Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Yakima County, Washington
Yakima County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 256,728. The county seat and most populous city is Yakima, Washington, Ya ...
, United States, and the state's
11th most populous city. As of the
2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728.
The unincorporated suburban areas of
West Valley and
Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima.
Yakima is about southeast of
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...
in Washington. It is situated in the
Yakima Valley, a productive agricultural region noted for apple, wine, and
hop production. As of 2011, the Yakima Valley produces 77% of all hops grown in the United States.
The name Yakima originates from the
Yakama Nation
The Yakama Indian Reservation (spelled Yakima until 1994) is a Native American reservation in Washington state of the federally recognized tribe known as the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The tribe is made up of Klikitat ...
Native American tribe, whose reservation is located south of the city.
History
The
Yakama people were the first known inhabitants of the Yakima Valley. In 1805, the
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...
came to the area and encountered abundant wildlife and rich soil, prompting the settlement of homesteaders. A
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
Mission was established in
Ahtanum, southwest of present-day Yakima, in 1847. The arrival of settlers and their conflicts with the natives resulted in the
Yakima War. The U.S. Army established
Fort Simcoe in 1856 near present-day White Swan as a response to the uprising. The Yakamas were defeated and forced to relocate to the
Yakama Indian Reservation.
Yakima County was created in 1865. When bypassed by the
Northern Pacific Railroad
The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...
in December 1884, over 100 buildings were moved with rollers and horse teams to the nearby site of the depot. The new city was dubbed North Yakima and was officially incorporated and named the county seat on January 27, 1886. The name was changed to Yakima in 1918.
Union Gap was the new name given to the original site of Yakima.
On May 18, 1980, the
eruption
A volcanic eruption occurs when material is expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior has ...
of
Mount St. Helens caused a large amount of
volcanic ash
Volcanic ash consists of fragments of rock, mineral crystals, and volcanic glass, produced during volcanic eruptions and measuring less than 2 mm (0.079 inches) in diameter. The term volcanic ash is also often loosely used to r ...
to fall on the Yakima area. Visibility was reduced to near-zero conditions that afternoon, and the ash overloaded the city's
wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment is a process which removes and eliminates contaminants from wastewater. It thus converts it into an effluent that can be returned to the water cycle. Once back in the water cycle, the effluent creates an acceptable impact on ...
plant.
Geography
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 city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.84% is water.
Yakima is 1,095 feet above mean sea level.
The city of Yakima is located in the Upper Valley of Yakima County. The county is geographically divided by
Ahtanum Ridge and Rattlesnake Ridge into two regions: the Upper (northern) and Lower (southern) valleys. Yakima is located in the more urbanized Upper Valley, and is the central city of the Yakima Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The unincorporated suburban areas of West Valley and Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima. Other nearby cities include Moxee,
Tieton, Cowiche, Wiley City,
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fif ...
, Gleed, and Naches in the Upper Valley, as well as
Wapato,
Toppenish,
Zillah, Harrah,
White Swan, Parker, Buena, Outlook,
Granger, Mabton,
Sunnyside, and
Grandview in the Lower Valley.
Bodies of water
The
Yakima River runs through the city from its source at
Lake Keechelus in the
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
to 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 ...
at
Richland. It is the primary irrigation source for the Yakima Valley and also used for both fishing and recreation. The
Naches River, a tributary of the Yakima River, forms the northern border of the city.
The Yakima Greenway is a system of parks, paved pathways, and nature reserves along the Yakima and Naches rivers. The community project was formed in 1983 with work to reclaim a former city
landfill
A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was ...
into a park, which opened in 1990 as Sarg Hubbard Park.
Several small lakes flank the northern edge of the city, including Myron Lake, Lake Aspen, Bergland Lake (private) and Rotary Lake (also known as Freeway Lake). These lakes are popular with fishermen and swimmers during the summer.
Climate
Yakima has a
cold semi-arid climate
Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''BSk'') with a
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
precipitation pattern. Winters are cold, with December the coolest month, with a mean temperature of .
