Okanogan County, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Okanogan County
U.S. county
Okanogan County Courthouse in Okanogan
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Washington
Washington's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Washington
Founded	February 2, 1888
Named for	Fort Okanogan
Seat	Okanogan
Largest city	Omak
Area
• Total	5,312.7 sq mi (13,760 km2)
• Land	5,266.2 sq mi (13,639 km2)
• Water	46.5 sq mi (120 km2)  0.9%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	42,104
• Estimate  (2023)	43,712
• Density	8.3/sq mi (3.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district	4th

Okanogan County (/ˌoʊkəˈnɑːɡən/) is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington along the Canada–U.S. border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,104. The county seat is Okanogan, while the largest city is Omak. Its area is the largest in the state.

About a fifth of the county's residents live in the Greater Omak Area. The county forms a portion of the Okanogan Country. The first county seat was Ruby, which has now been a ghost town for more than 100 years.

Okanogan County was formed out of Stevens County in February 1888. The name derives from the Okanagan language place name ukʷnaqín. The name Okanogan (Okanagan) also refers to a part of southern British Columbia.

History

Before Europeans arrived, the Okanogan County region was home to numerous indigenous peoples that would eventually become part of three Indian reservations referred to as the Northern Okanogans or Sinkaietk, Tokoratums, Kartars and Konkonelps. They spoke in seven types of Interior Salish languages related to the Puget Sound tribes. The Okanogans experienced a favorable climate, camping in the winter, hunting bears in the spring, catching fish in the summer and hunting deer in fall. The camps consisted of teepee-like longhouses built with hides and bark. Women gathered nuts and berries. A popular destination for this was the Kettle Falls, where the Columbia River dropped some 20 feet (6.1 m).

Due to its remoteness, the Okanogan County area was one of the last in Washington settled by Europeans. It was an early thoroughfare used by prospectors to gain access to other communities, such as British Columbia. By the 21st century, the region specialized in agriculture, forestry and tourism. Electric producer Grand Coulee Dam was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with two power plants, around the Okanogan and Grant counties at the former's southern border.

In July 2014, the Carlton Complex wildfire burned over 250,000 acres (390 sq mi; 1,000 km²) in Okanogan County. It destroyed over 300 homes including 100 in and around Pateros

Geography

Landscape near Winthrop, Washington

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,312.7 square miles (13,760 km²), of which 5,266.2 square miles (13,639 km²) is land and 46.5 square miles (120 km²) (0.9%) is water. It is the largest county in the state by area, and it is larger than three states in land area.

Geographic features

• Cascade Mountains
• Columbia River
• Okanogan River
• North Gardner Mountain, the highest point in Okanogan County
• Beaner Lake

Major highways

• U.S. Route 97
• State Route 20
• State Route 153

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

• Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (part)
• Nez Perce National Historical Park (part)
• Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest
• Pasayten Wilderness

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 42,104 people, 16,942 households, and 10,768 families residing in the county. The population density was 8.0 inhabitants per square mile (3.1/km²). There were 21,720 housing units at an average density of 4.12 inhabitants per square mile (1.6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 65.6% White, 0.4% African American, 11.6% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 11.8% from some other races and 9.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 19.5% of the population. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.3% were under 5 years of age, and 23.8% were 65 and older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 41,120 people, 16,519 households, and 10,914 families living in the county. The population density was 7.8 inhabitants per square mile (3.0/km²). There were 22,245 housing units at an average density of 4.2 per square mile (1.6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 73.9% white, 11.4% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 10.1% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 17.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.4% were German, 12.4% were Irish, 12.2% were English, and 3.6% were American.

Of the 16,519 households, 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.9% were non-families, and 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 42.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,551 and the median income for a family was $48,418. Males had a median income of $37,960 versus $29,032 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,093. About 14.7% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.3% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Landscape near Okanogan, Washington

Cities

• Brewster
• Okanogan (county seat)
• Omak
• Oroville
• Pateros
• Tonasket

Towns

• Conconully
• Coulee Dam (partial)
• Elmer City
• Nespelem
• Riverside
• Twisp
• Winthrop

Census-designated places

• Disautel
• Loomis
• Malott
• Methow
• Nespelem Community
• North Omak

Other unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

• Bodie
• Bolster
• Chesaw
• Molson
• Ruby

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Okanogan para niños