Okanogan ( ; derived from Syilx'tsn: "rendezvous" or "meeting place") is a city in

Okanogan County Okanogan County () 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 ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, United States. The population was 2,552 at the 2010 census, within the

Greater Omak Area Omak ( Merriam (1997), p. 869) is a city located in the foothills of the Okanogan Highlands in north-central Washington, United States. With an estimated 4,845 residents as of 2010, distributed over a land area of , Omak is the largest munici ...

. It is the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

. It has a small commuter airfield, Okanogan Legion Airport – (S35) with one paved runway of in length.

History

Okanogan was officially incorporated on October 29, 1907. A pair of 115 year old long murals possibly by Western photographer Frank S. Matsura was discovered during renovation of a 1907 commercial building in January 2022. The building had been used as a theater several times and Matsura had played in the Okanogan County Band on stage there. The mural is painted on canvases split between the north and south walls, and a 1915 newspaper clipping found by the

Okanogan County Historical Society Okanogan (US) or Okanagan (Canada) may refer to: People and regions * Okanagan Country, a divided region in British Columbia and Washington * Okanagan people, a Native American (USA) or First Nations (Canada) people, known as the ''Syilx'' in the ...

provided coverage of plans for the murals. Then the Hub Theater, the building was planned to incorporate panoramic scenery murals in tans painted by a local artist. The owners plan to take the murals down for restoration before rehanging them as the centerpiece of a historical exhibit.

Geography

Okanogan is located at (48.366694, −119.581139). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. The town is located along the

Okanogan River The Okanogan River (known as the Okanagan River in Canada) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi (185 km) long, in southern British Columbia and north central Washington. It drains a scenic plateau region called th ...

Climate

Okanogan experiences a dry and hot-summer

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing som ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: Dsa). A weather station is located in nearby

Omak Omak ( Merriam (1997), p. 869) is a city located in the foothills of the Okanogan Highlands in north-central Washington, United States. With an estimated 4,845 residents as of 2010, distributed over a land area of , Omak is the largest municipa ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 2,552 people, 983 households, and 619 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 1,051 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 79.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.5%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 7.9% Native American, 0.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 6.4% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 4.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 14.1% of the population. There were 983 households, of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.0% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the city was 37.7 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,484 people, 909 households, and 599 families living in the city. The

was 1,354.8 people per square mile (524.1/km²). There were 997 housing units at an average density of 543.8 per square mile (210.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.60%

, 0.36%

, 8.17% Native American, 0.40%

, 0.08%

, 6.64% from

, and 3.74% from two or more races.

of any race were 10.10% of the population. There were 909 households, out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,994, and the median income for a family was $33,947. Males had a median income of $31,143 versus $20,822 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $13,849. About 20.2% of families and 24.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 31.9% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

Sister city

Okanogan has one

Sister City A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

, according to th
Washington State Lt. Governor's list of Washington Sister Cities
*

Keremeos, British Columbia Keremeos () is a village in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The name originated from the Similkameen dialect of the Okanagan language word "Keremeyeus" meaning "creek which cuts its way through the flats" referring to Keremeos ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

References

External links

History of Okanogan
at

HistoryLink HistoryLink is an online encyclopedia of Washington state history. The site has more than 8,100 entries and attracts 5,000 daily visitors. It has 500 biographies and more than 14,000 images. The non-profit historical organization History Ink prod ...

{{Authority control Cities in Washington (state) Cities in Okanogan County, Washington County seats in Washington (state) 1907 establishments in Washington (state) Populated places in Greater Omak Washington (state) populated places on the Okanogan River Populated places in the Okanagan Country