2025 in Washington (state)
| |||||
| Decades: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| See also: | |||||
The following is a list of events of the year 2025 in the U.S. state of Washington.
Incumbents
[edit]State government
[edit]- Governor:
- Jay Inslee (until January 15)
- Bob Ferguson (beginning January 15)
Events
[edit]January
[edit]- January 1 – Minimum wage increases to $16.66 per hour per an adjustment based on the federal Consumer Price Index.[1]
- January 2 – Amazon requires employees to be present in South Lake Union headquarters buildings 5 days a week.[2][3]
- January 9–11 – Washington firefighters from 43 agencies trek by road to California to support suppression of the 2025 California wildfires[4]
- January 13 – The Washington State Legislature convenes at the Washington State Capitol, Olympia,[5] and is "the first time that both of a state legislature's chambers have been led by LGBTQ+ people": Laurie Jinkins, Speaker of the House, and Jamie Pedersen, Senate majority leader.[6][7]
- January 15 – Bob Ferguson takes office as the 24th Governor of Washington[8]
- January 18 – People's March in Seattle
February
[edit]- February 24–25 – The second-highest wind gust ever recorded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, 52 miles per hour (84 km/h), is observed during a storm,[9][10] and a 60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) gust at Boeing Field in Seattle.[11] It was related to a sting jet weather phenomenon, according to some meteorologists.[12]
March
[edit]- Late March – Jeff Bezos sells a house in Hunts Point for $63 million, a record price for a private residence in Washington.[13]
April
[edit]- by April 1 – Washington State Attorney General files or participates in at least eight federal lawsuits concerning Second Trump administration policies and actions, including DOGE, birthright citizenship, and federal funding for health care and research.[14]
May
[edit]- May 1 – May Day protests in Seattle and other King County localities including the Eastside; Tacoma; Yakima; Bellingham; Lynnwood and elsewhere in Snohomish County; Olympia; and cities on the Kitsap Peninsula[15][16]
- May 5 – Protesters take over a building at the University of Washington, demanding the school sever ties with Boeing. At least 25 people are arrested.[17]
- May 7: Washington driver's licenses may no longer be used as proof of identity for commercial air travel, under the REAL ID Act.[18][19]
- May 10: The 2 Line of Sound Transit's Link light rail system extended east into Downtown Redmond[20][21]
- May 14: Valley Medical Center announced that it would close five clinics and two inpatient units at its hospital as part of the state government's budget cuts and the loss of federal Medicaid reimbursement.[22]
- May 30 – A semi-truck containing 250 million honeybees overturns in Whatcom County, releasing most of the bees.[23]
June
[edit]- 2025 Washington wildfire season starts with Cle Elum blaze destroying two homes[24]
- No Kings protests in many cities[25][26]
Planned
[edit]- August 13–17: 83rd World Science Fiction Convention in Seattle
- November 4: elections
Sports
[edit]- Events
- The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will host six matches at Lumen Field in Seattle, including three home matches for Seattle Sounders FC.[27]
- Professional
- 2024–25 Seattle Kraken season
- 2025 Seattle Mariners season
- 2025 Seattle Sounders FC season
- 2025 Seattle Storm season
- College
- 2024–25 Eastern Washington Eagles men's basketball team
- 2024–25 Gonzaga Bulldogs women's basketball team
- 2024–25 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team
- 2024–25 Seattle Redhawks men's basketball team
- 2024–25 Washington Huskies men's basketball team
- 2024–25 Washington Huskies women's basketball team
- 2024–25 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team
- September 20: Apple Cup in Pullman[28]
References
[edit]- ^ "Washington's minimum wage going up to $16.66 per hour in 2025" (Press release). Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. September 30, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ^ Soper, Taylor (January 2, 2025), Downtown Seattle leader calls Amazon's return-to-office mandate 'influential' as 5-day policy begins, Geekwire
- ^ Nickelsburg, Monica (January 2, 2025). "Amazon requires staff to return to office full time". Here and Now. Boston: WBUR.
