Altoona, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Altoona, Washington
CDP
Altoona, Washington Location in Washington (state)
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Wahkiakum
Area
• Total	5.091 sq mi (13.186 km2)
• Land	5.091 sq mi (13.186 km2)
• Water	0.000 sq mi (0.000 km2)  0.00%
Elevation	495 ft (151 m)
Population
• Total	39
	Population as of 2010 U.S. Census
Time zone	UTC−8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98643
Area code(s)	360
FIPS code	53-01745
GNIS feature ID	2584943

Altoona is a small community in Wahkiakum County, Washington. It's about 27 miles northwest of a town called Cathlamet. In 2010, only 39 people lived there. This area also includes the smaller communities of Carlson Landing and Dahlia.

History of Altoona

Altoona was once a very important place for fishing and processing fish. It was one of six places along a six-mile stretch of the Columbia River where fish were bought and canned. Before the 1940s, there were 39 fish canneries working along the lower Columbia River.

Altoona got its name from a city in Germany called Altona. That city was also a big center for processing fish on the Elbe River. A Danish immigrant named Hans Petersen named Altoona. In 1903, he bought a large piece of land and started the Altoona Mercantile and Fish Company Cannery. By 1910, the Altoona cannery was the fourth largest salmon cannery on the Columbia River.

Altoona became a major stop for steamers and fishing boats. These boats traveled between Astoria and Portland. For a long time, the only way to reach Altoona was by boat. There wasn't a direct road until the early 1950s.

In 1935, a company called Columbia River Packers Association bought the cannery. This company is known today as Bumble Bee Foods. They moved their main office to Altoona. The town did very well until the salmon fishing industry started to decline. This led to the Altoona cannery closing in 1947. After the cannery shut down, fewer people lived in Altoona. Today, about 50 people live there. The old cannery building was left empty and fell apart. It finally collapsed into the Columbia River during a big windstorm in the late 1990s.

Geography of Altoona

Altoona is a small area of land. According to the United States Census Bureau, it covers about 5.09 square miles (13.18 square kilometers). All of this area is land, and there is no water within its borders.

Climate in Altoona

Altoona has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This type of climate is common along the coasts of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon. It means the area has cold, rainy winters and mild to warm summers. The average temperature in Altoona is about 51°F (13 °C).

Who Lives in Altoona?

In 2020, there were 56 people living in Altoona. There were 34 homes and 15 families. Most of the people were white. There were also a few African American and Native American residents. Some people were from two or more races. A small number of people were of Hispanic or Latino background.

Many people in Altoona have German, English, Irish, and Scottish family backgrounds. The average age in Altoona in 2020 was 75.1 years old. More than half of the people were over 65 years old.

In 2010, 39 people lived in Altoona. There were 20 households, which are groups of people living together in one home. Most households were married couples. The average household had about two people. Most of the population was over 45 years old, with many being 65 or older.

Education in Altoona

The children and teens in Altoona go to school in the Naselle-Grays River Valley School District. This school district serves students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. About 300 students attend schools in this district.

See also

In Spanish: Altoona (Washington) para niños