Washington

Washington is a large town in the City of Sunderland local government district of Tyne and Wear, England, and historically part of County Durham. Washington is equidistant from the centres of Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham and Sunderland, with close ties to all three cities. It is the ancestral settlement of the Washington family, which George Washington descended from.

It is located between Chester-le-Street, Gateshead and Sunderland. Washington was designated a new town in 1964 and became part of the Borough of Sunderland in 1974, the borough became a city in 1992. It has expanded dramatically since its designation, by new villages created and reassignment of areas from Chester-le-Street, to house overspill from surrounding cities. At the 2011 census, Washington had a population of 67,085, compared to 53,388 in 2001.