16 Types of Spiders in Washington State: From Black Widows to Orb Weavers
October 31, 2026
Washington is home to dozens of spider species, but only two carry venom strong enough to matter medically. Sorting out the types of spiders in Washington means learning to tell a harmless cellar spider from a defensive black widow, and a wandering wolf spider from a web-building orb weaver. This guide walks through 16 species residents are most likely to find in basements, gardens, and backyards across the state, with the identification details that actually separate look-alikes from genuine hazards.
Most of these spiders are beneficial. They eat flies, moths, aphids, and other insects that would otherwise overrun a home or garden. Western Washington hosts numerous spider species, and the vast majority pose no threat to people at all.
| Common Name | Venom Risk | Typical Location |
|---|---|---|
| Western Black Widow | Medically significant | Woodpiles, sheds, eastern WA |
| False Black Widow | Mild, rarely bites | Garages, window frames |
| Yellow Sac Spider | Medically significant | Indoors, along ceilings |
| Giant House Spider | Harmless to humans | Basements, attics |
| Hobo Spider | Low, once overstated | Window wells, foundations |
| Long-bodied Cellar Spider | Harmless to humans | Damp basements, crawl spaces |
| Wolf Spider | Harmless to humans | Gardens, ground litter |
| Bold Jumping Spider | Harmless to humans | Fences, siding, gardens |
| Red-backed Jumping Spider | Harmless to humans | Dry, open ground |
| Zebra Jumping Spider | Harmless to humans | Exterior walls, windowsills |
| Western Lynx Spider | Harmless to humans | Shrubs, flowering plants |
| Long-legged Sac Spider | Mild, rarely bites | Indoor corners, ceilings |
| Cat-faced Orb Weaver | Harmless to humans | Porches, eaves, gardens |
| Cross Orbweaver | Harmless to humans | Gardens, structures |
| Common House Spider | Harmless to humans | Corners, closets, garages |
| Orb Weavers (General) | Harmless to humans | Gardens, trees, eaves |
1. Western Black Widow
The western black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) is the spider Washington residents should take seriously. The western black widow is the only confirmed poisonous spider species in the Pacific Northwest, and adult females are shiny black with a red or orange hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen.
According to the Interstate Pest Management quick ID guide, a mature female’s body runs roughly 3/8 to 5/8 inch long, with a leg span reaching about an inch and a half. They build irregular, tangled webs close to the ground in woodpiles, sheds, meter boxes, and crawl spaces rather than in open view.
Black widows are not aggressive. They would rather retreat than bite, and most bites happen when a spider is trapped against skin inside a glove or shoe. This species is more common in eastern Washington, though pockets exist on the west side of the Cascades. For a broader look at which species carry risk, see this guide to poisonous types of spiders found across North America.
Important Note: A confirmed or suspected black widow bite warrants medical evaluation, particularly for children, older adults, or anyone with underlying health conditions. This article is educational and does not replace professional medical advice.
2. False Black Widow
The false black widow (Steatoda grossa) causes more panicked phone calls to pest companies than almost any other spider in the state, simply because it looks so similar to its venomous cousin. Also called the cupboard spider, this species has a rounded, bulbous abdomen and is frequently confused for black widows in the genus Latrodectus.
The giveaway is on the underside of the abdomen. Where a true black widow shows a bright red or orange hourglass, the false black widow’s belly is plain dark brown, purplish, or black, sometimes with faint cream-colored markings on top instead.
According to Willard’s Pest Control, this species is extremely common in western Washington and builds similar tangled webs in garages, basements, and window frames. Its bite can cause localized pain but lacks the systemic venom effects of a true widow. Readers dealing with webs in garages or crawl spaces may also want to review biting spiders in Washington state for a fuller comparison.
Pro Tip: Flip the spider gently with a stick or check a photo for the underside of the abdomen. No hourglass almost always means false widow, not black widow.
3. Yellow Sac Spider
The yellow sac spider (Cheiracanthium inclusum) is pale yellow to light tan with slightly darker legs and a faint dark stripe running down the top of the abdomen. Unlike web-building spiders, it hunts actively at night and spends daylight hours tucked inside a small silken sac, often built where a wall meets the ceiling.
Washington’s Department of Health lists the yellow sac spider as one of only two spiders of medical significance in the state, alongside the black widow. Its bite produces a sharp, burning pain followed by localized redness and swelling, though symptoms are typically far milder and resolve faster than a widow bite.
This species often drops into bathtubs or falls from ceilings onto bedding, which explains why many reported “mystery bites” in Washington homes turn out to be yellow sac spiders rather than anything more exotic. Only the black widow and the western yellow sac spider carry venom of real concern in Washington. Anyone curious about this family can dig deeper into types of sac spiders found throughout the country.
4. Giant House Spider
The giant house spider (Eratigena atrica, formerly classified as Tegenaria duellica) is the spider most likely to send someone running for the broom. Females can reach a leg span of three inches or more, with a brown, mottled body and notably long, fast-moving legs.
