Amazon was founded in Washington state.
Jeff Bezos established Amazon in 1994 in Bellevue, Washington, initially operating the business from his home. The company began as an online bookstore because books offered a large, searchable catalog that suited early internet commerce. Amazon opened its website to customers in July 1995.
The company was originally incorporated as Cadabra, Inc., before adopting the name Amazon. Its early headquarters were in the Seattle area, which provided access to technology workers and a major regional business community. Amazon later expanded far beyond books into cloud computing, logistics, streaming, devices, and online marketplaces.
Washington is sometimes confused with Washington, D.C., but Amazon’s founding location was the U.S. state on the Pacific Coast. The company is now headquartered in Seattle and Arlington, Virginia.