- Named for the neighboring Olympic Mountains, Olympia was incorporated as a town in 1859, and as a city in 1882. According to the 2010 Census, Olympia was the 24th largest city in the state of Washington, and 750th in the USA
- Washington became an official U.S. state in 1889, and the rivalry between two other cities (Ellensburg and North Yakima) split citizen votes, enabling Olympia to remain the capital
- As the largest city and the seat for Thurston County, Olympia is only the 24th largest city in the state and 750th in the U.S.
- The state fruit is the apple; the state vegetable is the Walla Walla sweet onion; the state dance is the square dance; the state insect is the green darner dragonfly
- Water from artesian wells in Olympia have long been called the reason for great tasting coffee
- Washington State Patrol is responsible for security and law enforcement on the Capitol grounds as they are outside the normal jurisdiction of Olympia and Thurston County
- The Legislative Building, aka the Capitol, has a dome that is 287 feet high, the tallest self-supporting masonry dome in the U.S., and the fifth tallest in the world
- Some coffee houses in Olympia include Burial Grounds Coffee, Mud Bay Coffee Company, Dancing Goats Espresso Bar, Sizizis, Bar Francis, Maxim, Girls Espresso
- The nose on the brass bust of George Washington in the Legislative Building has become shiny from visitors rubbing the nose, thinking that will bring them good luck
- 9.5% of the surface area of the city of Olympia is water
- Several monuments on the Capitol grounds include those dedicated to World War I, World War II, Korean Conflict, and a POW-MIA memorial
Troy is a freelance writer, author, and blogger who lives, works, and plays in Boise, Idaho with the love of his life and three very talented dogs.
Passionate about writing dark psychological thrillers, he is an avid cyclist, skier, hiker, all-around outdoorsman, and a terrible beginning golfer.
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