Klickitat is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in

Klickitat County Klickitat County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,735. The county seat and largest city is Goldendale. The county is named after the Klickitat tribe and contains part of the Y ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, United States. The population was 320 at the 2020 census. Once the site of a lumber mill, it is now primarily a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

Geography

Klickitat is located along the

Klickitat River The Klickitat River is a tributary of the Columbia River, nearly long, in south-central Washington in the United States. It drains a rugged plateau area on the eastern side of the Cascade Range northeast of Portland, Oregon. In 1986, of the r ...

. The closest major town is Goldendale, to the east. State Route 142 passes through Klickitat, leading southwest (downstream) to Pitt and east (upstream) the same distance to Wahkiacus. Lyle, along 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 ...

, is to the southwest via Route 142. 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 Klickitat CDP has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 417 people, 147 households, and 110 families residing in the CDP. 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 161.9 people per square mile (62.4/km²). There were 173 housing units at an average density of 67.2/sq mi (25.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.33%

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 ...

, 0.24%

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 ...

, 3.60% Native American, 0.96% Asian, and 2.88% from two or more races.

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 were 2.64% of the population. There were 147 households, out of which 43.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% 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, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.28. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 35.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $29,688. Males had a median income of $30,500 versus $16,250 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 CDP was $11,717. About 27.8% of families and 29.7% 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 32.5% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over. As of the

of 2020, there were 320 people, 132 households, 160 housing units in the CDP. The racial makeup of the CDP was 275 Whites, 3 American Indians, 2 Asians, 9 Hispanic or Latino, 9 Some Other Race, and 32 of Two or More Races. The median income for a household in the CDP was $60,893, and the median income for a family was $61,964. About 5.7% of the population were below the

, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

History

The site where the town is located was originally called "Wrights" after one of the original settlers. This was the name given to the rail stop there. The rail stop down the river at milepost 7.2 was named "Klickitat", after the

Klickitat people The Klickitat (also spelled Klikitat) are a Native American tribe of the Pacific Northwest. Today most Klickitat are enrolled in the federally recognized Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, some are also part of the Confederated ...

and the railroad later switched the two signs when the carbonated beverage company Klickitat Pop (operating near the town) gained fame. On February 7, 1910, the name of the town post office was officially changed to "Klickitat". The first non-native settlers arrived in 1890 seeking land to homestead. The abundance of timber drew in other settlers during the early 1900s. Travel through the Klickitat canyon and up to the plateau was arduous until the completion of a rail line in 1903. , p. 47The rail line eased travel and facilitated the transportation of people, crops, livestock and timber. The lumber mill was the primary employer in town, with the first major mill formed 1909, until 1994 when the mill was permanently closed. The naturally carbonated

Klickitat Mineral Springs Two miles east of Klickitat, Washington are the Klickitat Mineral Springs. CO2 seeps from crevices in the basalt rock formation, presumed to originate from Mt. Adams. As early as 1879 a stage driver named Ed Phillips made side trips from Goldendale ...

just east of town gave rise to health spas, a carbonated beverage company, and a large dry ice plant which operated until 1957.

Recreation

The area surrounding the town of Klickitat and the river which shares its name are renowned for their seasonal hunting and fishing. During summer, popular activities on the Klickitat River include recreational drift boating, kayaking, and rafting. Paths and trails provide opportunities for scenic hikes. The Klickitat Trail is on the route of the former railroad tracks, now a biking and hiking trail. The trail follows the Klickitat River north from the Columbia River past the town of Klickitat. Washington State Route 142 provides a scenic drive through the canyon. Two miles east of town is the ruins of the dry ice plant with a single remaining building. The site is now a public campsite.

References

External links