Kittitas County, Washington

History

The county was organized in November 1883 by the Washington Territorial Legislature, carved from the northern part of Yakima County.

Indigenous peoples known as Kittitas (or Upper Yakima) occupied the lands along the Yakima River for hundreds of years before the present era. The Kittitas Valley was a traditional gathering place for tribes east of the Cascades.

White settlers began pouring into the Kittitas Valley in the late 1850s. Their arrival forced dislocation and displacement of the native inhabitants, who were eventually forced into the Yakama Indian Reservation. White settlers introduced livestock raising, crop farming, dairying, logging, lumber processing, and mining. The abundant grassland and the generally-favorable terrain made beef and cattle production become the county's mainstay. That was assisted by the introduction of railways into the area and the large-scale irrigation systems introduced in the 1930s.

Wheat planting in Kittitas Valley began in 1868. The county's first flour mill was established near Ellensburg in 1873. Production of alfalfa was also seen from the county's early days.

Lumber extraction was an important county activity from its early days, mostly in the west end. Logging camps were established near the county's three largest lakes (Cle Elum, Kachess, Keechelus).

Mining for coal and minerals was established by the mid-1880s.

The southeastern corner of the county is part of the U.S. Army's Yakima Training Center.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2333 sqmi, of which 2297 sqmi is land and 36 sqmi (1.5%) is water. The highest point in the county is Mount Daniel at 7959 ft above mean sea level.

Geographic features

• Cascade Mountains
• Yakima River
• Manastash Ridge
• Wenatchee Mountains

Adjacent counties

• Chelan County - north
• Douglas County - northeast
• Grant County - east
• Yakima County - south
• Pierce County - west
• King County - northwest

National protected areas

• Snoqualmie National Forest (part)
• Wenatchee National Forest (part)

Flora and fauna

There are a variety of species represented within Kittitas County. These include a diversity of grasses, herbs, trees, birds, mammals and amphibians. The genus of ricegrass known as Oryzopsis was one of the earliest grasses classified within the county. Among the amphibian species found are the Cascades frog and the rough-skinned newt, the latter being a common far western USA taxon; in fact, examples of neoteny have been found in individual newts of this species within the county.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 44,337. Of the residents, 18.5% were under the age of 18 and 18.5% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.2 males. 57.2% of residents lived in urban areas and 42.8% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 82.3% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% Asian, 4.9% from some other race, and 8.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.4% of the population.

There were 18,650 households in the county, of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 23,743 housing units, of which 21.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 60.8% were owner-occupied and 39.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 40,915 people, 16,595 households, and 9,225 families living in the county. The population density was 17.8 PD/sqmi. There were 21,900 housing units at an average density of 9.5 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 89.3% white, 2.0% Asian, 1.0% American Indian, 0.9% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.7% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.2% were German, 15.4% were Irish, 12.7% were English, 8.2% were Norwegian, 5.1% were Italian, 5.0% were Swedish, and 3.4% were American.

Of the 16,595 households, 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 44.4% were non-families, and 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 31.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,232 and the median income for a family was $61,276. Males had a median income of $45,916 versus $35,380 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,467. About 10.3% of families and 21.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 33,362 people, 13,382 households, and 7,788 families living in the county. The population density was 14 /mi2. There were 16,475 housing units at an average density of 7 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 91.77% White, 0.71% Black or African American, 0.91% Native American, 2.19% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 2.30% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. 5.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.4% were of German, 11.7% English, 9.0% Irish, 7.8% United States or American, 6.6% Norwegian, 3.8% Italian, 3.2% Swedish, 3.1% French, 3.0% Dutch, 1.7% Polish, and 1.3% Danish ancestry. 93.2% spoke English and 4.5% Spanish as their first language.

There were 13,382 households, out of which 26.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.80% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.80% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.60% under the age of 18, 21.60% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,546, and the median income for a family was $46,057. Males had a median income of $36,257 versus $25,640 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,928. About 10.50% of families and 19.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.60% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Kittitas County has been a Republican-leaning county since the turn of the 21st Century; prior to that, it was a swing county.

Kittitas County is directed by a three-member Board of Commissioners.

The current County Commissioners are:

• District 1: Cory Wright (term: January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2024)
• District 2: Laura Osiadacz (term: January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2024)
• District 3: Brett Wachsmith (term: January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2026)

In presidential elections, it is a conservative county which has voted in the majority for the Republican candidate since the beginning of the 21st century.

Transportation

Kittitas County is bisected by several major highways, including two Interstate Highways: Interstate 82 connects Ellensburg to the Yakima Valley and crosses over the Manastash Ridge; and Interstate 90 carries east–west traffic and crosses the Cascades at Snoqualmie Pass west of Cle Elum. U.S. Route 97 travels north–south from Yakima to the Wenatchee Valley with onward connections to the British Columbia Interior in the north and Central Oregon to the south.

The city government of Ellensburg operates Central Transit, the largest public transit system in the county. It has five routes that operate on weekdays and weekends, with the exception of major federal holidays, as well as paratransit and on-demand medical transport. The system is fare-free and primarily funded by a sales tax within the designated public transportation benefit area. Central Transit also partners with HopeSource, a non-profit organization, to operate the Kittitas County Connector, which connects Ellensburg to outlying communities in the county. The service launched in 2019 with service to Cle Elum and Roslyn and was expanded to Kittitas in 2025.

Several intercity bus operators also serve stops in Kittitas County, including FlixBus and the Travel Washington Apple Line. Yakima Transit also provides intercity commuter service from Ellensburg to Yakima with a state grant.

Communities

Cities

• Cle Elum
• Ellensburg (county seat)
• Kittitas
• Roslyn

Town

• South Cle Elum

Ghost towns

• Liberty

Census-designated places

• Easton
• Ronald
• Snoqualmie Pass (including Hyak)
• Thorp
• Vantage

Unincorporated communities

• Suncadia
• Teanaway
• Thrall

Events

• The Kittitas County Fair and Ellensburg Rodeo occur every Labor Day Weekend. The Kittitas County Fair began in 1885, and moved to its current location (North Maple and East 8th Avenue in Ellensburg) in 1923.

References

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (1904). "Illustrated History of Klickitat, Yakima, & Kittitas Counties, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington". Interstate Publishing Company.
4. Cochran, Jennifer. (2007). "Kittitas County - ''About the County''".
5. [https://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/about/history.aspx History of Kittitas County]
6. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
7. Charles Vancouver Piper (1906) ''Flora of the State of Washington'', Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC
8. "Rough-Skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa ) - - GlobalTwitcher.com".
9. "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau.
10. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
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14. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
15. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau.
16. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Kittitas County, Washington". [[United States Census Bureau]].
17. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Kittitas County, Washington".
18. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Kittitas County, Washington".
19. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau.
20. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau.
21. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau.
22. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau.
23. "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau.
24. "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau.
25. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
26. "Board of Commissioners Office".
27. {{cite WSDOT map. (2014)
28. (July 15, 2024). "2024–2029 Transit Development Plan and 2023 Annual Report". Central Transit.
29. Teachout, Katie. (March 4, 2025). "Kittitas Connector now serving City of Kittitas". Daily Record.
30. Donofrio, Joel. (July 21, 2023). "New operator selected for Yakima-Ellensburg commuter bus". [[Yakima Herald-Republic]].
31. "Kittitas County Fair".
32. "Kittitas County Fair, History".