On Jan. 2, all of Amazon's office staff must return to the office five days a week.
- ^ Wade, Katy (January 9, 2025). "Washington firefighters head out to help with devastating California wildfires". KIRO-TV.
- ^ Shauna Sowersby (November 27, 2024). "Class of 2025: Meet Washington state's newest lawmakers". Cascade PBS. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ^ Buhain, Venice (November 26, 2024). "Washington House selects leadership for 2025 session". Cascade PBS. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ^ Zodrow, Andru (November 24, 2024). "Washington State Legislature website gets refresh before 2025 legislative session". Spokane: KHQ-TV. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ^ Didion, Alex (November 7, 2024). "Here's when Bob Ferguson will be sworn in as Washington's next governor". KING 5 News. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
- ^ @NWSSeattle (February 25, 2025). "52 mph peak gust at Seattle-Tacoma airport earlier this morning only 1 mph short of the strongest peak gust recorded in February at Seattle-Tacoma airport" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Alex Didion (February 25, 2025). "These were the fastest recorded wind speeds during the overnight storm in western Washington". KING-TV.
- ^ @NWSSeattle (February 25, 2025). "Olympia to Bellingham pressure gradient has increased 5 millibars in the last 3 hours" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Atmospheric river pattern blowing into Grays Harbor". The Daily World. Aberdeen, Washington. February 25, 2025.
As the storm intensified and pummeled into the Northwest Coast on Monday, AccuWeather meteorologists [Jacob Hinson quoted in the article] warned that an atmospheric phenomenon called a "sting jet" can occur. A meteorological term that has been growing in popularity in the United Kingdom since the early 2000s, a sting jet is a small area of intense winds that can develop underneath low pressure systems, causing extensive wind damage.
- ^ Lake, Sydney (April 16, 2025), "Jeff Bezos sold his Seattle mansion for a record-breaking $63 million after he and fiancée Lauren Sánchez moved to Miami to live in a $237 million compound", Fortune
- ^ Melissa Santos (April 2, 2025). "How Washington state is suing Trump in his second term". Axios.
- ^ "Seattle's protest legacy: From strikes to CHOP". Axios. April 30, 2025.
- ^ "Thousands gather for May Day demonstrations, marches around western Washington". KOMO. Associated Press. May 1, 2025.
- ^ Cook, Jeffrey; Shalvey, Kevin; Skinner, Helena (May 6, 2025). "More than 25 protesters arrested after taking over University of Washington building". ABC News. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ "REAL ID Act". Washington State Department of Licensing. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ^ Montalvo, Rosemary (November 23, 2024). "Do WA residents need an enhanced driver's license to fly this Thanksgiving? What to know". The News Tribune. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (February 15, 2024). "Sound Transit sets a date for Bellevue-Redmond trains". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
- ^ "Hello, Redmond". Official website. Sound Transit. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
The Downtown Redmond Link Extension opens May 10!
- ^ Takahama, Elise (May 14, 2025). "Seattle-area hospital to close 5 clinics, and some inpatient care". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
- ^ Vigdor, Neil (May 30, 2025). "250 Million Honeybees Escape After a Truck Rolls Over in Washington State". The New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
- ^ https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/local/washington/2025/06/12/red-bridge-fire-evacuations-containment-and-damage-updates-cle-elum/84165169007/#
- ^ Carter, Simone (June 13, 2025). "WA leaders urge non-violence as state braces for 'No Kings' protest". Tacoma News Tribune.
- ^ Byik, Andre (June 13, 2025). "See the 80+ 'No Kings' rally, protest locations planned in Washington on June 14". Kitsap Sun. Bremerton Washington – via USA Today.
- ^ Booth, Tim (October 15, 2024). "Lumen Field will host games for FIFA Club World Cup in 2025". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
- ^ Londergan, Joe (October 16, 2024). "Date For 2025 Apple Cup Football Game Announced At Washington State". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 3, 2024.