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Tri-Cities, Washington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tri-Cities is an area of the state of Washington that is made up of three neighboring cities: Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland, and is ranked as the 190th most populous metropolitan area of the U.S. The cities are located at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia rivers in the desert region of Southeastern Washington. A fourth neighboring city, West Richland, is generally included as part of the Tri-City area and region. Official April 1, 2007 population estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management are as follows:
- Kennewick: 62,520
- Pasco: 50,210
- Richland: 45,070
- West Richland: 10,850
- Total: 168,650
When viewed as a whole (a common practice due to the fact that all four cities border either each other, or one of the area rivers), the Tri-Cities is the fourth largest "city" in the state of Washington, behind Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma.
The Tri-Cities Airport located in Pasco provides the region with commercial and private air service. Pasco is the seat of Franklin County, while the other cities are located in Benton County.
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Pasco was the first of the Tri-Cities to be incorporated, in 1891. Kennewick was incorporated in 1904, and Richland followed in 1910. West Richland was founded by dissatisfied residents of Richland, who wished to be home owners rather than renters of government owned houses, after the arrival of Hanford. Despite attempts by Richland to annex the community, they remained separate and eventually became incorporated in 1955.
Pasco was the largest city in the Tri-Cities until the founding of Hanford, mostly due to its railroad station. It also had the most land for easy irrigation and farming.
As noted above, farming was the basis of almost everything in the early years.
Richland became the largest city, followed by Kennewick, over this time period. Richland High School adopted "Bombers" as its mascot (complete with mushroom cloud). In 1970, Kamiakin High School was founded in response to the continued influx of people. The economy continued to grow, but not without some turbulence. Every time the federal government cut funding at Hanford, thousands of talented, credentialed people would suddenly become jobless and quickly leave for other jobs. During this time, other employers slowly made their way into the area, but they too would often be forced to cut back jobs in the bad times. During the 1970s, Kennewick overtook Richland as the biggest city of the three and has not surrendered the title since. The Columbia Center Mall was built on land newly incorporated into Kennewick, drawing growth to western Kennewick and south Richland.
Completion of the Interstate 182 bridge in 1984 made Pasco much more accessible, fueling the growth of that city.[1] With the end of the Cold War, many in the area feared a shutdown of Hanford, followed by the Tri-Cities quickly becoming a ghost town. These fears were allayed after the United States Department of Energy switched the facility's purpose from the creation of nuclear weapons to the effective sealing and disposal of radioactive waste. During the 1990s, several major corporations entered the Tri-Cities, which helped to begin diversifying the economy apart from the Hanford sector. In 1995, a sixth public high school, Southridge High School, was founded. The 2000s saw continued rapid growth as the Hanford site hired hundreds of workers to help with the cleanup effort. Additionally, the Tri-Cities saw a large influx of retirees from various areas of the Northwest. During this time, and the corresponding nationwide housing boom, all three cities flourished and grew significantly. Pasco became the fastest growing city in Washington State (in terms of both % increase and # of new residents). In 2005, the Census Bureau reported that Pasco's population had surpassed Richland's for the first time since pre-Hanford days.
It is common belief that the Tri-cities has a desert climate, but the truth is that the area is considered a steppe,which is similar to a desert. The Tri-cities receive on average of 7 to 8 inches (175 to 200 mm) of rain every year. Winds periodically exceed 30 mph (48 km/h) when Chinook wind conditions exist. There are 300 days of sunshine every year. Temperatures range from as low as 10 °F (-12 °C) in the winter to as high as 110 (43 °C) in the summer, and even reached 115 °F in July 2006. The region receives occasional snow most years. Due to the desert climate and subsequent large amounts of sand, a perpetual annoyance to residents is the amount of dust blown about by the frequent winds. Thanks to the aforementioned rivers, a large amount of cheap irrigation is available.
Washington is the most northwest of the lower 48 states—subsequently, the area is in the Pacific Standard Time Zone. The Tri-Cities makes up the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern quadrant of Washington. The large Cascade Mountain Range to the west contributes to the desert climate, which is far drier than the famously wet western side of the state. See rain shadow for more information on this phenomenon.
Each city provides its own schooling services through their respective school districts—Kennewick's, Pasco's, and Richland's. There are seven public high schools in the area (and few private school options): Kennewick High School, Kamiakin High School, and Southridge High School in Kennewick; Richland High School, River's Edge High School, and Hanford High School in Richland; and Pasco High School in Pasco. An eighth high school, Chiawana High School, will open in Pasco in Fall 2009, due to the recent rapid growth of the city of Pasco.
Recently, higher education has taken front stage in the Tri-Cities due to the historical lack of a four-year university to serve the booming population. In 2005, the State of Washington approved the transition of the existing Washington State University branch campus in Richland from a two-year to a four-year campus. In Fall 2007 the campus will admit its first undergraduate students. Offering a wide range of programs, the campus will focus heavily on biotechnology and engineering, due to the nearby Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Hanford site.
