Lyle, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lyle, Washington
Census-designated place
Lyle as seen from Oregon
Location of Lyle in Klickitat County, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Klickitat
Area
• Total	0.71 sq mi (1.83 km2)
• Land	0.71 sq mi (1.83 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	203 ft (62 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	518
• Density	733.1/sq mi (283.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98635
Area code(s)	509
FIPS code	53-40735
GNIS feature ID	1512412

Lyle is a small community in Klickitat County, Washington, United States. It is a "census-designated place" (CDP), which means it's a special area defined by the government for counting people. In 2020, about 518 people lived there.

History of Lyle

Lyle was started around 1859. It was first called "Klickitat Landing". The first European settler was Egbert French, who came from Ohio.

In 1866, Egbert French sold his land to James O. Lyle. James Lyle moved there from The Dalles, Oregon. He settled on the north side of the Columbia River.

Soon after, a post office was opened. James Lyle was one of the first postmasters. Mail arrived by Steamboat from the other side of the river. Steamboats stopped when the North Shore Railroad was finished.

When the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway came in 1908, its tracks were a bit north of the old town. The current town area was planned in 1909. The older part of town became known as "downtown". The closest airport is in Dallesport, about 8.4 miles away. It started as a grass airstrip in the 1920s. The U.S. Corps of Engineers built the current airport in 1942 for World War II training.

Lyle Today

Lyle has two main parts. One part is built right on the north bank of the Columbia River. This includes the downtown area. The other part is built on the hills above the river.

Downtown Lyle Businesses

The downtown area has a few important places. There's a grocery store, which is like a big convenience store. You can also find two churches, a museum, and a tavern. There's a restaurant/cafe, a gas station, and a car repair shop. You might also find a second-hand store and an espresso stand. A historic hotel with a restaurant and bar is also downtown. Other small businesses sometimes open and close in this area.

Homes and Views

Residential areas are on both sides of downtown. Many new homes have been built on the northern hill. These homes are built in rows on terraces. They all seem to want the best view of the Columbia River. Less than 30 years ago, there were only a few homes on that hill. Now there are many. Homes on the hillside can be expensive because of the great views.

Lyle is about 70 miles east of Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. Even though it's far, some people live in Lyle and drive to work in those bigger cities. This makes Lyle a "bedroom community".

Schools in Lyle

The Lyle Community Schools Campus is home to three small, rural schools. These include the elementary, middle, and high schools for the area. Students from Dallesport and Murdock (about 6 miles east of Lyle) also attend these schools. The campus is located high on the hill, overlooking Lyle. The schools have a small number of students. For some sports, they combine with nearby towns to form teams.

Fun Things to Do in Lyle

Lyle is a small and usually quiet town. But it's known for some fun activities. It's very close to popular windsurfing beaches, like Doug's Beach. The area also has six small, special wineries. These include Cor Cellars, Domaine Pouillon, Jacob Williams Winery, Klickitat Canyon Winery, Tetrahedron Wines, and Syncline.

Geography of Lyle

Lyle is located in the southwest part of Klickitat County. It sits on the north side of the Columbia River. The Klickitat River also joins the Columbia River here.

Washington State Route 14 goes through Lyle. This road goes 8 miles east to Dallesport, Washington. It also goes 11 miles west to White Salmon, Washington. Dallesport and White Salmon have the closest bridges to cross the Columbia River. Also, Washington State Route 142 travels from Lyle to Goldendale, Washington along the Klickitat River.

Lyle covers about 1.8 square kilometers (about 0.7 square miles) of land. There is no water area within the town limits. Behind the town, there are hills that lead up to a large flat area. This flat area is common in south-central Washington.

Climate in Lyle

Lyle has warm, but not very hot, and dry summers. The average monthly temperatures do not go above 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This type of weather is called a "warm-summer Mediterranean climate".

Population of Lyle

In 2000, there were 530 people living in Lyle. By 2010, the population was 499. In 2020, it grew slightly to 518 people.

The average age of people in Lyle in 2000 was 41 years old. About 26.8% of the population was under 18 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Lyle (Washington) para niños