Despite the alarming size and speed, this species is harmless to people. It builds funnel-shaped webs in corners of basements, garages, and window wells, retreating into the funnel at the first sign of disturbance rather than confronting whatever triggered it.
Giant house spiders are an introduced European species that has thrived in the Pacific Northwest’s damp climate, largely outcompeting some native cobweb spiders in and around homes. Readers comparing regional house spider populations can browse different types of spiders found in other parts of the country.
5. Hobo Spider
The hobo spider (Eratigena agrestis, formerly Tegenaria agrestis) is a brown, funnel-web-building spider closely related to the giant house spider, which makes the two easy to confuse. It favors ground-level habitats: window wells, foundation cracks, and woodpiles rather than high corners.
For decades, the hobo spider carried a reputation as a necrotic-bite spider similar to the brown recluse. That claim has since been walked back by researchers who found little supporting evidence, and most current pest and health resources no longer treat it as medically dangerous in the way black widows or yellow sac spiders are.
Identification relies on the pattern of chevron-shaped markings on the abdomen and the spider’s quick, darting movement when disturbed. Homeowners dealing with funnel webs near foundations may also want to review types of spiders in Montana, where the hobo spider is similarly common along the Rocky Mountain foothills.
Key Insight: The hobo spider’s reputation for causing necrotic wounds has largely been discredited by subsequent research, though it can still deliver a mildly painful defensive bite if handled.
6. Long-Bodied Cellar Spider
The long-bodied cellar spider (Pholcus phalangioides), often nicknamed the daddy longlegs spider, has a small pale tan body suspended beneath extraordinarily thin, long legs. It is one of the most frequently spotted spiders in damp basements, crawl spaces, and garages throughout Washington.
When threatened, this spider does something unusual: it vibrates rapidly in its web, blurring its outline so predators struggle to target it. The loose, irregular web is rebuilt continuously and often accumulates dust, which is why cellar spider webs tend to look messier than those of orb weavers.
Cellar spiders are harmless and beneficial, often preying on other spiders, including young black widows, within the same dark corners they share. Anyone fascinated by spiders with unusually long legs can explore types of spiders with long legs from around the world.
7. Wolf Spider
Wolf spiders belong to the family Lycosidae, a group of ground-dwelling hunters with robust, hairy bodies and excellent eyesight for a spider. Washington hosts several species, commonly in the genus Pardosa, ranging from gardens to open fields and forest edges.
Rather than spinning webs to catch prey, wolf spiders chase down insects on foot, relying on speed and large eyes that reflect light distinctly at night when caught in a flashlight beam. Females carry their egg sac attached to their spinnerets and, after hatching, carry dozens of spiderlings clustered on their back.
Their size and fast movements make wolf spiders look intimidating, but bites are rare and no more serious than a bee sting. They are frequently confused with hobo spiders due to similar brown coloring. Readers interested in another state with heavy wolf spider populations can check types of spiders in Missouri.
8. Bold Jumping Spider
The bold jumping spider (Phidippus audax) is compact, fuzzy, and unmistakable once spotted: a black body with a distinct triangular patch of white, orange, or iridescent scales on the abdomen, plus large, forward-facing eyes that give it excellent depth perception.
Unlike web-builders, this species stalks prey in short bursts, using its powerful hind legs to leap several times its own body length. It’s commonly found on fences, exterior walls, and garden foliage during the day, retreating into a silk-lined shelter at night.
Bold jumping spiders are completely harmless to people and are among the most commonly photographed spiders in the Pacific Northwest because of their curious, almost personable behavior toward cameras. This species also ranges widely across the eastern half of the country; see types of spiders in Ohio for comparison.
9. Red-Backed Jumping Spider
The red-backed jumping spider (Phidippus johnsoni) stands out with a bright reddish-orange patch covering most of its dorsal abdomen, set against an otherwise black body and legs. It’s one of the showier jumping spiders found in drier, open habitats across Washington.
Like other Phidippus species, it relies on sharp vision rather than webs, stalking insects across rocks, fence posts, and low vegetation before pouncing. Males and juveniles can show more muted coloring, which sometimes causes misidentification with other red-marked spiders.
This species is harmless and tends to favor sunnier, drier microhabitats than the state’s damper coastal regions. Those curious how jumping spider diversity compares elsewhere can browse types of spiders in Tennessee.
10. Zebra Jumping Spider
The zebra jumping spider (Salticus scenicus) earns its name from bold black-and-white stripes running across its compact body and legs. It is one of the smallest jumping spiders residents are likely to notice, typically under a quarter-inch long.
- Found on sun-warmed exterior walls, fences, and windowsills
- Moves in short, jerky bursts rather than smooth walking
- Large forward-facing eyes give it near-360-degree awareness
- Completely harmless, with a bite comparable to a pinprick
Because it often forages right at eye level on house exteriors, the zebra jumping spider is one of the most commonly observed species in Washington’s urban and suburban yards. A similar striped species shows up in types of spiders in Mississippi, though regional color variation differs slightly.
