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Black Diamond, Washington
Top Works at Mine 11, Black Diamond, ca. 1915.
Top Works at Mine 11, Black Diamond, ca. 1915.
Location of Black Diamond, Washington
Location of Black Diamond, Washington
Country United States
State Washington
County King
Established mid-1880s
Incorporated February 19, 1959
Government
 • Type Mayor–council
Area
 • Total 7.19 sq mi (18.65 km2)
 • Land 6.60 sq mi (17.09 km2)
 • Water 0.60 sq mi (1.54 km2)
Elevation
653 ft (199 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 4,697
 • Estimate 
(2023)
6,602
 • Density 1,000.51/sq mi (386.29/km2)
Time zone UTC–8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC–7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
98010
Area code(s) 360 and 564
FIPS code 53-06330
GNIS feature ID 1516603

Black Diamond is a city in King County, Washington, United States. In 2020, about 4,697 people lived there. By 2023, the population grew to 6,602. This made Black Diamond the fastest-growing small city in King County.

History of Black Diamond

How Black Diamond Started

Long ago, the Bəqəlšuł people lived in this area. Their name means "from a high point from which you can see." They were part of the Coast Salish people. They used to fish from Lake Sawyer and had a special place for cooking and smoking fish.

Black Diamond officially became a city on February 19, 1959. In recent years, many people have moved to Black Diamond. They often work in bigger cities like Seattle or Bellevue. This makes Black Diamond a "commuter community."

Coal Mining in Black Diamond

In the 1880s, Black Diamond was a busy place for coal mining. The Black Diamond Coal Mining Company from California started the mines. Many of the first workers came from another mine in California. They moved because the coal there wasn't as good. Also, new, better coal was found in Washington.

By the early 1900s, about 3,500 people lived in Black Diamond. Many were immigrants from Europe. Most of the men worked in the coal mines. The coal was sent to Seattle by train.

After World War I, the main mine closed because it wasn't making enough money. But in the 1930s, mining started again. The Morris brothers helped new mining operations grow. Coal mining continued for many years.

The main building of the Black Diamond Historical Museum used to be a train station. It served trains that carried passengers and coal. Trains stopped carrying passengers in 1925. But they still brought miners to work until 1931. They also hauled coal and other goods into the 1940s.

Planned Growth for the City

In the 1990s, Black Diamond started planning for its future. The city wanted to manage how it would grow. They created a plan called the Growth Management Act (GMA) Comprehensive Plan. This plan included an idea for "Master Planned Developments" (MPDs). These are large areas planned for many new homes and businesses.

In 2008, land was bought for the first MPD. The plans for these new developments were submitted in 2010.

Legal Challenges to Growth Plans

From 2010 to 2018, there were legal challenges that slowed down the building of these new areas.

  • In 2010, a group called Toward Responsible Development filed a lawsuit against the first two MPDs.
  • In 2012, a court sided with the city and the developers.
  • In 2014, the group that filed the lawsuit was ordered to pay money for legal fees.
  • In 2016, the developer sued some city council members who were against the plans.
  • In 2017, the city council also sued the mayor.
  • In 2018, the city and the developer settled their lawsuits.

First Master Planned Developments

The first two MPDs were designed to have 6,050 new homes. They also planned for 1.1 million square feet of shops and offices. These developments were expected to add about 15,000 new residents. This would make the city's population about 3.6 times bigger than it was in 2010.

Building on the first MPD, called Ten Trails, began in December 2013. The first families moved into Ten Trails in 2019.

In 2021, Black Diamond was the fastest-growing small city in King County. Its population grew by 21%.

By March 2022, 845 homes were occupied in Ten Trails. This included houses and apartments. At that time, about 2,053 people were estimated to be living in Ten Trails. This meant about 79% of Black Diamond's population lived in Ten Trails in March 2022.

Geography

Black Diamond covers an area of about 7.19 square miles (18.65 square kilometers). Most of this area is land.

There are also several lakes in or near the city. One of them is Horseshoe Lake.

Population Information

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 561
1960 1,026
1970 1,160 13.1%
1980 1,170 0.9%
1990 1,422 21.5%
2000 3,970 179.2%
2010 4,151 4.6%
2020 4,697 13.2%
2023 (est.) 6,602 59.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
2020 Census
Black Diamond Cemetery tomb 01
Many early residents of Black Diamond came from Italy. This gravestone in the Black Diamond Cemetery has Italian writing. The cemetery is a historic place.

In 2022, Black Diamond had about 2,072 households. On average, there were about 2.56 people in each home. The average income for a household was about $134,076 per year. About 0.9% of the city's population lived in poverty.

About 73% of people in Black Diamond had jobs. Most adults had a high school diploma (98.5%). More than half (52.5%) had a college degree or higher.

The most common backgrounds reported by people were English (90.9%), Spanish (3.8%), and Asian and Pacific Islander (3.4%). The average age in the city was 40 years old.

2020 Census Details

Black Diamond, Washington – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop. 2000 Pop. 2010 Pop. 2020  % 2000  % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 3,650 3,700 3,655 91.94% 89.14% 77.82%
Black or African American alone (NH) 3 47 34 0.08% 1.13% 0.72%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 57 29 26 1.44% 0.70% 0.55%
Asian alone (NH) 40 50 129 1.01% 1.20% 2.75%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 1 12 15 0.03% 0.29% 0.32%
Other race alone (NH) 10 4 27 0.25% 0.10% 0.57%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) 102 116 314 2.57% 2.79% 6.69%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 107 193 497 2.70% 4.65% 10.58%
Total 3,970 4,151 4,697 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

According to the 2020 census, Black Diamond had 4,697 people. There were 1,729 households and 1,345 families. The city had about 717 people per square mile.

The racial makeup was mostly White (79.39%). Other groups included African American (0.75%), Native American (0.83%), Asian (2.83%), and Pacific Islander (0.36%). About 10.58% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 24.4% of residents were under 18 years old. About 12.9% were 65 or older. The city had slightly more females (50.2%) than males (49.8%).

2010 Census Details

In the 2010 census, Black Diamond had 4,151 people. There were 1,546 households and 1,157 families. The population density was about 690 people per square mile.

The racial makeup was mostly White (91.95%). Other groups included African American (1.16%), Native American (0.75%), Asian (1.20%), and Pacific Islander (0.29%). About 4.65% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 37.5% of households had children under 18. Most households (62%) were married couples. The average household size was 2.68 people.

The average age in the city was 40.4 years. About 25.2% of residents were under 18. About 10% were 65 or older.

City Landmarks

The City of Black Diamond has special places called landmarks. These are important historical sites.

Landmark Built Listed Address Photo
Black Diamond Depot 1886 2020 32627 Railroad Avenue
Black Diamond Cemetery c. 1880 2000 Cemetery Hill Road
Black Diamond Cemetery 04
Black Diamond Cemetery
Black Diamond Miners' Cabin c. 1882 1995 24311 Morgan Street
Luigi & Aurora Pagani House c. 1896 2001 32901 Merino Street
Black Diamond, WA - Luigi & Aurora Pagani House 01
Luigi & Aurora Pagani House

Notable People

Some famous people have connections to Black Diamond. Folk musician Brandi Carlile used to live here. Also, Edo Vanni, a minor-league baseball star, was born in Black Diamond in 1918.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Black Diamond (Washington) para niños

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