[ Annual average snowfall is ,][ with most occurring in December and January, when the snow depth averages . There are 18.9 days per year in which the high does not surpass freezing, and 1.6 mornings where the low is or lower.][ Springtime warming is very gradual, with the average last freeze of the season May 13. Summer days are hot, but the ]diurnal temperature variation
In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day.
Temperature lag
Temperature lag, also known as thermal inertia, is an important factor in diur ...
is large, averaging in July, sometimes reaching as high as during that season; there are 40.2 afternoons of maxima reaching or greater annually and 5.7 afternoons of maxima. Autumn cooling is very rapid, with the average first freeze of the season occurring on September 30. Due to the city's location in a rain shadow
A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side.
Evaporated moisture from body of water, bodies of water (such as oceans and larg ...
, precipitation, at an average of annually, is low year-round,[ but especially during summer. Extreme temperatures have ranged from on February 1, 1950, to on June 29, 2021.][
]
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 96,968 people, 35,752 households, 22,858 families residing in the city. 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 . There were 37,192 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 51.80% (50,234) 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 ...
, 1.45% (1,405) 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 ...
, 2.53% (2,453) Native American, 1.46% (1,418) Asian, 0.18% (171) Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 27.66% (26,824) from some other races and 14.92% (14,463) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 45.46% (42,947) of the population.
Of the 35,752 households, 32.6% had children under the age of 18; 42.8% were married couples living together; 31.1% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 29.1% consisted of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 and the average family size was 3.4.
27.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 95.7 males.
The 2018–2022 five-year American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
estimates show that the median household income was $55,734 (with a margin of error of +/- $7,514) and the median family income $57,296 (+/- $3,722). Males had a median income of $31,188 (+/- $828) versus $26,018 (+/- $1,183) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $28,697 (+/- $1,619). Approximately, 14.7% of families and 19.2% 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 27.4% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those ages 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 91,067 people with 33,074 households, and 21,411 families residing in the city. 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 . There were 34,829 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 67.1% (61,065) 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 ...
, 1.7% (1,556) 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 ...
, 2.0% (1,838) Native American, 1.5% (1,347) Asian, 0.1% (83) Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 23.3% (21,216) from some other races and 4.4% (3,962) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.3% (37,587) of the population.[La Ganga, Maria L. (September 25, 2014]
"Yakima Valley Latinos Getting a Voice, With Court's Help"
''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' 19.1% of the population had a bachelor's degree or higher.
There were 33,074 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% 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, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.3% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.3.
People under the age of 18 accounted for 28.3% of the population, while 13.1% were 65 years or older. The median age was 33.9 years, and 50.7% of the population was female.
The median household income was $39,706. 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 ...
was $20,771. 21.3% 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 ...
.
Economy
Yakima's growth in the 20th century was fueled primarily by agriculture. The Yakima Valley produces many fruit crops, including apple
An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
s, peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...
es, pear
Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in late summer into mid-autumn. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the Family (biology), family Rosaceae, bearing the Pome, po ...
s, cherries
A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit).
Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The name ...
, and melon
A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. It can also specifically refer to ''Cucumis melo'', commonly known as the "true melon" or simply "melon". The term "melon" can apply to both the p ...
s. Many vegetables are also produced, including peppers, corn
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
and bean
A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...
s. Most of the nation's hops
Hops are the flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant ''Humulus lupulus'', a member of the Cannabaceae family of flowering plants. They are used primarily as a bittering, flavouring, and stability agent in beer, to whic ...
, a key ingredient in the production of beer
Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
, are also grown in the Yakima Valley. Many of the city's residents have come to the valley out of economic necessity and to participate in the picking, processing, marketing and support services for the agricultural economy.
Top employers
According to the City's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:
Downtown Yakima, long the retail hub of the region, has undergone many changes since the late 1990s. Three major department stores, and an entire shopping mall that is now closed, have been replaced by a Whirlpool Corporation facility (shut down in 2011), an Adaptis call center, and several hotels. The region's retail core has shifted to the town of Union Gap to a renovated shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...
and other new retail businesses. The Downtown Futures Initiative promotes the downtown area as a center for events, services, entertainment, and small, personal shopping experiences. The DFI has provided for street-to-storefront remodeling along Yakima Avenue throughout the entire downtown core, and includes new pedestrian-friendly lighting, water fountains, planters, banner poles, new trees and hanging baskets, and paver-inlaid sidewalks.
