Behind the Search Bar: 10 Most Popular Search Queries About Washington State

When I was in middle school during the 80s, we had a class project to help us get more familiar with each of the states that made up America. Everybody wanted either California or Florida, so I ended up choosing Washington State.

I remember handwriting a letter to the Washington State Visitors Center asking if they would kindly send me brochures and maps that I could include in my class presentation.

I got a great grade for that assignment, and I also learned about something called ‘The Zillah Teapot Scandal.’

Little did I know that some fifteen years later I would wind up living in Washington state!

In 2002, I was offered a job in Yakima to get my feet wet being a morning show radio co-host. I’ve been living here ever since and now have a 13-year-old kid. My, how time flies!

I am wondering what our 7th grade assignment would look like in middle school in today's modern age. We don’t rely heavily on AAA Trip-Tiks and sending letters requesting travel brochures anymore now that we have easy online access to things like Mapquest, GPS, and Waze.

All of our state visitor centers are online; is there any need for students to practice their best cursive handwriting skills to request visitor center brochures?

All that being said, here are some of the most common search queries for Washington State, according to Google. Let's see what's behind the search bar!

• 1. Seattle: Weather, things to do, restaurants, neighborhoods, coffee, traffic, real estate, sports, hiking, history

• 2. Mount Rainier Park: Hiking, camping, weather, wildlife, history, and visitor center info

• 3. Olympic National Park: Beaches, weather, road conditions, tide pool

• 4. Boeing: 737 Max, jobs, and stocks

"737 Max Scandal" is the top Google search query when you type in the word "Boeing". "Stock Price" is the top search on Bing.com.

• 5. Microsoft: Headquarters, careers, campus, impact on Seattle taxes

• 6. Pike Place Market: Hours, store directory, restaurants, history, Rachel the Pig, fish throwing

• 7. Space Needle: Height, tickets, hours, views (images), history, restaurant

• 8. Puget Sound: Marine life, boating, fishing, pollution, beaches, ferries

• 9. Washington Wine Country: Wine tasting, wine regions (There are many), wine festivals, Washington red wines, Washington white wines, wine clubs, wine tours, wine pairing, Washington wine online

Yakima Valley AVA is one of Washington's wine country most popular regions to visit. (Pictured below: Freehand Cellars in Wapato, WA.)

• 10. The Pacific Northwest: Hiking, camping, weather, coffee, outdoor activities, music festivals, food, art, culture, history, and travel

• SEE ALSO: Don't Miss WA's 7 Magical Picturesque Towns to Visit in 2025