kids encyclopedia robot

Klickitat County, Washington facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Klickitat County
Klickitat County Courthouse
Klickitat County Courthouse
Map of Washington highlighting Klickitat County
Location within the U.S. state of Washington
Map of the United States highlighting Washington
Washington's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Washington
Founded December 20, 1859
Named for Klickitat Tribe
Seat Goldendale
Largest city Goldendale
Area
 • Total 1,904 sq mi (4,930 km2)
 • Land 1,871 sq mi (4,850 km2)
 • Water 33 sq mi (90 km2)  1.7%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 22,735
 • Estimate 
(2021)
23,118 Increase
 • Density 11.6/sq mi (4.5/km2)
Time zone UTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Klickitat County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,735. The county seat and largest city is Goldendale. The county is named after the Klickitat tribe.

History

Maryhill stonehenge WWI monument
A replica of Stonehenge built by Samuel Hill as a monument to local men killed in World War I called Maryhill Stonehenge.

Klickitat County was created out of Walla Walla County on December 20, 1859. Samuel Hill was an early promoter of the area, promoting better roads and building local landmarks such as a war memorial replica of Stonehenge (Maryhill Stonehenge) and a mansion that would become the Maryhill Museum of Art. The Sam Hill Memorial Bridge across the Columbia River is named after him.

Geography

Switching ReloadxRP - Flickr - drewj1946
Klickitat Log & Lumber train switching, 1964

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,904 square miles (4,930 km2), of which 1,871 square miles (4,850 km2) is land and 33 square miles (85 km2) (1.7%) is water.

Geographic features

Major highways

  • US 97.svg U.S. Route 97
  • WA-14.svg State Route 14
  • WA-142.svg State Route 142

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 230
1870 329 43.0%
1880 4,055 1,132.5%
1890 5,167 27.4%
1900 6,407 24.0%
1910 10,180 58.9%
1920 9,268 −9.0%
1930 9,825 6.0%
1940 11,357 15.6%
1950 12,049 6.1%
1960 13,455 11.7%
1970 12,138 −9.8%
1980 15,822 30.4%
1990 16,616 5.0%
2000 19,161 15.3%
2010 20,318 6.0%
2020 22,735 11.9%
2021 (est.) 23,118 13.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 20,318 people, 8,327 households, and 5,626 families living in the county. The population density was 10.9 inhabitants per square mile (4.2/km2). There were 9,786 housing units at an average density of 5.2 per square mile (2.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.7% white, 2.4% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 5.6% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry,

Of the 8,327 households, 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.4% were non-families, and 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 45.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,398 and the median income for a family was $46,012. Males had a median income of $43,588 versus $31,114 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,553. About 13.7% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Klickitat Valley WA
The Klickitat Valley

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Klickitat para niños

kids search engine
Klickitat County, Washington Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.