Events held downtown include Yakima Downtown New Year's Eve, a Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo (; ) is an annual celebration held on May 5 to celebrate Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza. Zaragoza died months after the battle from an illness, ho ...
celebration, Yakima Live music festival, Yakima Summer Kickoff Party, Fresh Hop Ale Fest,[ a weekly Farmers' Market,] and the Hot Shots 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.
Over ninety wineries are in the Yakima Valley.
The Yakima Training Center, between Yakima and Ellensburg, is a United States Army training center. It is used primarily for maneuver training and land warrior system testing, and has a live-fire area. Artillery units from the Canadian Armed Forces based in British Columbia, as well as the Japan Ground Self Defense Force
The , , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service branches.
New military guidelines, announced in December 2010, direct t ...
, conduct annual training in Yakima. Japanese soldiers train there because it allows for large-scale live-fire maneuvers not available in Japan. Similarly, it is the closest impact area for the Canadian Gunners, the next closest being in Wainwright, Alberta.
Tourism
In the early 2000s, the city of Yakima, in conjunction with multiple city organizations, began revitalization and preservation efforts in its historic downtown area. The Downtown Yakima Futures Initiative was created to make strategic public investments in sidewalks, lighting and landscaping to encourage further development. As a result, local businesses featuring regional produce, wines, and beers, among other products, have returned to the downtown area. Many of these businesses are located on Front Street, Yakima Avenue and 1st Street.
During the summer, a pair of historic trolleys operate along five miles (8 km) of track of the former Yakima Valley Transportation Company through the Yakima Gap connecting Yakima and Selah. The Yakima Valley Trolleys organization, incorporated in 2001, operates the trolleys and a museum for the City of Yakima.
The City of Yakima expanded the Convention Center in 2020.
Arts and culture
Cultural activities and events take place throughout the year. The Yakima Valley Museum houses exhibits related to the region's natural and cultural history, a restored soda fountain, and periodic special exhibitions. Downtown Yakima's historic Capitol Theatre and Seasons Performance Hall, as well as the West-side's Allied Arts Center, present numerous musical and stage productions. Larson Gallery housed at Yakima Valley College present six diverse art exhibitions each year. The city is home to the Yakima Symphony Orchestra. The Yakima Area Arboretum is a botanical garden featuring species of both native and adapted non-native plants. Popular music tours, trade shows, and other large events are hosted at the Yakima SunDome
The Yakima Valley SunDome is a 6,195-seat multi-purpose arena in Yakima, Washington, United States. Located on the Central Washington State Fairgrounds, it hosts sporting events, ice shows, horse shows, circuses, boxing and concerts, as well as ...
in State Fair Park.
The film '' The Hanging Tree'' (1959) was shot entirely in and around Yakima.
Festivals and fairs
* Central Washington State Fair, held each year in late September at State Fair Park.
* Yakima Folklife Festival, held the second week of July at Franklin Park.
* Fresh Hop Ale Festival, held each October in Downtown Yakima.
* A Case of the Blues and All That Jazz, held in August in Sarg Hubbard Park.
* Yakima Pride Festival is a celebration of LGBT pride
In the context of LGBTQ culture, pride (also known as LGBTQ pride, LGBTQIA pride, LGBT pride, queer pride, gay pride, or gay and lesbian pride) is the promotion of the rights, self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility o ...
held in June.
Sports
* The Yakima Mavericks are a minor league football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team in the Pacific Football League
The North Pacific Football League is the collaboration name for two separate but related minor American football leagues - the Pacific Football League and Northern California League - that operated in the Pacific Northwest region, between 1963 and ...
and play at Marquette Stadium.
* The Yakima Beetles American Legion baseball
American Legion Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played by 13-to-19-year-olds in fifty states in the U.S. and Canada. More than 3,500 teams participate each year. The American Legion Department of South Dakota established the program in 1 ...
team, 3-time World Champions.
* The Yakima Canines of the American West Football Conference.
