Washington

Washington is a county seat in southwestern Pennsylvania, United States, positioned where Interstates 70 and 79 meet. The town covers roughly 8.5 square kilometers (3.3 square miles) and is home to more than 13,000 people living among residential neighborhoods, commercial streets, and older brick buildings.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly chose this spot as an election site in 1781 and named it after General George Washington as the young nation gained its independence. A decade later, in 1791, the area witnessed the Whiskey Rebellion when farmers and distillers protested new federal taxes on spirits.

The town hosts Washington & Jefferson College, founded in 1865, whose campus buildings and student life still shape the everyday rhythm of the streets. Local shops and cafes along Main Street serve both residents and college visitors, creating a blend of academic tradition and small-town routine.

City offices offer access to public records and host regular council meetings where residents can ask questions and follow local matters. Visitors can reach the center easily via the two nearby interstates and find parking along the main commercial streets.

The Bradford House museum displays artifacts and documents from the 1791 Whiskey Rebellion, when locals resisted the first nationwide tax on homemade spirits. The building itself dates from that era and lets visitors sense the atmosphere of the late 18th century.

Location: Washington County

Inception: 1768

Elevation above the sea: 352 m

Website: http://washingtonpa.us

GPS coordinates: 40.17500,-80.25060

Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:34