Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington along the Spokane River adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, 92 miles south of the Canadian border, 18 miles west of the Washington–Idaho border, and 279 miles east of Seattle along I-90.
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 known as the birthplace of Father's Day, and locally by the nickname of "Lilac City." A pink double flower cultivar of the common lilac, known as Syringa vulgaris 'Spokane', is named for the city. Officially, Spokane goes by the nickname of Hooptown USA, due to Spokane annually hosting the world's largest basketball tournament, and to spread awareness about the city's growing popularity for the sport. The city and the wider Inland Northwest area are served by Spokane International Airport, 5 miles west of Downtown Spokane.