Yakima County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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. As of the 2020 census, its population was 256,728. 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 ...

and most populous city is Yakima. The county was formed out of Ferguson County in January 1865 and is named for the Yakama tribe of Native Americans. Yakima County comprises the Yakima, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area and is Washington state's most populous majority-Hispanic county as of 2020.

History

The area that now comprises Yakima County was part of the

Oregon Country Oregon Country was a large region of the Pacific Northwest of North America that was subject to a long Oregon boundary dispute, dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 19th century. The area, which had been demarcat ...

at the start of the nineteenth century, inhabited both by fur prospectors from Canada, and

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Law of the United States, U.S. federal law does not equate nationality with Race (hu ...

seeking land for agricultural and mineral-extraction opportunities. Unable to resolve which country should control this vast area, the Treaty of 1818 provided for joint control. By 1843, the Provisional Government of Oregon had been established, although at first there were questions as to its authority and extent. During its existence, that provisional government formed the area north of the

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 ...

first into the

Washington Territory The Washington Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

, and then (December 19, 1845) into two vast counties: Clark and Lewis. The

was formed as a separate governing entity in 1853. In 1854, that legislature carved several counties out of the two original large counties, including Skamania County. Later in 1854 the new Skamania County was reduced in size by carving out Walla Walla County. This arrangement lasted until January 23, 1863, when Ferguson County was carved out of Walla Walla County. However, the Ferguson County government and boundary was dissolved on January 18, 1865, and its area was assigned to Yakima County three days later. Since its creation, the Yakima County boundary has been altered two times. In 1883 a portion of its area was carved off in the creation of Kittitas County, and in 1905 a further reduction added to the creation of Benton County. The Yakama Indian Reservation was created in 1855. However, several tribes felt the agreement creating this reserved area had been completed without sufficient native input, and skirmishes and local war (the Yakima War, which lasted until 1858) meant that the reservation was not fully operational for two decades. The Reservation is the 15th largest reservation in America, covering , and comprising 36% of the county's total area. Its population was 31,799 in 2000, and its largest city is Toppenish.

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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water. Yakima County is the second-largest county in Washington by land area and third-largest by total area. Yakima County is reputed to be one of the most difficult places on earth to predict weather, because of its surrounding mountains. The county's area is larger than the states of

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

and

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

combined. The highest point in the county is Mount Adams, which is the second tallest peak in Washington and the third tallest in the Cascade Range.

Geographic features

* Mount Adams, * Gilbert Peak, * Mount Aix, * Tieton Peak, *

Cascade Mountains The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as many of those in the ...

* Rattlesnake Hills * Horse Heaven Hills

Major rivers

* Yakima River *

* Naches River * Tieton River * Bumping River *

American River The American River is a List of rivers of California, river in California that runs from the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada mountain range to its confluence with the Sacramento River in downtown Sacramento. Via the Sacramento River, it ...

National protected areas

* Wenatchee National Forest (part) * Gifford Pinchot National Forest (part) * Snoqualmie National Forest (part) * Goat Rocks Wilderness * Mount Adams Wilderness (part) * Norse Peak Wilderness (part) * William O. Douglas Wilderness * Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge

Major highways

Interstate 82 * US 12

U.S. Route 12 * US 97

U.S. Route 97 * WA-22

SR 22 *

SR 24 *

SR 168 *

SR 220 *

SR 223 *

SR 241 *

SR 410 *

SR 821 *

SR 823

Adjacent counties

* Pierce County - northwest * Lewis County - west * Skamania County - southwest * Kittitas County - north * Klickitat County - south *

Grant County Grant County may refer to: Places ;Australia * County of Grant, Victoria ;United States * Grant County, Arkansas * Grant County, Indiana * Grant County, Kansas *Grant County, Kentucky Grant County is a county located in the northern pa ...

