Ridgefield is a city in northern
Clark County,
Washington. The population was 10,319 at the time of the
2020 census, up from 4,763 in
2010, making it the fastest growing city in the state of Washington.
Located within the
Portland metropolitan area, Ridgefield is notable for the significant
Native American history and connection to the
Lewis and Clark Expedition. It is also the headquarters of the
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge, one of the national wildlife refuges operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, located in the westernmost part of Clark County, Washington. The refuge protects more than o ...
, a primary reserve for migrating waterfowl on the
Pacific Flyway, and the home of the
Ridgefield High School "Spudders" (reflecting the area's
potato
The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wild potato species can be found from the southern Un ...
-farming heritage).
History
The area has important ties to the
Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804–1806, being close to the
Chinookan town of Cathlapotle, then a settlement of 700–800 people, with at least 14 substantial
plank house
A plank house is a type of house constructed by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, typically using cedar planks.
History
The oldest plank house village found is located in Kitselas Canyon at the Paul Mason Site in western British ...
s. The community's ties to the Chinookan people was commemorated by the construction of a replica of a Cathlapotle
plank house
A plank house is a type of house constructed by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, typically using cedar planks.
History
The oldest plank house village found is located in Kitselas Canyon at the Paul Mason Site in western British ...
at the nearby
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge, one of the national wildlife refuges operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, located in the westernmost part of Clark County, Washington. The refuge protects more than o ...
, which was dedicated March 29, 2005.
The town was formerly known as Union Ridge, named by the many Union veterans among the first large wave of settlers after the Civil War and was renamed Ridgefield in 1890. The town's original name is preserved in the name of Union Ridge Elementary School.
Ridgefield was an important trading center as early as the 1860s with its key location near the mouth of the
Columbia River, and the city was officially incorporated on August 26, 1909.
U-Haul, an American equipment rental company, had its start in Ridgefield in 1945.
Geography
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.
Parks in Ridgefield include
Abrams Park,
Community Park,
Davis Park
Davis Park is a hamlet in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located on Fire Island, a barrier island separated from the southern side of Long Island by the Great South Bay off the South Shore village of Patc ...
, and
Overlook Park. The
Ridgefield Veterans Memorial
Ridgefield Veterans Memorial is a memorial in Ridgefield, Washington, commemorating locals who died in wars since the Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban Wa ...
is adjacent to Community Park.
Government
Ridgefield has a
council–manager form of government, with a
city manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a " Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief ex ...
who is appointed by a
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
with seven elected members. The city council also selects a
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
from among themselves. The current city manager is Steve Stuart, a former county commissioner who was hired in 2014. Jennifer Lindsay has served as mayor since 2022, replacing Don Stose.
Economy
Rental and storage company
U-Haul was founded in Ridgefield in 1945.
Demographics
2020 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 in ...
of 2020, there were 10,319 people and 2,899 households in the city. The population density was . There were 3,687 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup of the city was 81.5% White, 1.05% African American, 0.68% Native American, 3.48% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 2.7% from other races, and 10.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.14%.
Of the 2,899 households, 70.9% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 8.6% had a male householder with no wife present. The average family size was 3.48.
The median age was 34.4 years. 7.3% were under the age of 5; 31.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 68.8% were 18 or over; and 10.7% were 65 or older.
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 in ...
of 2010, there were 4,763 people, 1,591 households, and 1,258 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,695 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup of the city was 92.4% White, 0.9% African American, 0.8% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.1%.
Of the 1,591 households 48.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 20.9% were non-families. 16.2% of households were one person and 6.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.34.
The median age was 32.4 years. 33.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.7% were from 25 to 44; 22.9% were from 45 to 64; and 7.7% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.
2000 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 in ...
of 2000, there were 2,147 people, 739 households, and 557 families living in the city. The population density was 420.8 people per square mile (162.5/km). There were 777 housing units at an average density of 152.3 per square mile (58.8/km). The
racial makeup of the city was 95.16% White, 0.28% African American, 1.12% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 2.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.77% of the population. 20.4% were of German, 18.9% American, 11.9% English, 6.9% Irish and 6.2% Norwegian ancestry.
Of the 739 households 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 18.8% of households were one person and 8.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.18.
The age distribution was 29.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median household income was $46,012 and the median family income was $51,121. Males had a median income of $38,125 versus $27,426 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,696. About 4.4% of families and 6.3% 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 ...
, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The
Ridgefield School District has five schools: Union Ridge Elementary, South Ridge Elementary, Sunset Ridge Intermediate School, View Ridge Middle School, and
Ridgefield High School.
Notable people
*William ‘Hap’ Carty, Ridgefield native who helped build U-Haul
*
Scott Mosier, film producer and podcaster
*
Richie Sexson, former major league baseball player
*
Leonard Shoen, founded
U-Haul in Ridgefield
References
External links
*
History of Ridgefieldat
HistoryLink
{{Authority control
1909 establishments in Washington (state)
Cities in Clark County, Washington
Cities in Washington (state)
Populated places established in 1909
Portland metropolitan area
Washington (state) populated places on the Columbia River