Goldendale, Washington, United States of America

Goldendale is a city located in Klickitat County, Washington. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,760. It is the county seat of Klickitat County. Just to the north of this town is Goldendale Observatory State Park.

Goldendale History

An early homesteader in the valley gave Goldendale its name in 1872. This was John Golden who helped the town get started. In 1878 Goldendale became the county seat. Other early towns in the county were White Salmon, Lyle, Bingen, Glenwood, Dallesport and Bickleton, all still in existence. Goldendale was officially incorporated on November 14, 1879.

Goldendale has remained the commercial and banking center for the valley and is the County Seat. An aluminum reduction plant was built next to the John Day Dam in 1968 bringing an era of growth and prosperity to Goldendale. This plant added to the diversity of the Goldendale economy, employing about 800 people.

In 2003, the aluminum smelter temporarily closed operations mainly due to high electricity costs and low world prices for aluminum.

Goldendale Geography

Goldendale is located at 45°49'16" North, 120°49'17" West (45.821117, -120.821380).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.1 km² (2.4 mi²). 6.1 km² (2.4 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Goldendale's elevation at the County Courthouse is 498 meters (1636 feet).

The Little Klickitat River flows roughly east-to-west across the northern portion of the city. Bloodgood Creek, an entirely spring-fed year-round water source, runs through the northwest part of town and intersects with the Little Klickitat just west of the city. Both are sources of rainbow trout as well as being home to waterfowl such as the great blue heron and several species of duck. Bloodgood Creek provides a portion of Goldendale's drinking water and is capped at the source for that purpose.

US Highway 97 runs along the eastern boundary of the city and connects Goldendale with Interstate 84, 21 km (13 miles) south in the state of Oregon and State Route 14, which is 19 km (12 miles) south and runs along the Washington side of the Columbia River. State Route 142 creates a major east-west route through Goldendale, beginning at US 97 on the north end of town.

Goldendale Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 3,760 people, 1,515 households, and 963 families residing in the city. The population density is 615.1/km² (1,592.6/mi²). There are 1,690 housing units at an average density of 276.5/km² (715.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 87.42% White, 0.21% African American, 4.63% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 4.07% from other races, and 2.69% from two or more races. 5.85% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 1,515 households out of which 34.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% are married couples living together, 12.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% are non-families. 31.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.41 and the average family size is 3.02.

In the city the population is spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $26,030, and the median income for a family is $33,866. Males have a median income of $36,977 versus $22,289 for females. The per capita income for the city is $13,111. 25.4% of the population and 21.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 30.5% of those under the age of 18 and 26.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Climate

Goldendale is located within the arid area in eastern Washington known as a rain shadow, caused by the Cascade Mountains 40 miles to the west. Yearly rainfall averages 8 to 12 inches. This produces a landscape of open bunch-grass prairies dotted with sagebrush and rabbit brush containing the occasional juniper tree, while the more sheltered areas consist of ponderosa pine and oak savannahs. Overcast days are rare, occurring mostly in late fall and throughout winter. Summer temperatures can range well over 100 degrees, while winter, when most of the precipitation occurs, can see temperatures below zero, particularly in January. Summer thunderstorms occur intermittently, particularly in July and August, but due to high cloud bases, rain seldom reaches the ground in any appreciable amount. Lightning-caused range and forest fires are a common occurrence during this time of year, however. Spring flowers and green meadows and prairies make Goldendale a particularly beautiful site. Spring and summer can be very blustery since the Chinook winds off the Pacific Ocean which are funneled through the Columbia Gorge are common. Fall tends to be almost windless, and the autuminal oak leaves add a lovely touch of golden rust red to Observatory Hill on the north side of town.

External links

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Goldendale,_Washington".