* The Yakima Valley Pippins are a collegiate wood bat baseball team that play in the West Coast League.
;Former professional teams
* The Yakima Valley Warriors
The Yakima Valley Warriors were a professional indoor football team that played in the American Indoor Football Association in the 2010 season. The Warriors were based in Yakima, Washington. Their home games were played at the Yakima SunDome.
...
were an indoor football team. Play ended in 2010.
* The Yakima Sun Kings was a Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...
franchise that won 5 CBA championships and disbanded in 2008. The team was reinstituted in 2018 as part of the North American Premier Basketball league.
* The Yakima Bears minor league baseball team, moved to Hillsboro, Oregon after the 2011 season.
* The Yakima Reds soccer team played in the USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...
, disbanded in 2010.
Government
Yakima is one of the ten first class cities, those with a population over 10,000 at the time of reorganization and operating under a home rule charter.
The Yakima City Council operates under the council–manager form of government. The city council has seven members, elected by district and the mayor is elected by the council members. Yakima's city manager serves under the direction of the City Council, and administers and coordinates the delivery of municipal services. The city of Yakima is a full-service city, providing police, fire, water and wastewater treatment, parks, public works, planning, street maintenance, code enforcement, airport and transit to residents.
In 1994 and 2015, the City of Yakima received the All-America City Award
The All-America City Award is a community recognition program in the United States given by the National Civic League. The award recognizes the work of communities in using inclusive civic engagement to address critical issues and create stron ...
, given by the National Civic League
The National Civic League is an American nonpartisan, non-profit organization founded in 1894 as the "National Municipal League”; it adopted its new name in 1986. Its mission is to advance civic engagement to create equitable, thriving communit ...
. Ten U.S. cities receive this award per year.
The city council was elected at-large
At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
until a 2012 lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million.
T ...
was ruled in the favor of Latino constituents on the grounds of racial discrimination. The council's four district-based and three at-large seat arrangement was also removed in favor of seven districts—of which two have a Latino majority. The city manager position has been vacant since January 2024, when the new city council removed incumbent Bob Harrison. Several attempts were made in the early 2020s to move Yakima to a mayor–council form of government.
The citizens of Yakima are represented in the Washington Senate by Republicans Curtis King in District 14, and Nikki Torres in District 15, and in the Washington House of Representatives
The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, and along with the Washington State Senate makes up the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 ...
by Republicans Chris Corry and Gina Mosbrucker in District 14, and Republicans Bruce Chandler and Bryan Sandlin in District 15.
At the national level, Yakima is part of Washington's US Congressional 4th District, currently represented by Republican Dan Newhouse.
Education
The city of Yakima has three K–12 public school districts, several private schools, and three post-secondary schools.
High schools
Public schools
There are four high schools in the Yakima School District:
* Davis High School, a 4A high school with about 2,100 students
* Eisenhower High School, a 4A high school with about 2,300 students
* Stanton Academy
* Yakima Online High School
Outside the city:
* West Valley High School, in the West Valley School District, is a division 4A school with a student population of around 1,500.
* East Valley High School, just east of Terrace Heights on the city's eastern side, is in the East Valley School District. It is a 2A school with about 1,000 students.
Private schools
* La Salle High School in Union Gap is a Catholic high school in the 1A division and enrolls about 200 students.
* Riverside Christian School, near East Valley High School, is a private K–12 Christian school. Riverside Christian is a 1B school with around 400 students in grades K–12.
* Yakima Adventist Christian School
Post-secondary schools
Yakima Valley College is one of the oldest community colleges in the state of Washington. Founded in 1928, the college is a public, four-year institution of higher education, and part of one of the most comprehensive community college systems in the nation. It offers programs in adult basic education, English as a Second Language, lower-division arts and sciences, professional and technical education, transfer degrees to in-state universities, and community services. The campus is also home to the Yakima Campus of Central Washington University.
Perry Technical Institute is a private, nonprofit school of higher learning located in the city since 1939. Perry students learn trades such as automotive technology, instrumentation, information technology, HVAC, electrical, machining, office administration, medical coding, and legal assistant/paralegal.
