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 small town located in Skagit County, Washington, United States. In 2020, about 299 people lived there. It is part of the larger Mount Vernon-Anacortes area.

History of Hamilton

Hamilton was first settled in 1877 by a person named William Hamilton. The town was later named after him. It officially became a town on March 19, 1891.

In November 2021, the town experienced a big flood from the Skagit River. The local post office was badly damaged and had to close. Even after repairs, it was decided the building couldn't be used anymore. Now, mail for Hamilton residents goes to the Concrete post office, which is about 13 miles (21 km) away. This change happened despite many residents wanting their local post office to reopen.

Geography and Location

Hamilton is located at coordinates 48°31′34″N 121°59′20″W / 48.52611°N 121.98889°W / 48.52611; -121.98889. This means it's in a specific spot on the map.

The United States Census Bureau says the town covers a total area of about 1.13 square miles (2.93 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Flooding Challenges

Hamilton is located in the Skagit River floodway. This means the town is in an area where the river's floodwaters often flow. Because of this, Hamilton faces significant flooding every few years. Some notable floods happened in 2003, 2006, 2017, and 2021.

When floods are expected, residents have a routine. They move their furniture from the ground floor of their homes. Then, they evacuate to a local church until the floodwaters go down. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has spent about $4.6 million in the town over several years to help with flood-related issues.

There is a plan to move the entire town to a nearby hill. The Hamilton Public Development Authority was created in 2004. Its goal was to buy the land needed for this move. With help from a conservation group called Forterra, they bought the land in 2018. Forterra purchased a 45-acre (18 ha) farm north of State Route 20. The plan is to develop this land into a green city with new homes for the townspeople.

Climate

The climate in Hamilton has mild differences between its highest and lowest temperatures. There is also enough rainfall throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hamilton has a marine west coast climate. This type of climate is often shown as "Cfb" on climate maps.

People of Hamilton

What the 2010 Census Showed

Based on the 2010 census, there were 301 people living in Hamilton. These people lived in 116 households, and 80 of these were families. The town had about 266 people per square mile (102.8 per square kilometer). There were 141 housing units, which are places where people can live.

Most of the people in Hamilton were White (90.4%). A smaller number were Native American (2.0%), from other races (3.7%), or from two or more races (4.0%). About 4.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Out of the 116 households, about 31.9% had children under 18 living with them. More than half (51.7%) were married couples living together. About 9.5% had a female head of the household without a husband, and 7.8% had a male head of the household without a wife.

The average age of people in Hamilton was 40.5 years old. About 23.9% of residents were under 18. About 10% of residents were 65 years old or older. The town had slightly more females (51.5%) than males (48.5%).

See also

In Spanish: Hamilton (Washington) para niños