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is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 21,588 at the 2000 census. Spanaway is an unincorporated suburb of Tacoma, and is often identified together with the more urban, less wealthy Parkland.
In 1890 the area was originally named "Lake Park" as a planned community by the Lake Park Land, Railway and Improvement Company which bought all the nearby land east of the lake. The development company built a rail line that ended at what is now 162nd and Park Avenue. Tourists would take the train, a run of about ten miles (ten miles being one "span", in rail slang) from Tacoma, while traveling to Mount Rainier. By the founding of Mount Rainier National Park in 1899, the tourist reference that the last train depot was a "span away" from Tacoma, stuck as the name of the area.
Alternate etymologies include one from Hudson's Bay Company records that refer to a place known to the Nisqually tribe as "Spanuch"/"Spanueh" in 1849, but it is unclear where that actually referred to. The Hudson's Bay Company did have sheep ranches in this area in the 1840s. Another alternative etymology, published by the Tacoma News Tribune in 1956 (July 15 edition) claimed that "yawanaps" was a "local Indian word" meaning "beautiful waters."
Spanaway Lake was originally named Bushalier Lake after Henry de la Bushalier, who owned all the property to the north of the lake.
mentions Spanaway in passing. Tacoma alternative pop/rock band Seaweed also released an album entitled
. Long Island, NY band The Movielife also has a song called "Spanaway".
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 8.7 square miles (22.6 km²), of which, 8.3 square miles (21.6 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (4.25%) is water.