaming Attempts and Lake Park

The first white settler, Henry de la Bushalier, tried to name the lake after himself. But this name did not stick after he passed away.

In 1890, the area was renamed "Lake Park." A company bought land near the lake and built a train line. They wanted to create a fun "recreation mecca" by the lake.

Gateway to Mount Rainier

When Mount Rainier National Park was created in 1899, tourists would take the train to Lake Park. From there, they would travel for two days to reach Mount Rainier. This made Spanaway the first "gateway" to the famous mountain. Travelers used a stagecoach and stopped overnight in Eatonville.

Official Name Change

Even though the U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially recognized "Lake Park" in 1897, people kept using the name "Spanaway." So, in 1970, the Board finally changed the official name to Spanaway.

In recent years, there have been efforts to make Spanaway and its neighboring areas into an official city.

Geography and Location

Spanaway covers about 8.7 square miles (22.6 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Communities Near Spanaway

Spanaway is surrounded by several other communities:

	Lakewood	Parkland	Puyallup
	McChord Air Force Base		Frederickson
		Spanaway
	Fort Lewis	Elk Plain	Graham

Population Information

In 2000, there were 21,588 people living in Spanaway. About 40% of the homes had children under 18. The average age of people in Spanaway was 33 years old.

Famous People from Spanaway

Many talented people have come from Spanaway, including:

• Mike Blowers, a professional baseball player
• Jerry Cantrell, a guitarist for the band Alice In Chains
• Ezra Cleveland, an NFL football player
• Jacob Castro, a soccer player
• Derrike Cope, a NASCAR race car driver
• Jo Koy, a stand-up comedian
• Rick Story, a mixed martial arts fighter
• Vinnie Chas, a bass player for the band Pretty Boy Floyd

Education in Spanaway

Most public schools in Spanaway are part of the Bethel School District.

Elementary Schools

• Camas Prairie Elementary School
• Centennial Elementary School
• Clover Creek Elementary School
• Evergreen Elementary School (This school won a National Blue Ribbon Award in 2018!)
• Naches Trail Elementary School
• Pioneer Valley Elementary School
• Shining Mountain Elementary School
• Spanaway Elementary School
• Thompson Elementary School

Middle Schools

• Bethel Middle School
• Cedarcrest Middle School
• Liberty Middle School
• Spanaway Middle School
• Cougar Mountain Middle School

High Schools

• Bethel High School
• Challenger Secondary School
• Spanaway Lake High School

Private Schools

• Bethel Baptist Christian School (for grades K4-12)
• Elk Plain School of Choice (for elementary grades)

Nearby Colleges and Universities

Students in Spanaway can also attend colleges and universities nearby:

• Pacific Lutheran University (in Parkland)
• Colleges in Tacoma
• Colleges in Lakewood
• Colleges in Puyallup
• Colleges offering courses at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

See also

In Spanish: Spanaway para niños