Tri-Cities, Washington
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The Tri-Cities are three closely linked cities (
Kennewick Kennewick () is a city in Benton County, Washington, Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is located along the southwest bank of the Columbia River, just southeast of the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima ...
, Pasco, and Richland) at the confluence of the
Yakima Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The ...
,
Snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...
, and
Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...
s in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of Washington. Located in the Columbia Basin of
Eastern Washington Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the H ...
, the cities border one another, making the Tri-Cities seem like one uninterrupted mid-sized city. The three cities function as the center of the Tri-Cities metropolitan area, which consists of Benton and Franklin counties. The Tri-Cities
urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
includes the city of West Richland, the
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
s (CDP) of West Pasco and Finley, as well as the CDP of
Burbank Burbank may refer to: Places Australia * Burbank, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane United States * Burbank, California, a city in Los Angeles County * Burbank, Santa Clara County, California, a census-designated place * Burbank, Illinois, ...
, despite the latter being located in Walla Walla County. The official 2023 estimate of the Tri-Cities MSA population is 314,253, a more than 24% increase from 2010, while the combined population of the three principal cities themselves was 228,482 according to 2023 estimates from the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
. Tri-Cities Airport is located in Pasco and provides the region with commercial and private air service. Pasco is the seat of Franklin County, while the other two cities are located in Benton County. In 2010,
Kiplinger Kiplinger ( ) is an American publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice that is a subsidiary of Future plc. Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc., was a closely held company managed for more than nine decades by three generations o ...
rated the Tri-Cities among the Top 10 best places to raise a family, and CNN/Money ranked the Tri-Cities one of the top 10 best bets for gains in housing value, due to its relatively stable economic conditions since the early 2000s.


Area history


Founding

Pasco was the first of the Tri-Cities to be incorporated, in 1891. Kennewick was incorporated in 1904, and Richland followed in 1910. West Richland—a suburb of Richland, as well as the fourth largest city in the metropolitan area—was founded by dissatisfied residents of Richland, who wished to be home owners rather than renters of government-owned houses, after the arrival of
Hanford Hanford may refer to: Places *Hanford (constituency), a constituency in Tuen Mun, People's Republic of China *Hanford, Dorset, a village and parish in England *Hanford, Staffordshire, England *Hanford, California, United States *Hanford, Iowa, ...
. Despite attempts by Richland to annex the community, they remained separate and eventually became incorporated in 1955.


Early history

Pasco was the largest city in the Tri-Cities, mostly due to its railroad station. It also had the most land for easy irrigation and
farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
and was still the largest up until the founding of Hanford near Richland. Farming was the basis of virtually every sector of the economy in the early years. Indeed, the area remained mostly rural well into the 1940s. It did not have a daily newspaper or radio station until the mid-1940s. Even today, agriculture is a big part of the Tri-Cities, Pasco in particular.


1940s–1970s

After the founding of the
Hanford Site The Hanford Site is a decommissioned nuclear production complex operated by the United States federal government on the Columbia River in Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington. It has also been known as SiteW and the Hanford Nuclear R ...
in 1943 as part of the
Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the ...
, Richland became the largest city of the three overnight. Richland's
Columbia High School Columbia High School may refer to: *Columbia High School (Huntsville, Alabama) *Columbia High School (Georgia) *Columbia High School (Florida) *Columbia High School (Idaho) *Columbia High School (Illinois) *Columbia High School (Mississippi), a Mis ...
adopted "Bombers" as its mascot (complete with mushroom cloud logo). In 1970, Kamiakin High School (in the neighboring city of Kennewick) was founded in response to the continued influx of people. The economy continued to grow, but not without some turbulence. Every time the Hanford facilities experienced reduced funding, thousands of people would suddenly become jobless. During this time, other employers slowly made their way into the area, but they too would often be forced to cut jobs in the bad times. Since the 1970s, Kennewick has had the greatest population of the three cities. The Columbia Center Mall opened in 1969 on land newly incorporated into Kennewick, drawing growth to western Kennewick and south Richland.


1980s–1990s

Completion of the Interstate 182 Bridge in 1984 made Pasco much more accessible, fueling the growth of that city. With the end of the Cold War, many in the area feared a shutdown of Hanford, followed by the Tri-Cities quickly becoming a
ghost town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
. These fears were allayed after the
United States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, the research and development of nuclear power, the military's nuclear w ...
switched the facility's purpose from the creation of nuclear weapons to the effective sealing and disposal of
radioactive waste Radioactive waste is a type of hazardous waste that contains radioactive material. It is a result of many activities, including nuclear medicine, nuclear research, nuclear power generation, nuclear decommissioning, rare-earth mining, and nuclear ...
. During the 1990s, several major corporations entered the Tri-Cities, which helped to begin diversifying the
economy An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...
apart from the Hanford sector. In 1995, a sixth public high school, Southridge High, was founded in south Kennewick.


2000s–present

The 2000s saw continued rapid growth as the Hanford site hired hundreds of workers to help with the cleanup effort. Additionally, the Tri-Cities saw a large influx of retirees from various areas of the Northwest. During this time, and the corresponding nationwide housing boom, all three cities flourished and grew significantly. Pasco became the fastest growing city in Washington (in terms of both percent increase and number of new residents). In 2005, the
Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
reported that Pasco's population had surpassed Richland's for the first time since pre-Hanford days. Fueled by the boom, Chiawana High School was founded, and by 2019 had become the largest high school in the entire state. Despite the economic recession of the late 2000s, the Tri-Cities area continued to maintain steady growth and a stable economic climate due in part to the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a Stimulus (economics), stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed ...
which directed funding and jobs to the Hanford site and its various cleanup efforts.


