The most supported theory (especially amongst local historians) is that Washington is derived from Anglo-Saxon Hwæsingatūn, which roughly means "estate of the descendants (family) of Hwæsa".

However, there has been no evidence found of any chieftain/land owner/farmer in the area by the name of Hwæsa, although any such records from the time would likely have been long lost by now.

Also, the Old English "dūn" meant a range of gently rolling hills, as evidenced by the naming of the North and South Downs in southern England.

[7] Washington's design was developed through the New Towns concept aiming to achieve sustainable socio-economic growth.

[8] Land in the south west of the area designated for the town was purchased from the Lambton family, the Earls of Durham.

In 1970, Washington hosted the English Schools Athletic Association (ESAA) annual National Championships, attended by the then Lord Lieutenant of County Durham.

On 15 November 1977, the very first SavaCentre hypermarket (a Sainsbury's and British Home Stores joint venture) opened at The Galleries.

Its villages are: The town also has ten industrial estates, some of which are named after famous northern engineers, such as Parsons, Armstrong, Stephenson, Phineas Crowther, Pattinson, Swan and Emerson.

The has a Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust nature reserve and The Washington 'F' Pit mining museum.

The municipal airport previously run from the site was closed in 1984 to make way for the Nissan plant.

The wagonways took coal to Staithes on the River Wear, where it could be loaded onto barges to be taken to the seagoing vessels at Sunderland.

[11] The site is now occupied by Rolls-Royce Holdings making aero engine blades, and British Aerospace.

is a club based in the Northern League Division Two which is the tenth level of the English game.

The primary provider of transport (buses) in the area is Go North East, with local services as well as connections to Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, and many other towns and cities in the region.

The town's railway station closed to passengers in the 1960s due to the Beeching cuts and to freight in 1991.

The now overgrown site is on the disused Leamside Line which connected Durham and Sunderland via the town to Newcastle.

[13] The first stage of a business case was published in 2022, this involved extending the Tyne and Wear Metro to Washington if Government funding was secured.