Washington is a city on the south banks of the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

, 50 miles west of

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

. It is considered to be part of the Greater St. Louis area. With an estimated population of 15,075, it is the largest city in Franklin County, Missouri. It is notable for being the " corncob pipe capital of the world," with Missouri Meerschaum located on the city's riverfront.

History

Named after

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

after it came under American control, the town was first settled during the rule of the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

. It was originally called St. John Meyer's Settlement and was the site of the Spanish log fort San Juan del Misuri (1796–1803). Family and followers of

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

settled the area across the river from Washington, Missouri starting in 1799. In 1814 a ferry boat was licensed for crossing the

to the north, and the settlement became known as Washington Landing. In 1827 a town was laid out, with sale of lots starting in 1829. The cost of land was waived if the buyer could build a substantial house within two years. This encouraged many new settlers. Substantial numbers of anti-slavery German families started moving to the town in 1833, and they soon overwhelmed the existing population of slaveowners. However, many of the original slaveowners' homes still remain throughout the town. Washington became a strong supporter of the Union during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. The town was ransacked by Confederate General Sterling Price's soldiers, but they were unable to keep control of the area. After the war, Washington became a railroad and steamboat transportation center. Its manufacturing industry, while strong, is not as vibrant as it was decades ago. The town of Washington has 445 buildings on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Due to its historic charm, Washington has a growing heritage tourism industry, with visitors also attracted to the nearby Missouri Rhineland. The Washington Bridge was constructed in 1934 and was the only bridge spanning the Missouri River in Franklin County. It was replaced with a new, wider bridge that was opened to traffic on December 3, 2018. The original bridge was demolished on April 13, 2019. In 1988, the nation’s first Walmart Supercenter opened in Washington.

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 , of which is land and is water. The majority of annual precipitation falls during the humid springs and summers. Typically, fall and winter are relatively dry. While snow is not rare, it is not as frequent as in the upper Midwest. An average of 19 inches falls annually.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 14,500 people, 5,785 households, and 3,766 families in Washington. The population density was . There were 6,203 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 92.21% (13,370)

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 ...

, 0.61% (89) black or African-American, 0.22% (32) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 0.79% (114) Asian, 0.12% (18)

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 ...

, 0.99% (143) from other races, and 5.06% (734) 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 was 1.7% (242) of the population. Of the 5,785 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18; 50.3% were married couples living together; 24.6% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 29.3% consisted of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 2.9. 22.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 93.6 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $66,779 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,377) and the median family income was $80,056 (+/- $4,419). Males had a median income of $44,859 (+/- $4,169) versus $33,981 (+/- $2,766) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $36,920 (+/- $1,560). Approximately, 5.0% of families and 6.5% 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 13.0% of those under the age of 18 and 4.5% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 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 2010, there were 13,982 people, 5,863 households, and 3,665 families living 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 . There were 6,319 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.7%

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 ...

, 0.7%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1%

, 0.7% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. There were 5,863 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% 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, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.5% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 39.4 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 13,243 people, 5,258 households, and 3,501 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,565 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.76%

, 0.85%

, 0.13% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population. There were 5,258 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were

living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was . In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $43,417, and the median income for a family was $52,433. Males had a median income of $36,163 versus $23,666 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 $22,360. About 3.0% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the

, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The School District of Washington operates public schools in the city. Washington High School is the local high school. Private schools in the city include: * St. Francis Borgia Regional High School * St. Francis Borgia Grade School (PK-8) * Our Lady of Lourdes Grade School (PK-8) * Immanuel Lutheran School (PK-8) Washington has a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...

, a branch of the Scenic Regional Library system.

Sister city

In 1990 Marbach am Neckar (Germany) became the

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

of Washington. Student exchanges and visitations between the two cities occur occasionally.

Notable people

* Dr. Mary Hancock McLean, First woman admitted to the St. Louis Medical Society * James L. Miller Sr., Founder of the Washington Missourian newspaper, Missouri Press Association's Hall of Fame inductee * Brock Olivo, Former NFL player, Missouri football special teams analyst * Matt Pickens, Former professional soccer player * Bruce Sassmann, Missouri House Representative 61st & 62nd Districts * Kim Spalding, Film, television, and theatre actor * Jack Wagner, Emmy Award-nominated American actor

References

External links

City of Washington

Washington Chamber of Commerce
* Historic maps of Washington in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

{{authority control Cities in Franklin County, Missouri Missouri populated places on the Missouri River Cities in Missouri