Climate and geography

The Tri-Cities are in a
semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...
, receiving an average of of precipitation every year. Winds periodically exceed when
Chinook wind Chinook winds, or simply Chinooks, are two types of prevailing warm, generally westerly winds in western North America: Coastal Chinooks and interior Chinooks. The coastal Chinooks are persistent seasonal, wet, southwesterly winds blowing in from ...
conditions exist. While there are an average 225 clear days every year, these are mainly between April 1 and November 1. Temperatures range from as low as in the winter (record low in December 1919) to as high as in the summer, and Richland reached during the
2021 Western North America heat wave The 2021 Western North America heat wave was an extreme heat wave that affected much of Western North America from late June through mid-July 2021. The heat wave affected Northern California, Idaho, Western Nevada, Oregon, and Washington in ...
. The region receives a yearly average of seven inches of
snow Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...
but has received as much as 50 inches. Due to the semi-arid climate and subsequent large amounts of sand, a perpetual annoyance to residents is the amount of dust blown about by the frequent winds. Thanks to the aforementioned rivers, a large amount of cheap
irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
is available. Washington is the most northwest of the lower 48
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
s—consequently, the area is in the
Pacific Standard Time Zone The Pacific Time Zone (PT) is a time zone encompassing parts of western Canada, the western United States, and western Mexico. Places in this zone observe standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC−08:00). ...
. The Tri-Cities makes up the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern quadrant of Washington. The large Cascade Mountain Range to the west contributes to the semi-arid climate, which is far drier than the famously wet western side of the state. See
rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from body of water, bodies of water (such as oceans and larg ...
for more information on this phenomenon. The region's climate results in a shrub-steppe ecosystem which has 18 endemic plant species. Just west of Richland, the Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve was established to study the unique plants and animals found in the local shrub steppe ecosystem. It is the largest tract of shrub-steppe ecosystem remaining in the U.S. state of Washington. Limited city lights and an absence of photopollution in the Tri-Cities area allow for naked-eye and telescopic astronomy. The Tri-City Astronomy Club partners holds star gazing events at the Hanford Observatory. Hiking locations, such as Badger Mountain, Candy Mountain and Jump Off Joe Butte, provide views of sunrises and sunsets, studies of celestial bodies and stellar astronomy. The
aurora borealis An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
(or northern lights) is sometimes visible near Tri-Cities at specific times of the year.


Education


Colleges and universities

Higher education institutions in the Tri-Cities area include: * Washington State University Tri-Cities, a four-year branch campus of
Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...
located in Richland (2000 students). *
Columbia Basin College Columbia Basin College (CBC) is a public community college in Pasco, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The college offers English as a second language and General Educational Development (GED) ...
, a two-year institution which offers a four-year
Bachelor of Applied Science A Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS or BASc) is an undergraduate academic degree of applied sciences. Usage In Canada, the Netherlands and other places the Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) is equivalent to the Bachelor of Engineering, and is cl ...
program in Applied Management (8,000 students). The main campus is located in Pasco while a branch campus and a nursing school are located in Richland. *Tri-Tech Skills Center, a smaller
vocational school A vocational school (alternatively known as a trade school, or technical school), is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary education#List of tech ed skills, secondary or post-secondar ...
run by the Kennewick School District and located in Kennewick. Students from Pasco School District and Richland School District Can also apply to Tri-Tech. * Charter College, located in Pasco offering technical and medical programs such as Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting and HVAC. In 2005, the State of Washington approved the transition of the existing
Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...
branch campus in Richland from a two-year to a four-year campus. In the fall of 2007 the campus admitted its first undergraduate students. Offering a range of programs, the campus focuses on
biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...
,
computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...
, and
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
, due to the nearby
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is one of the United States Department of Energy national laboratories, managed by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science. The main campus of the laboratory is in Richland, Washington ...
and Hanford Site. The university also offers a range of majors, including English,
history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
, and other
liberal arts Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...
and sciences. Columbia Basin College also offers higher education courses for residents of the Tri-Cities, as well as the Columbia Basin from Mattawa, Washington, which is away, to Umatilla, Oregon, away.


Primary and secondary schools

Each city provides its own schooling services through their respective school districts—
Kennewick Kennewick () is a city in Benton County, Washington, Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is located along the southwest bank of the Columbia River, just southeast of the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima ...
's, Pasco's, and Richland's. Public high schools in the Kennewick School District include Kennewick High School, Kamiakin High School, Southridge High School. Public high schools in the Pasco School District are Pasco High School, Chiawana High School, and New Horizons High School. In the Richland School District, public high schools include Richland High School, Hanford High School, and River's Edge High School. The area also contains two regional high schools, Tri-Tech and Delta High. Tri-Tech is a technical/vocational high school in the Kennewick School District that is attended by students from all over the Tri-Cities area. Delta High is a science and technology focused high school located in Pasco. It is sponsored by Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland's school districts, Battelle, Washington State University Tri-Cities, and Columbia Basin College. There are also several private and faith-based schools in the area, including Tri-Cities Prep Highschool (Pasco), Kingspoint Christian School K–12 (Pasco), Tri-Cities Adventist School (Pasco), Liberty Christian School (Richland), Bethlehem Lutheran K–8 (Kennewick), and Calvary Christian School K–8 (Kennewick).


