Ellensburg, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ellensburg, Washington
City
The historic Davidson Building, completed in 1890
Seal
Location of Ellensburg, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Kittitas
Incorporated	November 26, 1883
Government
• Type	Council–manager
Area
• City	8.43 sq mi (21.83 km2)
• Land	8.32 sq mi (21.55 km2)
• Water	0.11 sq mi (0.27 km2)
Elevation	1,536 ft (468 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	18,666
• Estimate  (2022)	18,703
• Density	2,248/sq mi (867.9/km2)
• Urban	21,518
• Urban density	2,434/sq mi (939.9/km2)
• Metro	45,189 (US: 266th)
• Metro density	19,670/sq mi (7,595/km2)
Time zone	UTC–8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC–7 (PDT)
ZIP Code	98926
Area code(s)	509
FIPS code	53-21240
GNIS feature ID	1519305

Ellensburg is a city in Washington, United States. It is the main city of Kittitas County. The city is located east of the Cascade Range mountains. It is also near where two major highways, Interstate 90 and Interstate 82, meet.

In 2020, about 18,666 people lived in Ellensburg. By 2022, this number was estimated to be around 18,703.

Ellensburg sits along the Yakima River in the Kittitas Valley. This valley is a farming area that stretches towards the Columbia River. A lot of timothy hay is grown here, which is then sent all over the world. Ellensburg is also home to Central Washington University (CWU).

The city was started in 1871 by John Alden Shoudy. He named it "Ellensburgh" after his wife, Mary Ellen. The city grew quickly in the 1880s when the Northern Pacific Railway arrived. Ellensburg almost became the capital of Washington state. However, a big fire in 1889 changed those plans.

History of Ellensburg

Barge Hall at Central Washington University

The story of Ellensburg began in 1871. That's when John Alden Shoudy came to the Kittitas Valley. He bought a small trading post called "Robber's Roost." This was the first business in the valley. Before that, people like Native Americans, cattle drivers, and miners traded goods. Today, you can find a small stone monument to Robber's Roost. It's on 3rd Avenue, near Main Street.

John Shoudy named the new town "Ellensburgh" around 1872, after his wife, Mary Ellen. He planned out the city and named its downtown streets. Ellensburgh officially became a city on November 26, 1883. Later, in 1894, the "h" was dropped from the name, making it "Ellensburg." This happened because the United States Postal Service wanted names to be standard.

Ellensburg was an important business center early on. It was one of the first cities in Washington to have electrical service.

In 1889, the city tried to become the capital of Washington state. They even prepared a spot for government buildings. But on July 4th of that year, a huge fire destroyed much of the downtown area. This stopped their plan. Later, voters chose Olympia as the capital. However, the state decided to put the State Normal School (now Central Washington University) in Ellensburg.

Ellensburg has had several newspapers over the years. The Daily Record, which started in 1909, is the newspaper that serves the city and county today. People in Ellensburg care about their historic downtown. The Ellensburg Downtown Association works to keep the area lively and beautiful.

Arts and Culture in Ellensburg

Ellensburg has many places where you can see art and learn about history.

• Kittitas County Historical Museum
• The Goodey Gallery
• Clymer Museum and Gallery
• Gallery One Visual Arts Center
• 420 Loft Art Gallery
• Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, Central Washington University (CWU) Department of Art
• Museum of Culture & Environment, Central Washington University
• Dick and Jane's Spot

Events in Ellensburg

Ellensburg hosts many fun events throughout the year:

• The Ellensburg Farmers Market happens every Saturday from May to October. You can find it in downtown Ellensburg.
• In January, Ellensburg holds the annual Winterhop Brewfest. Over 21 small breweries from the Pacific Northwest offer their drinks.
• Every June, Ellensburg hosts Dachshunds on Parade. This event includes a parade, Dachshund races, pet tricks, and a dog costume contest.
• The annual Jazz in the Valley music festival takes place on the last weekend in July.
• Ellensburg is a major stop on the PRCA professional rodeo circuit. The Ellensburg Rodeo happens every year on Labor Day weekend. It has been a tradition since 1923 and is the biggest rodeo in Washington state.
• The Kittitas County Fair is also held during Labor Day weekend, right next to the rodeo arena. The fair started in 1885.
• Downtown Ellensburg also hosts Buskers in the Burg on the last Saturday in September. This event features street performers, a giant puppet parade, and an outdoor concert.

Geography and Climate

Ellensburg covers an area of about 8.43 square miles (21.83 km²). Most of this is land, with a small part being water.

Climate

Ellensburg has a cool, dry climate. This is because the Cascade Range mountains block much of the rain. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Ellensburg was 110 °F (43.3 °C) in July 1928. The coldest was −31 °F (−35.0 °C) in December 1919.

Population of Ellensburg

In 2020, the city of Ellensburg had 18,666 people living there. There were 8,110 households.

Media and Education

Local News and Library

Kittitas County gets its news from The Daily Record. This newspaper is printed in Ellensburg five days a week.

The city also has its own public library. It opened on January 20, 1910. The money to build it was given by Andrew Carnegie.

Schools and University

Ellensburg has schools for all ages.

• Higher Education: Central Washington University (CWU) started in 1891. It offers many different college degrees. Over 10,000 students attend CWU.
• Public Schools: The public schools are run by Ellensburg School District 401. This includes one high school (Ellensburg High School), one middle school, and four elementary schools.

Famous People from Ellensburg

Many notable people have connections to Ellensburg:

• Byron Beck, a basketball player
• Drew Bledsoe, a football player
• John Brotherton, an actor
• Daryl Chapin, a physicist who helped invent solar cells
• John Clymer, a painter and illustrator
• Gary Lee Conner, a singer-songwriter and guitarist for the band Screaming Trees
• Van Conner, a singer-songwriter and bassist for the band Screaming Trees
• Brian Habib, a football player
• Brian Haley, an actor and comedian
• John Haughm, a musician known for the bands Agalloch and Pillorian
• Dave Heaverlo, a baseball pitcher
• Stevin John, known as "Blippi", a popular children's entertainer on YouTube
• Jon Kitna, a football player
• Mark Lanegan, a singer-songwriter and lead singer of the band Screaming Trees
• Ron Magers, a television news anchor
• Mark Pickerel, a musician for the band Screaming Trees
• Brian Thompson, an actor
• David Wilkie, an ice hockey player
• Nick Zentner, a geology professor at Central Washington University, known for his online videos about geology