Buckeye, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Buckeye, Washington
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Little Spokane River at Buckeye from Little Spokane Drive looking downstream
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 Buckeye, Washington
Location in Washington (state)
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Spokane |
| Elevation | 1,657 ft (505 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
99005
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| Area code(s) | 509 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1510844 |
Buckeye is a small, quiet community in Spokane County, Washington. It's not a big city or town, but rather an unincorporated community. This means it doesn't have its own local government like a city does. Buckeye is located along the beautiful Little Spokane River in the northern part of the county.
The Story of Buckeye
Buckeye got its name from the Buckeye Lumber Company. This company moved to the area around 1903. Before that, the place was known as Hockspur, which had its own post office from 1901 to 1903.
From 1903 to 1934, Buckeye even had its own post office! It was once a busy little town. It had a lumber mill, a butcher shop, and a general store. There was also a schoolhouse and many homes for the people living there. By 1901, the Spokane Falls and Northern Railway passed right through Buckeye. There was even a special stop for the train called a flag stop.
As the years went by, Buckeye became less busy. By the early 1960s, most of the town was empty and forgotten. It didn't look like a town anymore.
A woman named Kay Ringo moved to Buckeye in 1961. She found old building foundations in overgrown fields during her walks. She became very interested in the history of the community. In 1977, she wrote a book about it called The Milltown Buckeye, Washington, and Surrounding Area, 1889 to 1912. Kay Ringo passed away in 2013 when she was 95 years old.
Today, the original town of Buckeye is mostly gone. Only a few old buildings remain. However, the area is now home to many houses with large yards. These homes are where the northern parts of Spokane start to blend into forests and farms. The Buckeye Valley Estates Homeowners Association was created in 1997. It represents a private neighborhood of single-family homes. These homes are located on the hills above the Little Spokane River.
Where is Buckeye?
Buckeye is located in the northern part of Spokane County. It's about 15 miles north of Downtown Spokane if you drive there. The community sits in a valley carved out by the Little Spokane River. This river flows through Buckeye, generally moving south.
The lowest part of the valley is about 1,657 feet above sea level. The land then rises to over 2,100 feet on a nearby area called Half Moon Prairie. This prairie is about a mile to the west and northwest.
The community of Colbert is about two miles southeast of Buckeye. It's on the other side of U.S. Route 2. Buckeye is connected to U.S. 2 by Woolard Road.
Little Spokane Drive starts just north of Buckeye. It goes through the community, running next to the river. This road continues south into the northern Spokane suburbs and eventually reaches Fairwood. You'll find suburban-style homes within two miles south of Buckeye. In Buckeye itself, the homes are more spread out, like in a rural area that's still close to a city.