Industry


Early Hanford

In the 1940s, the
Hanford site The Hanford Site is a decommissioned nuclear production complex operated by the United States federal government on the Columbia River in Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington. It has also been known as SiteW and the Hanford Nuclear R ...
employed a majority of residents. The
United States government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct ...
built a top-secret facility to produce and separate plutonium for
nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear exp ...
s, and decided on an area just north of then-tiny Richland. The government built temporary quarters for the more than 45,000 workers and built permanent homes and infrastructure for other personnel in Richland. The city had an overnight population explosion, yet virtually no one knew what the purpose of Hanford was until the destruction of
Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...
on August 9, 1945, by an atomic weapon containing Hanford-produced plutonium. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
Hanford continued work on creating material for nuclear weapons during the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
. After the fall of the
USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
in 1991, Hanford, the site of severe nuclear contamination, changed its mission from plutonium production to environmental cleanup and restoration.


Modern Hanford

The Hanford site is one of the largest cleanup projects in the United States, costing over $1.4 million per day to turn over of nuclear waste into glass through a process called vitrification. Vitrification is a proven technique in the disposal and long-term storage of
nuclear waste Radioactive waste is a type of hazardous waste that contains radioactive material. It is a result of many activities, including nuclear medicine, nuclear research, nuclear power generation, nuclear decommissioning, rare-earth mining, and nuclear ...
or other hazardous wastes. Original estimates were $2.8 billion over five years to clean up the waste, though estimates quickly grew in the early 1990s to $50 billion with a completion date of 30 years. As of 2021, the additional cost to complete cleanup is now projected to be between $300 and $640 billion with an estimated completion date of 2078. Over 18 percent of all jobs in the Benton Franklin County area are nuclear-related, research-related, or engineering.


Columbia Generating Station

The Columbia Generating Station operates ten miles outside of Richland and is the only nuclear power station in the Pacific Northwest. It uses a boiling water reactor with a type 5 layout and was relicensed 10 years to operate until 2043. After nine years of construction, the plant began operating after a long and costly construction process that resulted in the largest
municipal bond A municipal bond, commonly known as a muni, is a bond issued by state or local governments, or entities they create such as authorities and special districts. In the United States, interest income received by holders of municipal bonds is often ...
default in U.S. history.David Wilm
"Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS)"
Historylink, date last accessed October 17, 2013
Originally operated and owned by the
Washington Public Power Supply System Energy Northwest (formerly Washington Public Power Supply System) is a public power joint operating agency in the northwest United States, formed in 1957 by Washington state law to produce at-cost power for Northwest utilities. Headquartered in ...
(WPPSS), the coalition changed its name to Energy Northwest in 1998 because of the negative association with the original name (commonly pronounced "Whoops" in place of WPPSS). WPPSS defaulted on $2.25 billion in bonds resulting in payments that exceeded $12,000 per customer, an amount which was finally paid out in 1992 (10 years later). Its 1,190 gross megawatts can power the city of Seattle, and is equivalent to about 10 percent of the electricity generated in Washington and 4 percent of all electricity used in the Pacific Northwest and has several safeguards to protect against seismic, natural, or terrorist threats.


Agriculture

The Tri-Cities economy has historically been based on farming and the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. From Pasco's incorporation in 1891 to present day, the Tri-Cities have had a large degree of farming thanks to irrigation by the three nearby rivers.
Wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...
is the most commonly grown product; however, large amounts of
apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
s,
corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
,
grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...
s are also grown, along with
potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...
es, and other products including
asparagus Asparagus (''Asparagus officinalis'') is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus ''Asparagus (genus), Asparagus'' native to Eurasia. Widely cultivated as a vegetable crop, its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. Description ...
. Cherries are also grown in the region. Grapes grown in the region are essential to the wine industry. Wineries draw a large population of tourists. With 160 wineries in the Columbia Valley, this industry accounts for $1 billion annually in Benton County alone. The Tri-Cities' climate allows the region to have a broad and sustainable agricultural economy. Local industries provide employment for thousands of people in the Tri-Cities area. Some of the top 20 employers in agriculture include ConAgra, Tyson Foods, and Broetje Orchards. Agriculture makes up 9.5% of employment in Tri-Cities and local businesses combined employ thousands of people. In 2012, the state of Washington was rated No. 1 in the nation when it comes to growing apples, hops, spearmint oil, sweet cherries, pears, concord grapes and processing carrots. The Mid-Columbia region including the Tri-Cities grows most of these crops. The region's climate and irrigation from nearby rivers, like the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima rivers, allow farmers to produce corn, hay, wheat and potatoes. In Washington there are 39,500 farms; 1,630 of these farms are located in Benton County and 891 are located in Franklin County.


Local cuisine

The Tri-Cities has a number of locally owned and operated restaurants. The Spudnut Shop, for example, located in northern Richland, was opened in 1948 and has been family-run ever since. The Travel Channel featured The Spudnut Shop and their donuts "made from potato flour and then deep-fried to perfection." Carmine's, also a family owned restaurant in the region, served Italian food in a historic home that was constructed in downtown Kennewick in 1929. The owners retired in 2021, closing the restaurant after celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary. Also notable is the BBQ restaurant Porter's which began as a food truck in Richland and has been featured on ''
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives ''Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'' (often nicknamed ''Triple D'' and stylized as ''Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives'') is an American food reality television series that has aired on the Food Network since April 23, 2007. It is hosted by Guy Fieri, and in ...
'' hosted by
Guy Fieri Guy Ramsay Fieri (, ; Ferry; born January 22, 1968) is an American restaurateur, author, and an Emmy Award winning television presenter. He co-owned three now-defunct restaurants in California. He licenses his name to restaurants in cities a ...
.


