Washington is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Washington County,

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, United States. It is part of the

Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, fifth-most populous c ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,352 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

Washington was founded in 1839 as the county seat of the newly established Washington County. In 1854 it became the home of a United Presbyterian College, which was dissolved in 1864. As of 2014, the town has celebrated its 175th anniversary, only 5 years behind the oldest city in Iowa,

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...

. In 2016, the Guinness World Book of Records certified the State Theatre in Washington, Iowa, as the "world's oldest continually operating cinema theatre".

Geography

According to 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 ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 7,352 people, 3,071 households, and 1,840 families residing in the city. The

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

was 1,397.1 inhabitants per square mile (539.4/km²). There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 623.3 per square mile (240.7/km²). The

racial Race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of va ...

makeup of the city was 84.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.0%

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

, 6.7% from other races and 6.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 13.8% of the population. Of the 3,071 households, 28.8% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.5% were cohabitating couples, 30.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 19.2% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 40.1% of all households were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 40.7 years. 25.9% of the residents were under the age of 20; 5.2% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 22.7% were from 25 and 44; 22.6% were from 45 and 64; and 23.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 7,266 people, 3,048 households, and 1,861 families living in the city. The

was . There were 3,301 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.5%

, 1.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2%

, 2.7% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 10.7% of the population. There were 3,048 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were

living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.9% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age in the city was 42.4 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 7,047 people, 2,928 households, and 1,903 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,132 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.20%

, 0.57%

, 0.11% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.04%

, 2.72% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.71% of the population. There were 2,928 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were

living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88. Age spread: 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,067, and the median income for a family was $44,497. Males had a median income of $29,961 versus $20,706 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $18,145. About 5.4% of families and 9.3% 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 16.3% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Washington is governed by a six-member

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, borough counc ...

headed by a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

. The mayor and council members are elected for four-year terms. The city council consists of four ward counselors and two

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

members. , the mayor is Jaron Rosien and council members are Bethany Glinsmann (1st Ward), Ivan Rangel (Ward 2), Illa Earnest (Ward 3), Fran Stigers (Ward 4), Elaine Moore (at-large), and Millie Youngquist (at-large).

Education

The Washington Community School District operates local schools, including Washington High School.

Notable people

* Harry W. Bolens,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

State Senator * Smith Wildman Brookhart, United States Senator * Eva Carter Buckner, poet, suffragist, songwriter * Charles Almon Dewey,

United States federal judge In the United States, a federal judge is a judge who serves on a court established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. Often called "Article III judges", federal judges include the chief justice and associate justices of the U.S. S ...

* Matt Fish, basketball player *

Owen Gingerich Owen Jay Gingerich (; March 24, 1930 – May 28, 2023) was an American astronomer who had been professor emeritus of astronomy and of the history of science at Harvard University and a senior astronomer emeritus at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Ob ...

, astronomer * Mike Hennigan,

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a 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 Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

player and coach * Pierce Knox, blind xylophonist * John F. McJunkin, Iowa state senator * Keith Molesworth, basketball player and coach * Pam Roth, Illinois state representative * John M. Work, Socialist and newspaper editor

Footnotes

External links

Official City WebsiteWashington Chamber of CommerceOfficial Facebook Page
* {{authority control Cities in Washington County, Iowa Cities in Iowa County seats in Iowa Iowa City metropolitan area 1839 establishments in Iowa Territory

History

Geography

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Government

Education

Notable people

See also

Footnotes

External links