- northeast * Benton County - east

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 243,231 people, 80,592 households, and 58,790 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 85,474 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 63.7% White, 4.3% American Indian, 1.1% Asian, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 26.1% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 45.0% of the population. In terms of ethnicity, 15.8% reported German, 8.0% English, 7.3% Irish, and 3.6% American ancestry. Of the 80,592 households, 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.1% were non-families, and 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.46. The median age was 32.2 years. The median income for a household in the county was $42,877 and the median income for a family was $48,004. Males had a median income of $37,029 versus $29,824 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,325. About 16.8% of families and 21.8% 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 31.9% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 222,581 people, 73,993 households, and 54,606 families living in the county. 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 79,174 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 65.60%

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 ...

, 0.97%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 4.48% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.09%

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 ...

, 24.43% from other races, and 3.48% from two or more races. 35.90% of the population were

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. 13.2% were of German, 6.4%

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

or American, 5.9% English and 5.4% Irish ancestry. There were 73,993 households, out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.44. In the county, 31.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.8% was from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,828, and the median income for a family was $39,746. Males had a median income of $31,620 versus $24,541 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 county was $15,606. About 14.8% of families and 19.7% of the population were below the

, including 27.2% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

At the last census, the county harvested of

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 ...

(''Solanum tuberosum''). The northeastern corner of the county is part of the U.S. Army's Yakima Training Center.

Wine regions

Washington ranks second in the

in the production of

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

, behind only

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

.A. Domine (ed) ''Wine'' pp. 798-800 Ullmann Publishing 2008 The Yakima Valley AVA was established in 1983 in the state's oldest agricultural region. It is Washington's third largest officially designated

American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...

(AVA), and is responsible for more than 40% of the state's wine production. Located within the larger Columbia Valley AVA, the Yakima Valley AVA is sub-divided into the three smaller wine regions, each with distinctive growing conditions. They are

Red Mountain AVA Red Mountain is an American Viticultural Area, American Viticultural Area (AVA) that encompasses the local region surrounding Red Mountain (Benton County, Washington), Red Mountain in Benton County, Washington, Benton County, Washington state, W ...

, Snipes Mountain AVA, and Rattlesnake Hills AVA. Of the

viticultural Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...

region's , nearly were planted in 2008.

Pests

Common agricultural pests here include the Green Peach Aphid ('' Myzus persicae''), the Spotted Cutworm ('' Xestia c-nigrum''), and the Beet Leafhopper ('' Circulifer tenellus'') in

Communities

Cities

* Grandview * Granger * Mabton * Moxee * Selah * Sunnyside * Tieton * Toppenish * Union Gap * Wapato * Yakima (county seat) * Zillah

Towns

* Harrah * Naches

Census-designated places

* Ahtanum * Cowiche *

Donald Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinter ...

* Eschbach * Gleed * Outlook * Parker * Satus * Summitview *

Tampico Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fif ...

* Terrace Heights * West Valley * White Swan

Unincorporated communities

* Brownstown * Buena *

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

* Cliffdell * East Selah * Fruitvale * Goose Prairie * Gromore *

Nile The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...

* Pomona * Wiley City

Politics

Yakima County leans Republican in statewide elections. On only four occasions has it backed a Democrat for President – it has voted for the same candidate as the state of South Dakota in every election since they first voted for President – and the last Democratic gubernatorial candidate it backed was Albert D. Rosellini in

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

. Only Adams County and Columbia County, which last backed a Democrat for governor in

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

when Clarence D. Martin swept every county in the state, have consistently backed Republicans for governor for longer. Although Yakima County did narrowly support Maria Cantwell in

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

, the previous U.S. senate candidate to carry Yakima County for the Democrats was popular Senator "Scoop" Jackson in 1982.

References

External links

Yakima County, official county siteYakima Valley Visitors BureauWashington Wine Commission
{{Authority control 1865 establishments in Washington Territory Populated places established in 1865 Eastern Washington Washington (state) placenames of Native American origin