Wine and breweries

In contrast to Seattle, the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains, and the rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula, the Columbia Valley enjoys long, warm, summer days, and crisp cool nights. The dry weather combined with rich volcanic soils and controlled irrigation produce near-perfect conditions for the cultivation of wine grapes. The range of varietals grown throughout the region include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, and Pinot Noir. The Tri-Cities region has a rich winery culture that attract tourists and visitors to the area. Some of the local microbreweries include: Ice Harbor Brewery Company, Atomic Ale Brewpub and Eatery, and White Bluff Brewing. This brewery was founded in 1996 and has two locations in the Tri-Cities metropolitan area, one in downtown Kennewick and one on Clover Island. In 2010, Ice Harbor received a bronze award for their Sternwheeler Stout, Runaway Red Ale, Indian Pale Ale (IPA) and a Silver Award for their Tangerine "ExBEERience" Hefeweizen at the Washington Beer Awards competition. Another micro-brewery, the Atomic Ale Brew Pub & Eatery, is located in Richland and serves as Tri-Cities oldest brewpub and was opened in 1997.


Farmers markets

The Market at the Parkway in Richland, WA is a farmers market with takes place every Friday from June through October. Local artists provide music and crafts, and Fresh produce, specialty foods, arts and crafts are sold at the Richland farmers market. The Pasco Farmers Market, which celebrated 25 years in 2013, takes place every Wednesday and Saturday morning beginning in May through the end of October, and consists primarily of fresh produce. A farmers market, located at the corner of Benton Street and Kennewick Avenue, takes place on Thursday evenings and runs annually from the end of May through October.


Other industries

The Tri-Cities is home to automobile manufacturer SSC North America. Other corporations with facilities in the Tri-Cities area include
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
,
Areva Areva S.A. was a French multinational group specializing in nuclear power, active between 2001 and 2018. It was headquartered in Courbevoie, France. Before its 2016 corporate restructuring, Areva was majority-owned by the French state through t ...
,
Battelle Memorial Institute Battelle Memorial Institute (or simply Battelle) is an American private nonprofit applied science and technology development company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. History The institute was founded in 1929 by Gordon Battelle. Originall ...
,
Bruker Bruker Corporation is an American manufacturer of scientific instruments for molecular and materials research, as well as for industrial and applied analysis. It is headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, and is the publicly traded parent comp ...
, Lamb Weston,
Fluor Corporation Fluor Corporation is an American engineering and construction firm, headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a holding company that provides services through its subsidiaries in three main areas: oil and gas, industrial and infrastructure, government ...
,
Kaiser Aluminum Kaiser Aluminum Corporation is an American aluminum producer. It is a spinoff from Kaiser Aluminum and Chemicals Corporation, which came to be when common stock was offered in Permanente Metals Corporation and Permanente Metals Corporation's na ...
, Lampson Cranes,
Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...
, Reser's Fine Foods,
Tyson Foods Tyson Foods, Inc. is an American multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second-largest processor and marketer of broiler industry, chicken, beef, and pork after JBS ...
, URS Corporation, US Cellular, UniWest, and
Aecom AECOM (, ; formerly AECOM Technology Corporation; stylised A''Ξ''COM) is an American multinational infrastructure consulting firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company's official name from 1990–2015 was AECOM Technology Corporation, ...
.


Infrastructure


Hospitals

Hospitals in the Tri-Cities are include Kadlec Regional Medical Center (Richland, Kennewick), Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Lourdes Medical Center (Downtown Pasco, Richland, West Pasco), and Trios Health (Downtown Kennewick and West Kennewick).


Libraries

Mid-Columbia Libraries, an intercounty library system serving Benton, Franklin, and Adams Counties, is based in Kennewick, Washington, and operates five public branch libraries in the Tri-Cities, and seven branch libraries in the surrounding area. Customers of Mid-Columbia Libraries have access to nearly 400,000 books, movies, magazines, and downloadable eBooks and audiobooks; the library system spends over $1 million annually on new materials and has the highest expenditure per capita for materials of any public library in Southeastern Washington. Richland Public Library is a single library operated by the City of Richland and is not part of the much larger library system. Public libraries in the Tri-Cities include: *Mid-Columbia Libraries: Keewaydin Park Branch (Kennewick, Washington) *Mid-Columbia Libraries: Kennewick Branch (Kennewick, Washington) - Main Library *Mid-Columbia Libraries: Pasco Branch (Pasco, Washington) *Mid-Columbia Libraries: West Pasco Branch (Pasco, Washington) *Mid-Columbia Libraries: West Richland Branch (West Richland, WA) *Richland Public Library (Richland, Washington) Other libraries in the Tri-Cities include: *Benton-Franklin County Law Library (Pasco, Washington) *Columbia Basin College Library (Pasco) *Columbia Basin Regional Medical Library (Richland, Washington) *Neurological Resource Center Library (Richland, Washington) *Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Technical Library (Richland, Washington) *Washington State University Tri-Cities Library (Richland, Washington)


Transportation


Airports

Airports located the area include Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco which has passenger and commercial flights and Richland Airport in Richland which serves private aircraft.


