The capital of Washington and the seat of Thurston County, Olympia is a well-manicured city set amidst a vista of natural beauty. The Olympic Mountains, from which the city takes its name, stand in the distance to the northwest, beyond Budd Bay, while Mount Rainier looms majestically in the southeast behind Capitol Lake and the state capitol building. While state government is job one in Olympia, the city also enjoys a bustling tourist trade and serves as a cultural and entertainment center for the South Puget Sound region.

In 1851, the U.S. Congress chose the tiny settlement of Smithfield (named for founder Levi Smith) as the site for a customs house, and persuaded the citizens to rename their community. In 1853, when settlers campaigned to separate the territory north of the Columbia River from Oregon, Congress created the Washington Territory and Olympia was named its capital.