The city and the wider Inland Northwest area are served by Spokane International Airport, 5 miles (8 km) west of Downtown Spokane.
Officially, Spokane goes by the nickname of Hooptown USA, due to Spokane annually hosting Spokane Hoopfest, the world's largest basketball tournament. It is known as the birthplace of Father's Day, and locally by the nickname of 'Lilac City'. Spokane is the economic and cultural center of the Spokane metropolitan area, the Spokane–Coeur d'Alene combined statistical area, and the Inland Northwest.
It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, 92 miles (148 km) south of the Canadian border, 18 miles (30 km) west of the Washington– Idaho border, and 279 miles (449 km) east of Seattle, along I-90.
Spokane ( / s p oʊ ˈ k æ n/ ⓘ spoh- KAN) is the most populous city in and seat of government of Spokane County Washington, United States.