Interstates and major highways

* Interstate 82 runs along the southern edge of Kennewick connecting the Tri-Cities with major cities like
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
via
Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
, and both
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
and
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
via Interstate 84. * Interstate 182 follows the Yakima River through Richland, crosses the Columbia River on the Interstate 182 Bridge, and continues through Pasco to its terminus with U.S. Route 395 * US 395 runs north through Kennewick, crosses the Columbia River on the Blue Bridge and continues through Pasco and then north to
Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
in Ritzville, Washington. * SR 397 runs from Finley up to Pasco, crossing the Columbia River through the
Cable Bridge The Cable Bridge, officially called the Ed Hendler Bridge and sometimes called the Intercity Bridge, spans the Columbia River between Pasco, Washington, Pasco and Kennewick, Washington, Kennewick in southeastern Washington (state), Washington as ...
continuing northbound to I-90 and
Spokane Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...
. *
US 12 U.S. Route 12 or U.S. Highway 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) ...
is cosigned with Interstate 182 through the Tri-Cities and continues past U.S. Route 395 across the Snake River towards
Burbank Burbank may refer to: Places Australia * Burbank, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane United States * Burbank, California, a city in Los Angeles County * Burbank, Santa Clara County, California, a census-designated place * Burbank, Illinois, ...
, Walla Walla, and Lewiston, Idaho. * State Route 240 runs from Kennewick through Richland, (also known as the bypass highway), then just west of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation where it intersects with SR 24.


Local transit

Ben Franklin Transit provides public
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...
service throughout the Tri-Cities as well as ''TransPlus'' Night and Sunday limited capacity curb-to-curb service for $3 each way. Local cab service exists, and Uber entered the Kennewick market in December 2016, with expansion into Richland and Pasco the following year.


Passenger rail

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
provides connection to the daily ''
Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great North ...
'' serving Portland and
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
.


Recreation

Due to the dry climate, hot summers, and mild winters, the Tri-Cities offers a variety of outdoor activities.


Golf

The area is home to 10 golf courses which can be played nearly year-round. These include Canyon Lakes, Columbia Park, and Zintel Creek Golf Clubs in Kennewick; Sun Willows Golf Club and Pasco Golfland in Pasco; and Columbia Point, Horn Rapids, West Richland, Meadow Springs, and Buckskin Golf clubs in Richland.


Running

The Tri-Cities metropolitan area has a number of outdoor trail running locations. A number of competitive running events are held throughout the year, including a number which are sponsored by the Three Rivers Road Runners Club (3RRR). They include: *Columbia River Classic (Est. 1975) - Oldest "fun run" in the Tri-Cities. It features both a 10-mile and 2-mile run. *Tri-Cities Marathon (Est. 1980) – Run begins in Richland and continues through Pasco and Kennewick along the Columbia River. *St. Paddy's Foot Race and Leprechaun Dash (Est. 1980) – Annual event where the local elementary and middle school students participate in a 1-mile dash while others compete in a 5K or 10K foot race.


Trail system

The Tri-Cities is linked by a system of of paved pedestrian and bike trails that run through the various cities and along the rivers. The Sacagawea Heritage Trail forms a loop that crosses two bridges and runs along the Columbia River through both Kennewick and Pasco. Sacagawea Heritage Trail also connects with the Richland Riverfront Trail, a marked hiking trail that focuses on the state of Washington's contribution to the nuclear history of the United States.


Watersports

The confluence of the Snake, Yakima, and Columbia rivers provides ample opportunity for boating, fishing, and swimming. Free boat launches can be found throughout all of the cities.


Parks

The Tri-Cities is home to seven river-front parks and various other parks and playgrounds. Three skate parks are located in the area; two in Kennewick and one in Richland. Highlands Grange Park is a Kennewick city owned Public Park between 14th and 19th streets off of Union in Kennewick. This park covers , serving the surrounding new and old communities of approximately 13,000 citizens. According to the City of Kennewick Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan 2013–2018, this park requires of expansion due to the larger than expected community growth of the area. The Southridge Sports and Events Complex helps provide park service for the adjacent Grange neighborhoods. This park features plenty of recreation, including a playground structure, basketball courts, a soccer/softball field, tennis courts, a roller hockey rink, a water feature, and 8/10-mile walk through a demonstration garden. Additionally, there are two picnic shelters for hosting public events and 79 parking spaces (not including the neighboring Kennewick branch of Mid-Columbia Libraries). The park's most notable features include the demonstration garden and the water feature. The water feature provides summertime entertainment for local children inviting them to play amidst the colorful metal palm trees that shower water. The demonstration garden is Highland Grange Park's primary attraction and community draw, representing a visual festival of roses and other flowers tended to by master gardeners from Washington State University. This park is commonly used for public events, ranging from weddings in the demonstration garden to weekend BBQs under the picnic shelters. The park also touts the adjacent Highlands Grande building available for reservations and indoor events.


Skateboarding

Tri-Cities has three skate parks: two in Kennewick and one situated in Richland. Jeanette Taylor Park, is the number three ranked stated skate-park in Washington. Completed in 2005, this park features street elements, an bowl off of a snake run, and a half-pipe/bowl that is deep. The Jeanette Taylor skate park hosts a number of contests and events. Richland Skatepark was designed by Wormhoudt Inc and built by Grindline Skateparks. This skatepark features a big bowl, medium bowl, flow section, mini ramp, ledges, rails and stairs.


