▁as ▁S yr ing a ▁vul gar is ▁' Sp ok ane ', ▁is ▁named ▁for ▁the ▁city . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁seat ▁of ▁Sp ok ane ▁County ▁and ▁the ▁economic ▁and ▁cultural ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁Sp ok ane ▁metropol itan ▁area , ▁the ▁Sp ok ane – Co eur ▁d ' Al ene ▁combined ▁statistical ▁area , ▁and ▁the ▁In land ▁North west . ▁The ▁city , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁whole ▁In land ▁North west , ▁is ▁served ▁by ▁Sp ok ane ▁International ▁Airport , ▁ ▁west ▁of ▁dow nt own ▁Sp ok ane . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁Census , ▁Sp ok ane ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 0 8 , 9 1 6 , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁second - larg est ▁city ▁in ▁Washington , ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 0 0 th - larg est ▁city ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau ▁estimated ▁the ▁city ' s ▁population ▁at ▁ 2 1 9 , 1 9 0 ▁and ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁Sp ok ane ▁Metropolitan ▁Area ▁at ▁ 5 7 3 , 4 9 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁people ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁the ▁Sp ok ane ▁tribe ▁( the ir ▁name ▁meaning ▁" children ▁of ▁the ▁sun " ▁in ▁Sal ish an ), ▁lived ▁off ▁pl ent iful ▁game . ▁David ▁Thompson ▁expl ored ▁the ▁area ▁with ▁the ▁west ward ▁expansion ▁and ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁West ▁Company '