Quincy, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Quincy, Washington
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Historic Reiman-Simmons House at the Quincy Valley Museum
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| Motto(s):
Where Agriculture Meets Technology
Motto: Opportunities Unlimited |
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Location of Quincy, Washington
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Grant |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.13 sq mi (15.88 km2) |
| • Land | 6.05 sq mi (15.67 km2) |
| • Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,302 ft (397 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,543 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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8,053 |
| • Density | 1,327.55/sq mi (512.60/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
98848
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| Area code(s) | 509 |
| FIPS code | 53-57115 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1512590 |
Quincy is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. It is situated east of the Columbia River on State Route 28 and north of Interstate 90. The population was 7,543 at the 2020 census. Quincy is one of the closest cities to The Gorge Amphitheatre.
Contents
History
Geologic history
Quincy lies atop a part of the Columbia River Basalt Group which is overlain by Pleistocene outburst flood deposits. The Missoula Floods had one of their outlets at Trinidad, close to Quincy and another near Ancient Lakes, which includes the Ancient Lakes of the Columbia Valley AVA. Glacial erratics carried from as far away as Montana can be found nearby. The area also has an abundance of rimrock.
Great Northern Railway
Quincy was founded as a railroad camp during construction of the Great Northern Railway in 1892, and was incorporated on March 27, 1907. It was named after Quincy, Illinois.
Grand Coulee Dam
The arrival of the water from the Grand Coulee Dam in 1952 changed the town.
Geography
Quincy is located at 47°14′1″N 119°51′8″W / 47.23361°N 119.85222°W (47.233691, −119.852296).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.04 square miles (13.05 km2), of which, 4.96 square miles (12.85 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.
Climate
Quincy has a cold desert climate (BSk) according to the Köppen climate classification system.
| Climate data for Quincy | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 63 (17) |
73 (23) |
78 (26) |
92 (33) |
99 (37) |
112 (44) |
109 (43) |
107 (42) |
100 (38) |
89 (32) |
75 (24) |
64 (18) |
112 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.2 (1.2) |
43 (6) |
54.2 (12.3) |
63.7 (17.6) |
72.5 (22.5) |
79.3 (26.3) |
87.5 (30.8) |
86.1 (30.1) |
77.8 (25.4) |
63.2 (17.3) |
45.7 (7.6) |
35.7 (2.1) |
61.9 (16.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 19.1 (−7.2) |
25.4 (−3.7) |
30.7 (−0.7) |
37.3 (2.9) |
45.5 (7.5) |
52 (11) |
57.2 (14.0) |
55.9 (13.3) |
48.1 (8.9) |
37.3 (2.9) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
38.2 (3.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −29 (−34) |
−25 (−32) |
0 (−18) |
14 (−10) |
23 (−5) |
33 (1) |
36 (2) |
37 (3) |
26 (−3) |
9 (−13) |
−15 (−26) |
−19 (−28) |
−29 (−34) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.9 (23) |
0.73 (19) |
0.61 (15) |
0.56 (14) |
0.67 (17) |
0.59 (15) |
0.24 (6.1) |
0.27 (6.9) |
0.37 (9.4) |
0.58 (15) |
1.1 (28) |
1.17 (30) |
7.78 (198) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.8 (12) |
1.5 (3.8) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.2 (3.0) |
5 (13) |
12.8 (33) |
| Average precipitation days | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 55 |
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 264 | — | |
| 1920 | 285 | 8.0% | |
| 1930 | 266 | −6.7% | |
| 1940 | 318 | 19.5% | |
| 1950 | 804 | 152.8% | |
| 1960 | 3,269 | 306.6% | |
| 1970 | 3,237 | −1.0% | |
| 1980 | 3,525 | 8.9% | |
| 1990 | 3,738 | 6.0% | |
| 2000 | 5,044 | 34.9% | |
| 2010 | 6,750 | 33.8% | |
| 2020 | 7,543 | 11.7% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 8,053 | 19.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 6,750 people, 1,915 households, and 1,541 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,360.9 inhabitants per square mile (525.4/km2). There were 2,020 housing units at an average density of 407.3 per square mile (157.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 54.9% White, 0.4% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 40.6% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 74.3% of the population.
There were 1,915 households, of which 55.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 9.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 19.5% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.51 and the average family size was 3.87.
The median age in the city was 26.2 years. 36.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.9% were from 25 to 44; 16.6% were from 45 to 64; and 8.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.
Economy
Farming
Quincy has long had an agricultural economy, which was enhanced by irrigation made possible with the Grand Coulee Dam. Major crops include potatoes, wheat, and timothy grass. Orchards and vineyards are also displacing lower-value crops in the Quincy Valley.
An investigation into the dumping of toxic waste onto farmland and its relabeling as fertilizer in Quincy was the subject of the 2001 book Fateful Harvest.
Technology
Technology companies such as Microsoft, Yahoo!, Dell and Intuit have located large data centers within the Quincy area since 2007. Microsoft's Columbia Data Center, built starting in 2006 and expanded several times, is said to be the world's largest data center. The centers, attracted to the area because of its abundant and cheap hydroelectricity, have been criticized for dodging fines from the Grant County Public Utility District for overusing electricity and for creating air pollution through their diesel backup generators.
The data centers are incentivized by tax credits offered by the state of Washington to stimulate economic development in the city. Two additional electrical substations are being built to handle expected demand from current and future companies.
Tourism
Although George is the closest town to the Gorge Amphitheatre, Quincy is the closest town that offers services such as motels and a full grocery store. Quincy sees an uptick in population during concerts.
The semi-arid climate allows Quincy to go for weeks or months without rain during the summer. This makes nearby water recreation such as Crescent Bar a major draw. Quincy is the closest town with services to Crescent Bar. The Quincy area offers boating, water skiing, hunting, fishing, and snow skiing during parts of the year.
Culture
Every 2nd Saturday in September, Quincy celebrates Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day. For a month beforehand, the roads leading to town are decorated with signs showing local crops and products made with them. On the day of the celebration, floats created by local schools and farm equipment parade through town. Free agricultural and geology tours are offered, as well as a produce sale, tractor pull, Farm-to-Market fun run, and many other activities.
Parks and recreation
Quincy has several parks including an aqua park with a waterslide with 2 water fed half tubes, heated pools, and special areas for kids. The park is also home to a large field with a baseball diamond, playground, picnic area, and small skate-park.
Notable people
- Colleen Atwood, costume designer
- John Boyd, school superintentdent
See also
In Spanish: Quincy (Washington) para niños
