Whitman County, Washington Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Whitman County
U.S. county
Colfax Post Office
Location within the U.S. state of Washington
Washington's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Washington
Founded	November 29, 1871
Named for	Marcus Whitman
Seat	Colfax
Largest city	Pullman
Area
• Total	2,178 sq mi (5,640 km²)
• Land	2,159 sq mi (5,590 km²)
• Water	19 sq mi (50 km²) 0.9%%
Population (2020)
• Total	47,973
• Estimate (2023)	48,012
• Density	22/sq mi (8/km²)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district	5th

Whitman County is a special area called a county in the state of Washington. In 2020, about 47,973 people lived here. The main office, or county seat, is in Colfax. The biggest city in the county is Pullman.

This county was created in 1871 from a larger area called Stevens County. It is named after Marcus Whitman. He was a Presbyterian missionary who, along with his wife Narcissa, sadly died in 1847. They were killed by members of the Cayuse tribe.

Whitman County is also part of the Pullman, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. This means it's a region with a big city and nearby areas that are closely connected.

A Look Back: Whitman County's History

In the early 1800s, both Americans and Canadians started settling in the area that would become Washington state. Canadians were mostly interested in trading furs. Americans, however, wanted land for farming and raising animals.

For a while, both the U.S. and Canadian governments shared control of this land. This shared control often led to arguments. In 1846, the Oregon Treaty finally settled things. It gave the land south of 49 degrees North latitude to American control.

Over time, larger areas were divided into smaller counties. In 1871, a part of Stevens County became Whitman County. Back then, Whitman County was much bigger than it is today! In 1883, parts of Whitman County were used to create Adams, Franklin, and Lincoln counties. After that, Whitman County kept its current shape. Washington became the 42nd state in the U.S. in 1889.

Exploring Whitman County's Geography

Whitman County covers about 2,178 square miles. Most of this is land (2,159 square miles), with a small part (19 square miles) being water. Whitman County is part of a beautiful, rolling area called the Palouse. This region is like a wide prairie in the middle of the Columbia basin.

Rivers Flowing Through Whitman County

Snake River
Palouse River
- Latah Creek
- Union Flat Creek
- Rock Creek
- Pine Creek

Lakes and Reservoirs

Lake Herbert G. West, formed by the Lower Monumental Dam
Lake Bryan, named after Dr. Enoch A. Bryan, located behind the Little Goose Dam
Lower Granite Lake, found behind the Lower Granite Dam
Rock Lake

Tallest Points: Summits and Peaks

Tekoa Mountain (about 4,009 feet high)
Kamiak Butte (about 3,641 feet high)
Steptoe Butte (about 3,612 feet high)
Bald Butte (about 3,369 feet high)

Fun Places: Notable Parks

Steptoe Butte State Park
Kamiak Butte County Park
Palouse Falls State Park
Central Ferry State Park
Boyer Park and Marina
Wawawai County Park

Nearby Counties

Spokane County - north
Benewah County, Idaho - northeast
Latah County, Idaho - east
Nez Perce County, Idaho - southeast
Asotin County - south/southeast
Garfield County - south
Columbia County - south
Franklin County - southwest
Adams County - west
Lincoln County - northwest

Main Roads: Major Highways

U.S. Route 195
State Route 23
State Route 26
State Route 27
State Route 127
State Route 270
State Route 271
State Route 272

Airports in Whitman County

Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport: This airport has flights for passengers and also handles general aviation (smaller planes).
Port of Whitman Business Air Center Airport: A smaller airport for general aviation, located in Colfax.

People and Population

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	7,014	—
1890	19,109	172.4%
1900	25,360	32.7%
1910	33,280	31.2%
1920	31,323	−5.9%
1930	28,014	−10.6%
1940	27,221	−2.8%
1950	32,469	19.3%
1960	31,263	−3.7%
1970	37,900	21.2%
1980	40,103	5.8%
1990	38,775	−3.3%
2000	40,740	5.1%
2010	44,776	9.9%
2020	47,973	7.1%
2023 (est.)	48,012	7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

In 2010, there were 44,776 people living in Whitman County. About 84.6% of the people were white, 7.8% were Asian, and 1.7% were black or African American. People of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.6% of the population.

The average age in the county was 24.4 years old. This is quite young, partly because of the university in the area.

How Whitman County Makes Money: Economy

Whitman County is very good at agriculture. It grows more barley, wheat, dry peas, and lentils than any other county in the United States! This makes farming a huge part of its economy.

The county is also home to Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman. This company creates important technology for power systems.