Sports teams

The Tri-Cities is home to one minor league baseball team, the Tri-City Dust Devils of the
Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseba ...
, and one
major junior Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National List of members of the International Ice Hockey Federation, Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's nationa ...
hockey club, the
Tri-City Americans The Tri-City Americans are an American major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League and based in Kennewick, Washington. Founded in 1966 as the Calgary Buffaloes, the team settled in Kennewick in 1988 after a number of re ...
of the
Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...
. The first of these teams to join the Tri-City area was the Tri-City Americans. The franchise relocated to the Tri-Cities initially as the
New Westminster Bruins The New Westminster Bruins were a Junior ice hockey#Major junior, major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. There were two franchises that carried this name: * 1971–1981 (formerly the Estevan Bruins, now the Kamloops Blazers) * ...
and later changed its name to the "Americans" in 1988. The Americans have advanced to the WHL finals one time in their tenure in the Tri-Cities, where they lost to the Calgary Hitmen 4–1 during the 2009–10 season. The Americans currently play at the Toyota Center in
Kennewick, Washington Kennewick () is a city in Benton County, Washington, Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is located along the southwest bank of the Columbia River, just southeast of the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima ...
. The Tri-City Dust Devils are a
High-A High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...
minor league baseball team that is an affiliate of the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
. The Dust Devils came to the Tri-Cities in 2001, relocating from Portland as a member of the short-season Northwest League and changing the team's name from the Portland Rockies to the Tri-City Dust Devils. The Dust Devils took over as the primary tenants of Gesa Stadium, which previously housed the Tri-City Posse. The Dust Devils were
Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseba ...
East Division Champions three times, in 2007, 2009 and 2011, all as a
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
affiliate. In the 2021 Minor League Baseball realignment, the Dust Devils were elevated along with most of the former Northwest League to full-season High-A baseball under the new High-A West league name, and were assigned affiliation with the Angels. From 2005 to 2016, there was also professional indoor football team called the Tri-Cities Fever. The team came to the Tri-Cities in 2005 as an expansion team for the
National Indoor Football League The National Indoor Football League (NIFL) was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, ...
. Since then, the Fever switched to the
AF2 The AF2 (often styled as af2, and short for arenafootball2) was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football r ...
in 2007, and then to the Indoor Football League in 2009. The Fever, housed in the Toyota Center in Kennewick, have won one division title and one league championship. The Fever won the Indoor Bowl in 2005 as a member of the NIFL, and in 2012 they were the Intense Division champions in the IFL where they ultimately lost the United Bowl Championship game to the Sioux Falls Storm. During the 2012 season, the Fever were awarded the 2012 IFL Franchise of the Year. In 2016, the Fever announced they would go dormant.


Retail

The Columbia Center Mall is a shopping center in Kennewick that is operated by Simon Property Group. This indoor shopping mall is the largest regional mall in Southeastern Washington.


Theater

The Richland Players Theater has offered live performances annually for over 70 years. Originally known as The Village Players, the theater group was created in 1944 to bring music, comedy, and cultural opportunities to the local community. Today, the theater has more than 7,500 attendees annually attracting audiences from across the region such as Spokane, Yakima, and Walla Walla. The theater also serves the local community by bringing local retirees to shows and accommodating the visually and hearing impaired (with the participation of non-profit United Blind). The Bechtel National Planetarium is on the campus of Columbia Basin College in Pasco. The dome allows a 180° view overhead. Erin Steinert, Planetarium Outreach Specialist said, "It is the largest digital theater in the state of Washington; it seats the most people." The Toyota Center opened its doors in 1988 and is a multi-purpose arena in Kennewick, Washington. The facility is available for touring broadway shows and concerts as well as conventions, special events, and trade shows.


Events

Events in the Tri-Cities occur throughout the year and include: * Cool Desert Nights - classic car show held in Richland in June. Attracts visitors from throughout the northwest. * Tri-Cities Water Follies - annual unlimited hydroplane racing and air shows including the Columbia Cup, held on the Columbia River in July. In 2019, it marked its 54th year, bringing in over 7,000 tourists and $3 million in visitor spending to the area. The main event at the Tri-Cities Water Follies is the Apollo Columbia Cup, one of six Unlimited Hydroplane races in the American Power Boat circuit. Through a unique propulsion system, the boats skip along the water only briefly making contact at speeds up to . Visitors to the area have the option to venture into the pit and see the hydros up close. *Allied Arts Show - annual art show held Richland's Howard Amon Park, in July. *Benton/Franklin Fair - annual, regional fair held at Kennewick fairgrounds in late August. *Hogs and Dogs – annual car and
motorcycle rally A motorcycle rally is a gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts. Rallies can be large or small, and one-time or recurring. Some rallies are ride-in events, whereas some like the Iron Butt Rally involve days of riding and an actual gathering only at t ...
in West Richland, one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the Northwest *An annual renaissance fair is held along the Columbia river, at either Howard Amon Park in Richland or at Columbia Park in Kennewick. ''Ye Merrie Greenwood Faire'' features historically accurate costumes and Elizabethan English, as well as many vendors. *Every November, Food Network Stars, World Class Wines, and local restaurants come together for Savor the Flavor, a 2-Day Bite and Sip event at the HAPO Center in Pasco. The event is produced by TASTE Tri-Cities magazine as a benefit for Modern Living Services. * Radcon is a fan-run Science-Fiction / Fantasy convention held annually in Pasco. it is the second largest con of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. The staff is all-volunteer made up of sci-fi, fantasy and cos-play enthusiasts. The convention is held every year in February and is open to the general public. *The city of Kennewick hosts several events year round at the Three Rivers Convention Center. * Pasco Flea Market - The Pasco
Flea Market A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously owned (secondhand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal' ...
is located on 200 East Lewis Place in Pasco, Washington. The market's season opens officially on March 1 and remains open publicly accessible until December 1, averaging about 350 different vendors. On a single Sunday, the market may see between 3000 and 5000 visitors. * Fall Dog Show - Hosted by the Richland Kennel Club and usually held at Columbia Park in Kennewick during late September to early October


