Washington's Most Hitchhiker-Friendly City Is Not the 1 You Think

It turns out that if you are a hitchhiker in Seattle, the "Seattle Freeze" is real. A recent study by CashforCars.com reveals the friendliest city in Washington for hitchhikers is not the Emerald City. The friendliest place for hitchhikers is actually in the Eastern side of the state!

Atlas Green on Unsplash/Google Maps/Canva

Seattle Left Out as Spokane Ranks High for Hitchhikers

I'm old enough to remember when the two most famous hitchhikers on TV were Bill Bixby as The Incredible Hulk and Pee Wee Herman, who wanted to find his dang bike in the (nonexistent) basement of the Alamo.

via GIPHY

Poor Pee Wee; had he tried to hitchhike to Spokane, it seems he would have had a better turn of events. The Lilac City came in as the 60th friendly city in America to hitchhike, followed by Tacoma, Vancouver, and Kent.

In Washington State, it's against the law to hitchhike on the highway and some towns won't allow it within the city limits.

No Hitchhiking Allowed on WA State Highways. Photo Credit: Seth Doyle on Unsplash

The Friendliest City in America for Hitchhikers

Cheyenne, Wyoming was declared the friendliest place you'll get picked up if you need a ride somewhere. I'm not surprised; there's not much to do in Wyoming so if you come across a stranger on the highway, you know they have been out there walking for miles.

In Seattle, they don't care. Duly noted, ha!

EXPLORE MORE FROM OUR OTHER STATIONS:

→→ Sea-Tac Listed as One of the Most 'Sleep-Friendly' Airports in North America

→→ You Can’t Burn These 14 Trash Items ANYWHERE in Washington State

Get our free mobile app

Reasons Why People Don't Pick Up Hitchhikers Anymore

Back in the 70s and 80s, hitchhikers were pretty common. If your car broke down on the side of the road or if it ran out of gas, you felt safe to stand on the street, stick your thumb out, and catch a ride to the nearest gas station or pay phone.

Fast-forward to the 2020's, and if you see a hitchhiker, you're probably wondering why the heck they are that brave! Over the years, not only has it become a roulette of danger to *BE* a hitchhiker, but it's also not even safe to pick UP a hitchhiker (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, anyone?).

I guess in Spokane, they figure, "Hey, if it were me out there needing a lift, I'd stop and help!"