Current higher education opportunities in the Tri-Cities include:
- WSU Tri-Cities, a four-year branch campus of Washington State University located in Richland.
- Columbia Basin College, a large two-year community college located in Pasco (with additional facilities in Richland).
- Tri-Tech Institute, a smaller vocational school run by the Kennewick School District and located in Kennewick.
The Tri-Cities economy has historically been based on farming and the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. From Pasco's incorporation in 1891 on, the Tri-Cities have had a large degree of farming thanks to the excellent soil. Irrigation is made easy by the three nearby rivers. Wheat is the most commonly grown product; however, large amounts of apples, corn, and grapes are also grown, along with potatoes and other products.
Since the 1940s, the Hanford site has become the area's number one employer. The United States government built a top-secret facility to produce and separate plutonium for nuclear weapons, and decided on an area just west of then-tiny Richland. The government built temporary quarters for the more than 45,000 workers and built permanent homes and infrastructure for other personnel in Richland. The city had an overnight population explosion, yet virtually no one knew what the purpose of Hanford was until the destruction of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 by an atomic weapon containing Hanford-produced plutonium. After the war, Hanford continued work on creating material for nuclear weapons.
After the Cold War ended, Hanford switched gears and began attempting to contain the waste. See Hanford Site for more details.
Recent years have seen the region's booming wine industry (second in size only to California's Napa Valley) create jobs as well as tourism, though the Tri-Cities has not yet capitalized on this in the same way that neighboring cities Walla Walla, Prosser, and Yakima have.
Other major corporations that have facilities in (or are based in) the Tri-Cities include:
- Amazon.com
- Areva
- Battelle Memorial Institute (operates Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science)
- ConAgra Foods
- Lockheed Martin
- Reser's Fine Foods
- Simplot
- Twin City Foods
- Tyson Foods
Amid the booming and increasing popular regional wine scene, many wineries are located within or near the Tri-Cities, offering tours and tasting. These wineries are within the Columbia Valley American Viticultural Area. The highly acclaimed Red Mountain appellation is nearby and attracts visitors to Tri-Cities lodging and dining. Several restaurants boasting the region's top wines have opened in recent years, highlighting the variety and quality available.
- Badger Mountain (organic) Vineyard, Kennewick
- Barnard Griffin Winery, Richland
- Bookwalter Winery, Richland
- Goose Ridge Vineyards, Richland
- Gordon Brothers Cellars, Pasco
- Kamiak Vineyards, Pasco
- Powers Winery, Kennewick
- Preston Premium Wines, Pasco
- Tagaris Winery and Taverna, Richland
- Robust Coffeehouse & Wine Bar, Kennewick
The Columbia River provides much of the Tri-Cities' recreational opportunities with its fishing and boating opportunities. All three cities offer a number of free boat launch sites, and the size of the river itself creates ample space.
Along the Columbia River shoreline, the Sacagawea Heritage Trail is a 22-mile recreational and educational trail that travels through parks and neighborhoods of all three cities, and across the various bridges over the river itself.
The Tri-Cities also boasts several quality golf courses can be played almost year-round due to the relatively mild climate.
Shopping and dining opportunities in the Tri-Cities have expanded in recent years primarily centered around Kennewick's Columbia Center Mall. The area has now become a large destination for not only the three cities themselves, but also for the many smaller communities and towns located in the region. The Tri-Cities now provides the largest concentration of retail and shopping offerings within a 140 mile radius.
The Tri-Cities are home to two professional sports teams: the Tri-Cities Fever arena football team of the af2; and the Tri-City Dust Devils, an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies in the short-season class A Northwest League baseball. In addition, the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League bring top level junior hockey to the region. The Fever and Americans play at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, while the Dust Devils play in Pasco.
The Tri-Cities is also a consistent stop on the Unlimited Hydroplane circuit. Races take place each summer on the Columbia River and include a professional air show and several other community events and activities at Columbia Park in Kennewick.
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Generally speaking, residents of the Tri-Cities live a laid-back, relatively slower-paced lifestyle. Despite the size of the combined cities' populations, the area maintains a feel of being several small-towns that neighbor each other, rather than that of a mid-sized metropolitan area. The lack of a major airport, as well as the proximity to any major cities (the closest being mid-sized Spokane, 140 miles away), further contributes to this atmosphere and creates a more isolated feeling. Many residents prefer these characteristics of the area, citing them as the reasons for low crime and easy living. Others hope that the Tri-Cities will grow and adopt a more urban feel through expansion of business and retail.
This section is under construction.
This section is under construction.
This section is under construction.