Demographics

Historical combined population of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland. The three adjoining cities if combined into one city would be the 100th largest by population and 73rd largest by area in the United States.


Kennewick

As of April 1, 2024, the population of Kennewick was estimated at 87,120 according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division. As of the 2023 census, there were 85,155 people, 30,295 households, and 2.8 persons per household. The population density was . There were 32,495 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 2% Black or African American, 1% Native American, 2% Asian, <1% Pacific Islander, 2% from other races, and 3% from two or more races. 36% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 30,295 households, out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.15. In the city the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $41,213, and the median income for a family was $50,011. Males had a median income of $41,589 versus $26,022 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,152. About 9.7% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.


Pasco

As of April 1, 2021, the population of Pasco was estimated at 78,700, according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division. As of the 2020 census, there were 77,108 people, and according to the 2000 census results, 9,619 households, and 7,262 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 10,341 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 52.76% White, 3.22% African American, 0.77% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 37.44% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 56.26% of the population. There were 9,619 households, out of which 45.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder, and 24.5% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.30 and the average family size was 3.79. In the city the population was spread out, with 35.5% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,540, and the median income for a family was $37,342. Males had a median income of $29,016 versus $22,186 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,404. About 19.5% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.


Richland

As of April 1, 2021, the population of Richland was estimated at 61,320, according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division. As of the 2020 census, there were 60,560 people, and according to the 2000 census, 15,549 households, and 10,682 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 16,458 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.55% White, 1.37% African American, 0.76% Native American, 4.06% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.85% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 4.72% of the population. There were 15,549 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.02. In the city the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $53,092, and the median income for a family was $61,482. Males had a median income of $52,648 versus $30,472 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,494. About 5.7% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over. Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Richland ranks 83rd of 522 areas ranked in the state of Washington—the highest rank achieved in Benton County.


Media


Print media

The
Tri-City Herald The ''Tri-City Herald'' is a twice-weekly newspaper based in Kennewick, Washington, United States. Owned by The McClatchy Company, the newspaper serves southeastern Washington state, including the three cities of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland ...
is a
daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
based in Kennewick which serves the Tri-Cities area. Printed in both Spanish and English, ''tú Decides'' is a free newspaper which was launched in early 2007. The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business covers business news in Richland, Kennewick and Pasco.


Television

The Tri-Cities is part of the Yakima
television market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...
which, as of the 2017 Nielsen DMA Rankings, was recorded as having 230,950 TV households. Stations and networks which serve this market include
KFFX-TV KFFX-TV (channel 11) is a television station licensed to Pendleton, Oregon, United States, serving the Tri-Cities, Washington, as an affiliate of Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox and Telemundo. It is the only major commercial broadcasting, commerc ...
(a Fox affiliate), KVVK (a
Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television, free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the L ...
affiliate), KEPR (a
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
affiliate),
KNDU KNDO (channel 23) is a television station in Yakima, Washington, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the Spokane-based Cowles Company as part of the KHQ Television Group. KNDO's studios are located on West Yakima Avenue in downtown ...
(
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
), KTNW (
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
), and KVEW ( ABC). All except KFFX and KTNW are satellites of Yakima stations. KFFX is a full-fledged station, while KTNW repeats KWSU-TV in Pullman


Radio

According to the Spring 2018 Nielsen Audio Quarterly Report, the top 10 radio stations (AM and FM) with the highest listenership in Tri-Cities, Washington included KEGX-FM (classic rock; 5.6% share),
KORD-FM KORD-FM (102.7 MHz) is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Richland, Washington, United States, the station serves the Tri-Cities area. The station is currently owned by Townsquare Media and features programming from C ...
(country; 5.6%),
KUJ-FM KUJ-FM (99.1 FM broadcasting, FM) is a commercial radio, commercial radio station city of license, licensed to Burbank, Washington, and serving the Tri-Cities, Washington, Tri-Cities area. It airs a contemporary hit radio, Top 40 (CHR) radio for ...
(chart; 5.6%), KIOK-FM (country; 5.2%), KXRX-FM (classic rock; 5.2%), KFLD-AM (news; 4.3%),
KEYW-FM KEYW (98.3 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to Pasco, Washington, United States, the station serves the Tri-Cities area. The station is currently owned by Townsquare Media Townsquare Media, In ...
(adult contemporary; 3.9%), KOLW-FM (chart; 2.6%), KJOX-AM (sports; 1.7%), KALE-AM (adult contemporary; 1.3%).


Proposed consolidation and naming

Over the years, a number of proposals have been made to consolidate the cities into a united incorporated area. The idea behind this movement, which would make the resulting incorporated area the fourth largest city in the state, is that one larger city would create the presence needed to draw increased attention and focus to the region. Several motions to consolidate have not been passed. Proposed names for such a consolidated area have included the "Quad-Cities" (accounting for West Richland), "Tri-Cities", or "Three Rivers". West Richland has separately been proposed to be renamed to "Red Mountain", in an attempt to distinguish itself from Richland.


