Hamilton, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hamilton
Town
Hamilton, Washington
Location of Hamilton, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Skagit
Area
• Total	1.20 sq mi (3.10 km2)
• Land	1.20 sq mi (3.10 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	95 ft (29 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	299
• Density	258.98/sq mi (100.01/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98255
Area code	360
FIPS code	53-29255
GNIS feature ID	1520479

Hamilton is a town in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 299 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Hamilton was first settled in 1877 by William Hamilton, and was later named for him when Hamilton was officially incorporated on March 19, 1891.

The town was flooded by the Skagit River in November 2021. The local post office was deemed uninhabitable due to damage from the floods and shut down despite repairs to the building. Mail and parcels bound for Hamilton are instead forwarded to the Concrete post office, located 13 miles (21 km) away, despite protests from residents.

Geography

Hamilton is located at 48°31′34″N 121°59′20″W / 48.52611°N 121.98889°W / 48.52611; -121.98889 (48.526005, -121.988958).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.13 square miles (2.93 km²), all of it land.

Flooding

As part of the Skagit River floodway, the town of Hamilton faces significant flooding every few years, most notably in 2003, 2006, 2017, and 2021. The frequent flooding has forced residents to adopt a routine of moving their furniture from the ground floor and evacuating to a local church until the waters recede. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates it has spent $4.6 million in the town over the last several years.

Support has been building for a plan to move the entire town to a nearby hill. The Hamilton Public Development Authority was established in 2004 to purchase the land necessary for moving the town, which was achieved with assistance from conservation group Forterra in 2018. Forterra purchased a 45-acre (18 ha) farm north of State Route 20, which it aims to develop into a green city with housing for the relocated townspeople.

Climate

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hamilton has a marine west coast climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 301 people, 116 households, and 80 families living in the town. The population density was 266.4 inhabitants per square mile (102.9/km²). There were 141 housing units at an average density of 124.8 per square mile (48.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.4% White, 2.0% Native American, 3.7% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.3% of the population.

There were 116 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.0% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.99.

The median age in the town was 40.5 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 30.5% were from 45 to 64; and 10% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

See also

In Spanish: Hamilton (Washington) para niños