- KCTS - 9 - (PBS)
- KTNW - 10 - (PBS)
- KFFX - 11 - (Fox)
- KEPR - 19 - (CBS)
- KNDU - 25 - (NBC)
- KVEW 42 (ABC)
- KCWK - 14 - (The CW Network)
- ISATP - 17 - (i), formerly PAX Network
- 610AM KONA
- 870AM KFLD
- 960AM
- 1340AM
- 106.5 - Eagle - Classic Rock
- 102.7 - KORD - Country
- 99.1 - Power 99 - Top 40
- 98.3 - The Key - Hits of 80's and 90's
- 97.1 - 97 Rock - Rock
- 95.7 - Bob FM - Adult Hits
- 94.9 - The Wolf - Country
- 93.3 - KLove - Contemporary Christian Radio
- 88.1 - The Alternative (Student Run Radio)
- 90.1 - KOLU - Christian Family Radio
- Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco. (IATA: PSC, ICAO: KPSC)
- Richland Airport (General Aviation) in Richland. (IATA: RLD, ICAO: KRLD)
- Vista Field (General Aviation) in Kennewick. (IATA: S98)
- Interstate 82 runs along the southern edge of Kennewick.
- Interstate 182 follows the Yakima River through Richland, crosses the Columbia River, and continues through Pasco to its terminus with U.S. Highway 395
- US 395 runs south through Pasco, crosses the Columbia River and continues through Kennewick where it joins Interstate 82
- WA 397 runs from Finley up to Pasco, crossing the Columbia River through the Cable Bridge
- US 12 is cosigned with Interstate 182 through the Tri-Cities and continues past U.S. Highway 395 across the Snake River towards Burbank, Walla Walla, and Lewiston, Idaho.
- WA 240 runs through Kennewick and Richland, around the Hanford Nuclear Reservation then north to Interstate 90 at Vantage. It has a major junction with WA 24, which leads west to Yakima, Washington.
- The Ben Franklin Transit provides public bus service throughout the Tri-Cities.
- Amtrak provides connection to the daily Empire Builder serving Portland and Chicago.
Over the years, the three cities have had difficulty establishing and projecting an identity that would attract and sustain business, tourism, and growth beyond the Hanford-related business sector. Much of this stems from the fact that the three individual cities each have populations less than 75,000, and do not present much of a presence on their own. Additionally, the cities must compete independently to draw business, tourism, and establish an identity. In an effort to address this concern, there have been repeated efforts to consolidate all four cities into one united incorporated area. The idea driving this movement is that one larger city would create the presence needed to draw increased attention and focus to the region. As noted above, if the Tri-Cities were to consolidate into one city, it would become the fourth largest in the state, behind Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma. To date, motions to consolidate have repeatedly failed.
Residents of West Richland and newcomers to the area often suggest that the area rename itself, since there are obviously four cities in the Tri-Cities. This suggestion is usually shunned by residents of the other cities, for the simple reason that "Quad-Cities" doesn't sound as good (as well as the fact that West Richland has a much smaller presence compared to the three major cities). The name "Three Rivers" has recently come to be used more for the area (from the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima rivers), yet is rarely mentioned beyond professional settings.
West Richland is particularly struggling with a regional identity: it had recently considered renaming itself "Red Mountain" in an attempt to distinguish itself from Richland, as well as considering consolidating with the city of Richland. Additionally, the western half of the city of Pasco (locally referred to as West Pasco) has considered secession, in order to distinguish itself from the older, poorer part of town to the East. These considerations provide further complications with respect to consolidation and the "Tri-Cities" name.
- Kennewick, WA (62,520)
- Pasco, WA (50,210)
- Richland, WA (45,070)
- Hermiston, OR (15,030)
- West Richland, WA (10,850)
- Umatilla, OR (6,385)
- Finley, WA (5,770)
- Prosser, WA (4,838)
- West Pasco, WA (4,629)
- Highland, WA (3,388)
- Burbank, WA (3,303)
- Connell, WA (2,956)
- Bordman, OR (2,855)
- Benton City, WA (2,624)
- Mattawa, WA (2,609)
- Stanfield, OR (1,979)
- Irrigon, OR (1,702)
- Desert Aire, WA (1,124)
- Basin City, WA (968)
- Echo, OR (650)
- Mesa, WA (425)
- Kahlotus, WA (214)
- Wallula, WA (197)
- Kennewick, Washington
- Pasco, Washington
- Richland, Washington
- West Richland, Washington
- Burbank, Washington
- Finley, Washington
- Benton County, Washington
- Franklin County, Washington
- List of cities in Washington
- Kennewick School District
The Manhattan Project Heritage Preservation Association, Inc.
- Kennewick web site
- Richland web site
- Pasco web site
- Kennewick School District web site
- Richland School District web site
- Pasco School District web site
- Pasco Chamber of Commerce site
- Tri-Cities Visitors and Convention Bureau web site
- Tri-Cities Airport web site
- WSU Tri-Cities web site
- Hanford web site
- PNNL web site
- Newstalk 870AM Website
- Mid-Columbia's Dating Network
- 610 KONA Information Radio Website
- NCWJobs.com - Tri-Cities jobs, Tri-Cities employers, and relocation information