Notable people


Arts and literature

*
Patricia Briggs Patricia Briggs (born December 21, 1965) is an American writer of fantasy since 1993, and author of the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series. Biography Patricia Briggs was born in 1965 in Butte, Montana, United States. She now resides in Benton ...
, urban fantasy author *
Orson Scott Card Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. , he is the only person to have won a Hugo Award for Best Novel, Hugo Award and a Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula Award in List of joint ...
, science fiction writer *
Chuck Palahniuk Charles Michael Palahniuk (;, , born February 21, 1962) is an American novelist of Ukrainian and French ancestry who describes his work as transgressional fiction. He has published 19 novels, three nonfiction books, two graphic novels, and two ad ...
, novelist (author of ''
Fight Club ''Fight Club'' is a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is based on the 1996 novel ''Fight Club (novel), Fight Club'' by Chuck Palahniuk. Norton plays The Narrator (F ...
'') * Joseph Santos, artist and painter * Ron Silliman, poet (born in Pasco, resident of Kennewick 1946–47) * Mike Bivins, journalist (born in the Tri-Cities)


Business and science and other

*
James Albaugh James F. Albaugh (born May 31, 1950) is the former executive vice president of The Boeing Company and chief executive officer of the Boeing Commercial Airplanes business unit. He served in these capacities for Boeing Commercial Airplanes from Sept ...
- executive vice president,
The Boeing Company The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
* Stephanie Dorgan - lawyer and entrepreneur, founder of
The Crocodile The Crocodile (formerly the Crocodile Cafe, and sometimes called The Croc) is a music club at 2505 1st Avenue at Wall Street in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Opened by Stephanie Dorgan as the "Crocodile C ...
nightclub *
Jim Mattis James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is an American military officer who served as the 26th United States secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. A retired United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps four-star General (United States), gene ...
- 26th United States Secretary of Defense *
John Archibald Wheeler John Archibald Wheeler (July 9, 1911April 13, 2008) was an American theoretical physicist. He was largely responsible for reviving interest in general relativity in the United States after World War II. Wheeler also worked with Niels Bohr to e ...
- theoretical physicist, collaborator with
Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...
* Kayla Barron - NASA astronaut * Don Watts - entrepreneur, philanthropist, and former CEO of Watts Brothers Farms, acquired by
Conagra Foods Conagra Brands, Inc. (formerly ConAgra Foods) is an American consumer packaged goods holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Conagra makes and sells products under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, ...


Entertainers and musicians

* Terence Knox, actor - ''
Tour of Duty For military personnel, a tour of duty is usually a period of time spent in combat or in a hostile environment. In an army, for instance, soldiers on active duty serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the length of their service commitment. ...
'', ''
St. Elsewhere ''St. Elsewhere'' is an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels as ...
'' * James Otto, country singer and songwriter *
James Wong Howe Wong Tung Jim, A.S.C. (; August 28, 1899 – July 12, 1976), known professionally as James Wong Howe (Houghto), was a Chinese-born American cinematographer who worked on over 130 films. During the 1930s and 1940s, he was one of the most so ...
,
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-winning
cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...
* Kevin T. O'Connor, musician, Talkdemonic * Kristine W, (Weitz) singer and songwriter, former Miss Washington *
Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist, widely considered the "godfather of fusion". Alongside Gábor Szabó, he was a pioneer in melding jazz, country and rock ...
- jazz guitarist, RHS class of 1961 *
Nate Mendel Nathan ‍Gregor ‍Mendel (born December 2, 1968) is an American musician who is the bass guitarist for the rock band Foo Fighters, as well as a former member of Sunny Day Real Estate. He has also worked with musical acts The Jealous Sound and ...
-
Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
bassist * Santino Fontana, stage actor, director, and composer * Sharon Tate - actress, victim of the
Manson Family The Manson Family (known among its members as the Family) was a Intentional community, commune, gang, and cult led by criminal Charles Manson that was active in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The group at its peak consisted of a ...
murders * Michael Peterson, country singer and songwriter


Sports

* Adam Carriker
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
* Brian Urlacher
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
* Bruce Kison
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
* Damon Lusk
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
driver * Gene Conley — Major League Basketball and Baseball player, RHS * Hope Solo
United States women's national soccer team The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women's soccer. The team is governed by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central Ameri ...
goalkeeper * Jason Repko
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
outfielder * Jeremy Bonderman
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
All-Star
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
* Kimo von Oelhoffen — former Defensive Tackle for the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
*
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
* Ray Mansfield
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
player, center,
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
* Ray Washburn — former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
* Travis Buck
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
outfielder * Tyler Brayton
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
* Chad Ward - NFL offensive lineman * Shawn O'Malley -
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
Player * Greg Olson -
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
offensive coordinator


Notes


References


External links


Visit Tri-Cities
of the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau
Tri-City Regional Chamber of CommerceBenton-Franklin Trends
{{Coord, 46, 13, 25, N, 119, 08, 09, W, region:US-WA_type:city_source:kolossus-frwiki, display=title Micropolitan areas of Washington (state) Washington (state) populated places on the Columbia River Populated riverside places in the United States Columbia River Snake River Populated places on the Yakima River Yakima River World War II Heritage Cities