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Fife is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States and a suburb of Tacoma. The population was 10,999 at the 2020 census. Fife is contained within the Puyallup Indian Reservation.


History

The lower Puyallup basin is the ancestral home of the
Puyallup people The Puyallup, Spuyalpabš or S’Puyalupubsh (pronounced: Spoy-all-up-obsh) ('generous and welcoming behavior to all people, who enter our lands') are a federally recognized Coast Salish Native American tribe from western Washington state, Uni ...
, who were relocated after the signing of the
Medicine Creek Treaty The Treaty of Medicine Creek was an 1854 treaty between the United States, and nine tribes and bands of Indians, occupying the lands lying around the head of Puget Sound, Washington, and the adjacent inlets. The tribes listed on the Treaty of Medic ...
in 1854. The treaty ceded Puyallup lands and created the Puyallup Indian Reservation, which was expanded to include modern-day Fife. The land on which the city sits was lost after the signing of the General Allotment Act in 1887 and other land transfers that were later resolved in a 1990 claims settlement. In 1940, Fife was described as "at a valley crossroads in the midst of a thickly settled berry growing and truck-gardening district is represented by a string of markets, taverns, shops, and a large, balloon-roofed dance hall along the highway." The 1940 population was 135. Fife was officially incorporated on February 11, 1957. Due to the increased traffic volume traveling from
Puyallup Puyallup may refer to: * Puyallup (tribe), a Native American tribe * Puyallup, Washington, a city ** Puyallup High School ** Puyallup School District ** Puyallup station, a Sounder commuter rail station ** Washington State Fair, formerly the Puya ...
and Tacoma, Fife felt the need to establish itself as autonomous community, not just as an intermediate area between
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Calif ...
(I-5) and State Route 167. Fife may have been named for William J. Fife, a prominent Tacoma lawyer, Yukon prospector, once head of the Washington National Guard, and a lieutenant colonel in the field during the Philippine Insurrection. There is also a historic county of
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
and former
Pictish Pictish is the extinct Brittonic language spoken by the Picts, the people of eastern and northern Scotland from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Virtually no direct attestations of Pictish remain, short of a limited number of geographic ...
kingdom called
Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross ...
, which could also be a source of the city's name.


Economy

Fife, an eastern suburb of Tacoma, consists primarily of businesses such as car dealerships, warehousing and industrial facilities, motels, drive through smokeshops, quick-dining restaurants as well as an Indian casino and various other highway-side businesses. Its proximity to the
Port of Tacoma The Port of Tacoma is an independent seaport located in Tacoma, Washington. The port was created by a vote of Pierce County citizens on November 5, 1918. The ''Edmore'' was the first ship to call at the port in 1921. The port's marine cargo oper ...
, Interstate 5, and Highway 167 has contributed to the large number of freight forwarding companies. Fife's tax base is made up of sales tax, utility tax, and property tax. Fife Heights, located on a hill beyond the incorporated bounds of the city, is a primarily residential area. Milton is located immediately to the east and Edgewood to the southeast.


Geography

Fife is located at (47.234439, -122.359690). It is entirely within the Puyallup Indian Reservation created in 1854, but title is held almost entirely by non-Native Americans. 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 An economy is an area of th ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Fife is also a tideflat community, residing in the low, flat area extending from the Port of Tacoma. This means the
water table The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated. Th ...
occurs only below ground in some parts. Consequently, during the day, as the tide rises and falls in the
Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected m ...
, so do parts of land slightly rise and fall. The southern portions of the city are in the floodplain of the
Puyallup River The Puyallup River ( ) is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. About long, it is formed by glaciers on the west side of Mount Rainier. It flows generally northwest, emptying into Commencement Bay, part of Puget Sound. The river and its tribu ...
. Much of the city would be damaged or destroyed in the event of a
lahar A lahar (, from jv, ꦮ꧀ꦭꦲꦂ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley. Lahars are extreme ...
due to an eruption of
Mount Rainier Mount Rainier (), indigenously known as Tahoma, Tacoma, Tacobet, or təqʷubəʔ, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With a ...
.


Demographics


2010 census

At 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 in ...
of 2010, there were 9,173 people, 3,642 households, and 2,192 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,895 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 55.2% White, 8.2% African American, 3.0% Native American, 15.5% Asian, 2.7% Pacific Islander, 7.6% other races, and 7.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.4%. Of the 3,642 households 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.8% were non-families. 29.7% of households were one person and 4.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age was 30.9 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 36.9% were from 25 to 44; 20.4% were from 45 to 64; and 6.5% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.


2000 census

At 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 in ...
of 2000, there were 4,784 people, 2,111 households, and 1,123 families living in the city. The population density was 859.7 people per square mile (332.2/km). There were 2,232 housing units at an average density of 401.1 per square mile (155.0/km). The racial makeup of the city was 68.62% White, 6.81% African American, 4.14% Native American, 6.50% Asian, 1.23% Pacific Islander, 6.94% from other races, and 5.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.55% of the population. Of the 2,111 households 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.4% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.8% were non-families. 37.5% of households were one person and 6.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 3.00. The age distribution was 25.8% under the age of 18, 14.4% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% 65 or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.3 males. The median household income was $31,806 and the median family income was $36,250. Males had a median income of $30,963 versus $25,101 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,723. About 12.6% of families and 14.9% 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 ...
, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.


Education

The majority of the city limits is in the Fife Public Schools, which also includes Milton and parts of Edgewood. The district has one high school, Fife High School. Other parts of Fife are in the
Puyallup School District Puyallup School District is a school district that supports the City of Puyallup, Washington, United States, and its surrounding areas. It was the third school district formed in the state of Washington. It is the 8th largest school district in ...
.


Notable people

* Dr.
Mark Emmert Mark Allen Emmert (born December 16, 1952) is the current president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He is the fifth CEO of the NCAA; he was named as the incoming president on April 27, 2010, and assumed his duties on November 1 ...
, former president of the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seat ...
and president of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athlete, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic sports, ...
*
Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel ''Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...
, author known for the ''Dune'' series *
Kaleb McGary Kaleb McGary (born February 22, 1995) is an American football offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Washington. Early years McGary originally attended Battle Ground High S ...
,
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons


References


External links


City of Fife
* {{Authority control Cities in Washington (state) Cities in Pierce County, Washington Cities in the Seattle metropolitan area 1957 establishments in Washington (state) Puyallup Indian Reservation