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Benton City, Washington
City of Benton City
Down Main Street looking to the south towards the Horse Heaven Hills
Down Main Street looking to the south towards the Horse Heaven Hills
Location of Benton City, Washington
Location of Benton City, Washington
Country United States
State Washington
County Benton
Area
 • Total 2.53 sq mi (6.56 km2)
 • Land 2.47 sq mi (6.39 km2)
 • Water 0.07 sq mi (0.17 km2)
Elevation
499 ft (152 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 3,038
 • Estimate 
(2019)
3,495
 • Density 1,416.13/sq mi (546.79/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
99320
Area code 509
FIPS code 53-05560
GNIS feature ID 1503314

Benton City is a city in Benton County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,038 at the 2010 census. The city shares a school district with the adjacent unincorporated community of Kiona.

History

Pre-incorporation

Benton City was originally platted by the Oregon Washington Railroad and Navigation Company in 1909 at the junction of the Walla Walla and Yakima lines. It took its name from Benton S. Groscup (and not the county's namesake), who was influential in the separation of Benton County from Yakima County. Freight and passenger depots were built by the railroad in 1910.

Post-incorporation

The town was officially incorporated July 2, 1945. Irrigation water was brought to the area via the Sunnyside Canal in 1947, allowing the area to grow considerably.

In 2002, the Benton City – Kiona Bridge over the Yakima River at Benton City was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Annual events

  • Annual Winterfest
  • Benton City Daze
  • Antique car shows

Geography

Benton City is located near the center of Benton County at 46°16′4″N 119°29′18″W / 46.26778°N 119.48833°W / 46.26778; -119.48833 (46.267872, -119.488230). It is situated on the inside of a bend on the north side of the Yakima River. The unincorporated community of Kiona is along the southern border of the city.

Interstate 82 and U.S. Route 12 pass through Benton City south of the Yakima River, with access from Exit 96. It is 22 miles (35 km) east to downtown Kennewick on the Columbia River and 65 miles (105 km) northwest to Yakima.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Benton City has a total area of 2.49 square miles (6.45 km2), of which 2.46 square miles (6.37 km2) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) is water.

Topography

Climate

Climate data for Benton City, Washington
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 71
(22)
73
(23)
82
(28)
92
(33)
104
(40)
110
(43)
110
(43)
113
(45)
106
(41)
89
(32)
77
(25)
66
(19)
113
(45)
Average high °F (°C) 41
(5)
48
(9)
58
(14)
65
(18)
73
(23)
80
(27)
88
(31)
88
(31)
78
(26)
64
(18)
49
(9)
38
(3)
64
(18)
Average low °F (°C) 29
(−2)
30
(−1)
35
(2)
41
(5)
48
(9)
54
(12)
59
(15)
58
(14)
50
(10)
40
(4)
34
(1)
28
(−2)
42
(6)
Record low °F (°C) −21
(−29)
−22
(−30)
11
(−12)
23
(−5)
30
(−1)
38
(3)
41
(5)
39
(4)
31
(−1)
13
(−11)
−6
(−21)
−10
(−23)
−22
(−30)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.01
(26)
0.80
(20)
0.69
(18)
0.60
(15)
0.65
(17)
0.50
(13)
0.25
(6.4)
0.16
(4.1)
0.31
(7.9)
0.54
(14)
1.02
(26)
1.12
(28)
7.6
(190)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1950 863
1960 1,210 40.2%
1970 1,070 −11.6%
1980 1,980 85.0%
1990 1,806 −8.8%
2000 2,624 45.3%
2010 3,038 15.8%
2019 (est.) 3,495 15.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
2015 Estimate

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,038 people, 1,086 households, and 738 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,235.0 inhabitants per square mile (476.8/km2). There were 1,162 housing units at an average density of 472.4 per square mile (182.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.6% White, 0.4% African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 16.3% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28.5% of the population.

There were 1,086 households, of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.0% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.38.

The median age in the city was 32.8 years. 30.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 9.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.

Landmarks

  • Brown's Rock
  • Kendall Barn

Notable people

  • James Otto, country musician, graduated from Kiona-Benton High School

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Benton City (Washington) para niños

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