11. Western Lynx Spider
The western lynx spider (Oxyopes scalaris) has a slender, tan to green body with distinctive spiny, hairy legs arranged almost like a crown when at rest. It is an active hunter found clinging to flowering plants and shrubs rather than sitting in a web.
This species ambushes pollinators and other insects that land on flowers, using speed and camouflage instead of silk. Its angular leg posture and habit of sitting motionless on blossoms make it easy to overlook until it suddenly darts after prey.
Western lynx spiders are harmless to humans and are considered beneficial in gardens, where they help control aphids and small flies. Gardeners researching similar hunting spiders may enjoy types of spiders in California, where this species is also well documented.
12. Long-Legged Sac Spider
The long-legged sac spider (Cheiracanthium mildei) looks superficially similar to the yellow sac spider but tends to be slightly paler and, true to its name, carries noticeably longer, thinner legs relative to its body size. Like its relative, it spins a small silken retreat rather than a hunting web.
This species is most often found indoors, tucked into ceiling corners or behind picture frames, emerging at night to hunt small insects. Bites are uncommon and generally mild, producing localized redness rather than the more pronounced reaction associated with the true yellow sac spider.
Because the two Cheiracanthium species overlap so closely in appearance and habitat, most pest guides group them together under general sac spider identification. Those wanting a deeper dive into a very different climate’s species list can see types of spiders in Oklahoma.
13. Cat-Faced Orb Weaver
The cat-faced orb weaver (Araneus gemmoides) gets its name from two prominent, rounded projections on the front of its abdomen that resemble a cat’s ears when viewed head-on. Coloring ranges from mottled brown to gray, often blending perfectly with bark or fence posts.
This spider builds the classic wheel-shaped web associated with orb weavers, typically stretched between porch eaves, shrubs, or garden structures overnight, then often consumed and rebuilt by morning. Females grow noticeably larger than males and are most visible in late summer and early fall.
Despite their sometimes startling size, cat-faced orb weavers are harmless and rarely bite unless directly handled. Readers interested in other large, patterned orb weavers can check types of spiders in Pennsylvania, where related species are also common in gardens.
14. Cross Orbweaver
The cross orbweaver (Araneus diadematus), also called the European garden spider, is immediately recognizable by the pale, cross-shaped pattern of spots across its brown or orange-toned abdomen. It was introduced from Europe and has become one of the most widespread orb weavers across the Pacific Northwest.
Like the cat-faced orb weaver, it spins a large, symmetrical wheel web, usually at a comfortable height between shrubs, porch railings, or garden stakes, where it waits motionless at the center or along a signal thread. Late summer brings the largest, most visible females, often spotted guarding egg sacs into autumn.
Cross orbweavers are not aggressive and their bite is barely noticeable to most people. The species has also established populations on the East Coast; see types of spiders in New York for a comparison of how it behaves in a different climate.
Pro Tip: Orb weavers like the cross orbweaver and cat-faced orb weaver often dismantle and eat their own web each morning, then rebuild it from scratch before dusk.
15. Common House Spider
The common house spider (Parasteatoda tepidariorum), sometimes called the American house spider, is a small brown cobweb spider with a bulbous, mottled abdomen. It builds loose, irregular webs in corners of closets, garages, and window frames, areas it rarely abandons once established.
This species is a close relative of the false black widow and shares a similar hunting strategy, waiting at the center of its tangled web for insects to blunder in rather than actively pursuing prey. Egg sacs appear as small, round, papery balls tucked into the densest part of the web.
Common house spiders are harmless and, if anything, helpful, since they feed on flies, ants, and other household pests. This species is found coast to coast; readers curious about its range elsewhere can browse types of spiders in Florida.
16. Orb Weavers
Beyond the cat-faced orb weaver and cross orbweaver, Washington hosts a wider family of orb weavers, Araneidae, recognized by the wheel-shaped, radially symmetric webs they build to intercept flying insects. Species vary widely in color and size, from small garden spiders to larger, strikingly patterned individuals seen in late summer.
Most orb weavers are nocturnal builders, constructing or repairing their web each evening and removing it by morning to recycle the silk proteins. They rely almost entirely on vibration and web tension to detect prey rather than sight, which is why orb weavers often sit motionless for hours at the center of the web.
As a group, orb weavers represent some of the most visually striking yet completely harmless spiders a Washington resident will encounter. For a broader spider identification guide covering how many distinct species exist nationwide, see how many types of spiders are there.
Final Thoughts on Washington’s Spiders
Of the sixteen species covered here, only two carry venom significant enough to warrant real concern: the western black widow and the yellow sac spider. Everything else, from giant house spiders to the various orb weavers, is either entirely harmless or capable of nothing worse than a mild, bee-sting-level bite.
Learning a few key identification markers, the hourglass on a widow’s underside, the chevron pattern on a hobo spider, the cross-shaped spots on a cross orbweaver, does more to reduce unnecessary fear than any amount of pest spray. Most of Washington’s spiders are quietly doing their job controlling insect populations in gardens, basements, and backyards across the state.