Cascadia is a distinct bioregion which separates itself from the rest of the United States and Canada. But that doesn’t mean all Cascadians are the same and all areas within Cascadia are identical. Cascadia has smaller distinguishable regions defined by geography and culture just like any other nation on Earth. Unlike the boundaries of the bioregion, the borders of Cascadia’s regions are subjective and up for interpretation. There is no perfect or permanent way to map them out. However, there is little debate or doubt that these regions within Cascadia exist.
The most prominent example is the distinction between eastern Cascadia and western Cascadia with the Cascade Mountains acting as the dividing line between these two regions. Even for someone like me who believes the fundamental bonds between populations within Cascadia inherently tie us all together as one, I don’t deny that there are some noticeable cultural differences between a city on the east side like Spokane and a city on the west side like Seattle.
The question I have now is: where are all of Cascadia’s regions located? I’ve spent some time trying to identify them and have my own interpretation I’d like to share with you. This is more of a fun thought experiment than anything else.
Again, this is subjective; you may agree with this iteration and think it makes sense or you may have your own way of distinguishing Cascadia’s regions. The way I tried to approach this topic was by answering a hypothetical scenario: Cascadia is an independent country – what are its commonwealths/provinces/states/[insert your terminology here]?
Here’s my attempt at an answer. I give you the 10 regions of Cascadia.
*Please note the following maps contain existing state, provincial, and international border lines purely for reference and ease of understanding where, exactly, these regions are.
1. Cascade Plateau
Alternative Name: Columbia Plateau
Approximate Population: 1.96 Million
Largest City: Spokane
Other Notable Cities: Bend, Yakima
2. Columbia Mountain
Alternative Name: Rocky Mountain
Approximate Population: 1.20 Million
Largest City: Kelowna
Other Notable Cities: Kamloops, Missoula
3. Fraser & Archipelago
Alternative Name: Northern Cascadia
Approximate Population: 0.33 Million
Largest City: Prince George
Other Notable Cities: Juneau, Prince Rupert
4. Klamath Mountain
Alternative Name: West Jefferson
Approximate Population: 0.86 Million
Largest City: Medford
Other Notable Cities: Eureka, Grants Pass
5. Olympic Peninsula
Alternative Name: N/A
Approximate Population: 1.09 Million
Largest City: Vancouver (WA)
Other Notable Cities: Olympia, Port Angeles
6. Puget Sound
Alternative Name: N/A
Approximate Population: 4.79 Million
Largest City: Seattle
Other Notable Cities: Bellevue, Tacoma
7. Salish Coast
Alternative Name: Fraser Delta
Approximate Population: 3.02 Million
Largest City: Vancouver (BC)
Other Notable Cities: Abbotsford, Bellingham
8. Snake River
Alternative Name: Southeast Cascadia
Approximate Population: 1.37 Million
Largest City: Boise
Other Notable Cities: Idaho Falls, Pocatello
9. Vancouver Island
Alternative Name: N/A
Approximate Population: 0.74 Million
Largest City: Victoria
Other Notable Cities: Courtenay, Nanaimo
10. Willamette Valley
Alternative Name: N/A
Approximate Population: 2.95 Million
Largest City: Portland
Other Notable Cities: Eugene, Salem
Total Approximate Population: 18.3 Million
Interested in learning more about Cascadia? You can buy your copy of Towards Cascadia today:
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