Vancouver (population 161,791) is a U.S. city situated in Washington State. It is located on the Columbia River banks, and serves as the seat of Clark County. It is part of the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area, the 23rd-biggest metropolitan area in the US. It is the 4th largest city within the state.
Vancouver is named after an officer of the British Royal Navy, Captain George Vancouver. Vancouver has the same name as the city of Vancouver in Canada, that lies 491 km towards the north within British Columbia. The city of Vancouver, Washington, was incorporated in the year 1857, and Vancouver, British Columbia was incorporated 29 later. The city in America is the former site of the historic Fort Vancouver trading post. Due to frequent confusion between the two cities, Vancouver city officials have recommended changing the name back to Fort Vancouver. Other suggestions comprise calling it Old Vancouver, because of the fact that the US city was incorporated first, or Vancouver USA. Many Pacific Northwest residents refer to their city as "Vancouver USA" or "Vancouver, Washington". Local nicknames consist of "The Couve" and "Vantucky".
The original inhabitants of the region were the Chinook peoples, who ran a salmon and trade-based economy. The Hudson's Bay Company moved into the region to engage in the trade of timbers and furs. Settlers established agriculture within the area, and eventually a healthy market in prunes, apples and strawberries developed. The town relied on ferry transportation because it was bypassed by the railroad during the late 1800s. Vancouver developed around Washington Street where ferries arrived. Early developments consisted of a huge spruce mill. By the year 1908 a railroad swing bridge was constructed across the Columbia. This allowed the development of the Standifer Shipyard, which prospered in WWI. In the 1940s, the building of the Bonneville Dam and the Interstate Bridge helped spark an industrial boom, including a paper mill and shipyard.
Heavy industry declined in the area when logging had depleted the old growth forests and high tech firms and service companies started to became major sources of employment in Vancouver. The city of Vancouver is the home of Nautilus, Inc. and The Holland. A lot of people choose to live within the city and commute to Portland for work. Proximity to Portland City makes Vancouver a desirable community for retirees, who also like the fact that there is no state income tax within Washington. Downtown Vancouver has many small, independent companies.