Editing Medical Lake, Washington (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Medical Lake Welcome.png|thumb|left|Welcome to Medical Lake sign on Lake Street]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|3.64|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which, {{convert|3.40|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.24|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=December 19, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archivedate=January 25, 2012}}</ref>

The city lies to the east of the lake of the same name. There are many other lakes within a few miles of the city, including West Medical Lake, Silver Lake, Clear Lake, and numerous smaller lakes and ponds south of the city. Driving distance from downtown Spokane is 16 miles via [[Interstate 90 in Washington|Interstate 90]] and [[Washington State Route 902]], the latter of which runs through the city. Eastern State Hospital is situated across the lake to the west. Fairchild Air Force Base is located immediately north of the city.<ref>{{cite web|title=Medical Lake Topo Map, Spokane County WA (Medical Lake Area)|url=http://www.topozone.com/washington/spokane-wa/city/medical-lake/|website=Topozone|accessdate=May 9, 2017}}</ref>

Geologically, the city lies on [[Columbia River Basalt Group|basalt flows]] that were heavily eroded by [[Missoula Floods|catastrophic flooding]] at the end of the last Ice Age, making the city and its environs a part of the [[Channeled Scablands]] terrain.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The channeled scablands of eastern Washington : the geologic story of the Spokane flood|url=https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70007447|journal=USGS Report|date=1973 |doi=10.3133/70007447 |bibcode=1973usgs.rept...96B |accessdate=May 9, 2017|hdl=2346/63979|hdl-access=free |last1=Bauer |first1=Daniel P. |last2=Motz |first2=Louis H. |page=96 }}</ref>