Artondale, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Artondale, Washington
CDP
Location of Artondale, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Pierce
Area
• Total	13.8 sq mi (35.8 km2)
• Land	13.38 sq mi (34.7 km2)
Elevation	23 ft (7 m)
Population  (2020 United States Census)
• Total	13,641
• Density	1,019.8/sq mi (393.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98335
Area code(s)	253
FIPS code	53-02910
GNIS feature ID	1511972

Artondale is a community in Pierce County, Washington, United States. It's known as a census-designated place (CDP), which means it's a special area counted by the census but isn't officially a city. In 2020, about 13,641 people lived there.

Fun Parks and Outdoor Spots

Artondale has lots of cool places to explore outdoors!

Gig Harbor Golf Club

The Gig Harbor Golf Club is located in a valley near Artondale Creek. This spot is special because the very first school on the Gig Harbor peninsula was built here a long time ago.

Wollochet Bay Estuary Park

This park is a great place to see nature. It's 20.3 acres big and has a long shoreline. Here, fresh water from Artondale Creek mixes with salt water from Wollochet Bay. This creates a unique salt marsh environment that's super important for many different kinds of birds. The park is mostly an open grassy area with some crabapple trees. It's a peaceful spot to enjoy the outdoors.

Harbor Family Park

Harbor Family Park is a newer park with 18.7 acres of beautiful, green forest. It used to be private homes, but now it's a public space with dirt trails that wind through the trees. It's a popular place for people to walk their dogs or go for a run. You can find the park at the corner of 70th Ave NW and 32nd St NW.

Hales Pass Park

Even though Hales Pass Park is part of Artondale, many people connect it with the nearby community of Arletta. The stone building and picnic area at the park were built way back in 1938. They were originally part of the Arletta School. Today, the building is home to the Arletta Montessori preschool. The park also has a small baseball field and two public tennis courts.

Schools in Artondale

Artondale is home to several schools that are part of the Peninsula School District.

Artondale Elementary School

Artondale Elementary teaches students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Their mascot is the Otters! Besides classrooms, the school has big playing fields and playground equipment that act like an extra park for the community. When it snows, kids love to go sledding on the hills. In the summer, you'll find kids on the jungle gyms and sports teams playing baseball.

Voyager Elementary and Kopachuck Middle School

Near the western edge of Artondale, you'll find Voyager Elementary School and Kopachuck Middle School. Voyager teaches kindergarten to fifth grade, and their mascot is the Vikings. Kopachuck Middle School is for students in sixth to eighth grade, and they are the Coyotes! Most students from Artondale Elementary and Voyager Elementary go on to Kopachuck. After middle school, most students attend Gig Harbor High School. Both schools are right across the street from Kopachuck State Park, which is the only state park on the Gig Harbor Peninsula.

Important Places to See

Artondale has some special landmarks that tell its story.

The Artondale Grange

The Artondale Grange is the oldest and most historic building in the area. Even though farming isn't as common as it used to be, the Grange is still a community hub. It hosts many different events, from Girl Scout meetings to fun haunted houses! In 2016, a local farm, Artondale Farm, bought the building and is working to restore it. They even have a seasonal farm stand there.

Artondale Cemetery

Artondale also has its own small, historic cemetery located off Hunt St NW. It's a quiet place with grassy, shaded areas.

The Cow Farm

Near where 40th St NW meets Wollochet Dr NW, there's a cow farm that's a well-known landmark. It reminds everyone of Artondale's farming past.

Other Local Businesses

Along Wollochet Dr NW, you'll find other local spots like the Safe Harbor Child Development Center, which offers daycare and preschool. The old Peninsula Gardens store is now a place for crafts and antiques. There are also businesses like Cummings Inc Heating and Cooling and the Center for Ministry Development.

About Artondale's Location

Artondale is located at 47°18′0″N 122°37′45″W / 47.30000°N 122.62917°W / 47.30000; -122.62917.

The area of Artondale covers about 13.8 square miles (35.8 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small part being water. The official Artondale area includes parts of other communities like Cromwell, Warren, Arletta, Sylvia Lake, Rosedale, Wollochet, and Midway. However, locals usually think of "traditional" Artondale as the area south of Hunt St NW, west of Wollochet Dr NW, north of 32nd St NW, and east of 92nd Ave NW.

Artondale Creek

Artondale Creek flows through the community and eventually empties into Wollochet Bay. It's a special place because salmon come here to lay their eggs! Sometimes, students from Artondale Elementary get to visit the creek to see the salmon during spawning season.

Weather in Artondale

Artondale has a wet and mild climate, much like other parts of the Puget Sound region in Washington.

Rain and Clouds

It rains a fair amount, but the rain is spread out over many days. This means there are fewer truly "sunny" days compared to other parts of the country. Many days can be a mix of sun and clouds, with the weather changing quickly. The rainiest months are January, November, and December.

Snow and Cold

Snow is pretty rare in Artondale, usually less than 2 inches per year. When it does snow, it's often wet. Even though it doesn't snow much, it can still get cold. It's common to have weeks in winter where temperatures are in the 20s and 30s Fahrenheit. The coldest month is December. Windstorms can happen, especially from October to January, sometimes causing branches to fall.

Dry Season and Summer

The "dry" season is from May to September, with less rain. July is usually the driest month. August can have thunderstorms, but they often have "sheet lightning" rather than bright "fork lightning." June and early July often start cloudy in the mornings, but the clouds usually clear up later in the day.

It doesn't get super hot very often. Most homes don't have air conditioning, so on rare hot days (above 85 degrees Fahrenheit), people often go to the water or places with air conditioning, like the movie theater. Kopachuck State Park is a popular spot for cooling off. The hottest months are July and August, with average highs around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Who Lives in Artondale?

In 2010, there were 12,653 people living in Artondale. Most homes had about 2.91 people living in them.

Population Changes

From 2000 to 2010, the number of people under 18 years old in Artondale decreased a bit, while the number of people over 65 years old increased. In 2010, just over half of the population (50.9%) was female. About 11% of the people living in Artondale were veterans.

Diversity and Languages

Artondale is becoming more diverse. In 2010, about 5.3% of the people were born outside the U.S., and 7.7% of homes spoke a language other than English.

Work and Education

Most adults in Artondale (about two-thirds) are part of the working population. Many people work in sales, office jobs, management, or business. Other common jobs are in healthcare, education, construction, and food service. Artondale has a well-educated population, with most adults having a high school diploma, and many having a college degree.

See also

In Spanish: Artondale (Washington) para niños