George, WA

George is a Grant County city of 809 residents in the 2020 census, set along Interstate 90 in the Columbia River Basin. The town began with a 339-acre irrigation townsite purchased by Charlie and Edith Brown in 1956. It was dedicated on July 4, 1957, named for George Washington, and incorporated in 1961. The city's street names follow cherry varieties such as Montmorency, Royal Anne, and Bing, a small detail that gives the planned town a distinct local map.

George's best-known neighbor is The Gorge Amphitheatre, about six miles west overlooking the Columbia River. Summer concerts bring a large seasonal crowd, while the city itself gathers around parks, churches, a community hall, and the July Fourth celebration. That event includes fireworks and the annual world's largest cherry pie, and the crowd can swell to about 5,000. Irrigated agriculture, rock country, and the amphitheater all sit close to the interstate, so George works as a town, a farm community, and a gateway to one of central Washington's big music venues.