| Ellensburg, Washington | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — City — | |||
| The historic Davidson Building, completed in 1890, Ellensburg, Washington. | |||
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| Location of Ellensburg, Washington | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Washington | ||
| County | Kittitas | ||
| Incorporated | November 26, 1883 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Council-Manager | ||
| • City Manager | Ted Barkley | ||
| • Mayor | Bruce Tabb[1] | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 6.6 sq mi (17.2 km2) | ||
| • Land | 6.6 sq mi (17.1 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 1,542 ft (470 m) | ||
| Population (2011) | |||
| • Total | 18,250 | ||
| • Density | 2,338.9/sq mi (903.1/km2) | ||
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | ||
| ZIP codes | 98926, 98950 | ||
| Area code(s) | 509 | ||
| FIPS code | 53-21240[2] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1519305[3] | ||
Ellensburg is a city in, and the county seat of, Kittitas County, Washington, United States.[4] The population was 18,174 at the 2010 census. The population was 18,250 at 2011 Estimate from Office of Financial Management. Ellensburg is located just east of the Cascade Range on I-90 and is known as the most centrally located city in the state. Ellensburg is the home of Central Washington University (CWU).
The surrounding Kittitas Valley is internationally known for the timothy-hay that it produces. There are several local hay brokering and processing operations that ship to Pacific Rim countries. Downtown Ellensburg has many historic buildings, many of which were constructed in the late 19th century. This is a legacy of its bid to be the state capital, which it lost to Olympia.[5] CWU being placed there is another product of that legacy. The state legislature selected Ellensburg as the location for the then Normal School as a consolation prize.[6] Eastern Washington has a much drier climate than Western Washington, and some Seattle-area residents have moved to the city and commute over Snoqualmie Pass on I-90 to jobs located in the Puget Sound region.
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Ellensburg was officially incorporated on November 26, 1883. John Alden Shoudy came to the Kittitas Valley in 1871, and purchased a small trading post from Andrew Jackson "A.J." Splawn, called "Robber's Roost." Robber's Roost was the first business in the valley, other than the early trading that occurred among American Indians, cattle drivers, trappers, and miners. Robber's Roost was located on the present-day 3rd Avenue, just west of Main Street near the alley. There is a placard on the wall commemorating the location, as well as a small stone monument against the wall on the sidewalk. Shoudy named the town after his wife, Mary Ellen Shoudy, and officially began the city of Ellensburgh around 1872. Shoudy was not the first settler in the Kittitas Valley, nor was he the first businessperson, but he was responsible for platting the city of Ellensburgh in the 1870s, and he was the person who named the streets in the downtown district.
The city was originally named Ellensburgh, until the final -h was dropped under standardization pressure from the United States Postal Service and Board of Geography Names in 1894.[7] Ellensburg is one of the cities featured in the song, "I've Been Everywhere", which was recorded by various artists, including Hank Snow and Johnny Cash.
There were several early newspapers in Ellensburg. The Daily Record, however, began in 1909 and is the name of the local newspaper today.[8]
Concerns over the state of Ellensburg's historic downtown led to the formation of the Ellensburg Downtown Association to work on revitalizing the area.[9]
| Thorp | ||||
| Kittitas | ||||
| Ellensburg | ||||
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 150 |
|
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| 1880 | 150 | 0% | |
| 1890 | 2,768 | 1,745.3% | |
| 1900 | 1,737 | −37.2% | |
| 1910 | 4,209 | 142.3% | |
| 1920 | 3,967 | −5.7% | |
| 1930 | 4,621 | 16.5% | |
| 1940 | 5,944 | 28.6% | |
| 1950 | 8,430 | 41.8% | |
| 1960 | 8,625 | 2.3% | |
| 1970 | 13,568 | 57.3% | |
| 1980 | 11,752 | −13.4% | |
| 1990 | 12,361 | 5.2% | |
| 2000 | 15,414 | 24.7% | |
| 2010 | 18,174 | 17.9% | |
| Est. 2011 | 18,250 | 18.4% | |
| source:[15] | |||
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 15,414 people, 6,249 households, and 2,649 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,338.9 people per square mile (903.1/km²). There were 6,732 housing units at an average density of 1,021.5 per square mile (394.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.07% White, 1.17% Black or African American, 0.95% Native American, 4.09% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 2.86% from other races, and 2.69% from two or more races. 6.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,249 households out of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.4% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.6% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 15.8% under the age of 18, 39.3% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 12.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $20,034, and the median income for a family was $37,625. Males had a median income of $31,022 versus $22,829 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,662. About 18.8% of families and 34.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
The City of Ellensburg uses the Manager/Council form of government with a City Manager hired by the City Council. The seven member City Council is elected at large and serve 4-year terms. The City Council elects a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from the Council to serve 2-year terms. The Council meets the first and third Monday of each month, 7:00 pm, in the City Council Chambers at City Hall.
On the state legislative level, Ellensburg is in the 13th district. As of 2011, its state senator is Republican Janéa Holmquist Newbry, and its two state representatives are Republicans Judy Warnick and Bill Hinkle. On the congressional level, Ellensburg is located in Washington's 4th congressional district and is represented by Republican Doc Hastings, but it is expected to be moved into Washington's 8th congressional district for the 2012 general election and beyond.
Ellensburg School District 401 includes one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools.[16]
| Climate data for Ellensburg (1971–2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 33.7 (0.9) |
41.3 (5.2) |
52.3 (11.3) |
60.4 (15.8) |
68.3 (20.2) |
75.0 (23.9) |
82.7 (28.2) |
82.9 (28.3) |
74.5 (23.6) |
61.5 (16.4) |
44.1 (6.7) |
33.7 (0.9) |
59.20 (15.11) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 26.2 (−3.2) |
32.3 (0.2) |
40.5 (4.7) |
47.4 (8.6) |
55.1 (12.8) |
61.6 (16.4) |
67.8 (19.9) |
67.6 (19.8) |
58.9 (14.9) |
47.4 (8.6) |
35.6 (2.0) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
47.27 (8.48) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 18.6 (−7.4) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
34.3 (1.3) |
41.9 (5.5) |
48.2 (9.0) |
52.8 (11.6) |
52.2 (11.2) |
43.3 (6.3) |
33.3 (0.7) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
35.28 (1.82) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 1.23 (31.2) |
0.92 (23.4) |
0.77 (19.6) |
0.56 (14.2) |
0.56 (14.2) |
0.63 (16) |
0.37 (9.4) |
0.36 (9.1) |
0.46 (11.7) |
0.57 (14.5) |
1.20 (30.5) |
1.47 (37.3) |
9.1 (231.1) |
| Source: NOAA (normals, 1971–2000)[17] | |||||||||||||
Ellensburg produced the grunge / alternative rock band Screaming Trees, which included members:
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