About the District

In order to best serve constituents, Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers has retained three offices throughout Eastern Washington's Fifth Congressional District: Colville in the north, Spokane in the central portion of the district, and Walla Walla to the south.

North
Northeastern Washington, home to Ferry, Pend Oreille, Okanogan, Stevens Counties and three Indian Tribes, is a landscape of great diversity and home to Sherman Pass, the highest pass in Washington State and the Omak Stampede, a world-renown downhill horse race.

The area encompasses vast forested areas, fertile agriculture land, orchards, wineries, year-round endless recreational opportunities, hunting, fishing, downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking, berry and mushroom picking, backcountry riding, and camping, to name a few.  Resource and manufacturing based industries still make up the majority of the local economies to this day.

Northeastern Washington is also home to 49 Degrees North Resort, known for its downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding in the winter and great horseback day-ride trails in the summer.  Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, home of the Washington Governor's Cup Walleye Tournament, boasts 513 miles of undeveloped shoreline, from Grand Coulee Dam just shy of the Canadian Border.  Two Rivers Resort sits at the confluence of the Spokane River and Lake Roosevelt and boasts the one of the largest 4th of July fireworks show and annual salmon barbeque.

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In the rural surroundings of the central part of the Fifth Congressional District, agriculture remains the primary economic mainstay; although, changing demographics have forced farms to resize and farmers to diversify their crops in order to meet the challenges of the world market.  Rural towns have become increasingly creative in looking for ways to stabilize their economies, and promote growth.  Larger towns in the central region, including Pullman and Cheney, rely on higher education (Washington State University and Eastern Washington University, respectively) and related support services to help drive the health of their communities.

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South
The southern region of Washington's 5th district includes 4 counties.  Walla Walla, Columbia, Asotin, and Garfield.  Not only does the area have a stunning background of the Blue Mountains, the district is home of over 55 wineries.  The surrounding areas are historically known for their agricultural based economy, however, the influence of three hospitals, three colleges, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the state penitentiary have helped stabilize Walla Walla's overall economy.

Agriculture is the dominant industry in the outlying Counties.  Wheat is the number one crop.  A variety of other crops generate a significant part of the annual harvest.  One of the best known products is the Walla Walla Sweet Onion.  There are also other varieties of crops including barley, corn, potatoes, asparagus, peas, and wine grapes.

Sunset magazine named the city of Walla Walla as the best in the western United States in the March 2002 issue and is also known as one of 2002's Dozen Distinctive Destinations.

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