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences opened in the fall of 2008, and graduated its first class of osteopathic physicians (D.O.
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO or D.O., or in Australia DO USA) is a medical degree conferred by the 38 osteopathic medical schools in the United States. DO and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees are equivalent: a DO graduate may become lice ...
) in 2012. The first college on the campus is home to the first medical school approved in the Pacific Northwest in over 60 years, and trains physicians with an osteopathic emphasis. The school's mission is to train primary-care physicians committed to serving rural and underserved communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. It is housed in a state-of-the-art facility.
Media
The '' Yakima Herald-Republic'' is the primary daily newspaper in the area.
According to Arbitron, the Yakima metropolitan area is the 197th largest radio market in the US, serving 196,500 people.
Yakima is part of the U.S.'s 114th largest television viewing market, which includes viewers in Pasco, Richland and Kennewick
Kennewick () is a city in Benton County, Washington, Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is located along the southwest bank of the Columbia River, just southeast of the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima ...
.
Transportation
Roads and highways
Interstate 82 is the main freeway through the Yakima Valley, connecting the region to Ellensburg and the Tri-Cities, with onward connections to Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
and Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
. U.S. Route 12 crosses northern Yakima, joining I-82 and U.S. Route 97 along the east side of the city. State Route 24 terminates in Yakima and is the primary means of reaching Moxee City and agricultural areas to the east. State Route 821 terminates in northern Yakima and traverses the Yakima River canyon, providing an alternate route to Ellensburg that bypasses the I-82 summit at Manastash Ridge.
Public transit
City-owned Yakima Transit serves Yakima, Selah, West Valley and Terrace Heights, as well as several daily trips to Ellensburg. There are also free intercity bus systems between adjacent Union Gap and nearby Toppenish, Wapato, White Swan, and Ellensburg.
Airport
Yakima is served by the Yakima Air Terminal, a municipal airport located on the southern edge of the city and is used for general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
and commercial air service. The FAA identifier is YKM. It has two asphalt runways: 9/27 is 7,604 by 150 feet (2,318 x 46 m) and 4/22 is 3,835 by 150 feet (1,169 x 46 m). Yakima Air Terminal is owned and operated by the city.
Yakima is served by one scheduled air carrier (Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the fifth-largest airline in North America when measured by scheduled passengers carried, as of 2024. Alaska, togethe ...
) and two non-scheduled carriers (Sun Country Airlines and Xtra Airways). Alaska Airlines provides multiple daily flights to and from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Sun Country Airlines provide charter flights to Laughlin, NV and Xtra Airways provide charter flights to Wendover, NV. During World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
.
The airport at is home to numerous private aircraft, and is a test site for military jets and Boeing
The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
test flights.
Notable people
* Oleta Adams, singer
* Jamie Allen, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player
* Colleen Atwood
Colleen Atwood (born September 25, 1948) is an American costume designer. In a career spanning over four decades, she is recognized for her prolific work across film and television. She has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awa ...
, Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-winning costume designer
* Mario Batali, celebrity chef
* MarJon Beauchamp, professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
* Wanda E. Brunstetter, author
* Bryan Caraway, mixed martial artist
* Raymond Carver
Raymond Clevie Carver Jr. (May 25, 1938 – August 2, 1988) was an American short story writer and poet. He published his first collection of stories, '' Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?'', in 1976. His breakout collection, '' What We Talk About ...
, author, poet and screenwriter
* William Charbonneau, founder of Tree Top Apple Juice
* Beverly Cleary Beverly or Beverley may refer to:
Places Australia
* Beverley, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide
* Beverley, Western Australia, a town
* Shire of Beverley, Western Australia
Canada
* Beverly, Alberta, a town that amalgamated with the City ...
, author
* Harlond Clift, Major League Baseball player
* Cary Conklin, NFL football player
* Alex Deccio, politician. Former member of Washington House of Representatives
The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, and along with the Washington State Senate makes up the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 ...
and Washington State Senate
The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 members, each representing a district with a population of nearly 160,000. The State Senate meets at the Washington State Capitol, Legis ...
.
* Garret Dillahunt
Garret Lee Dillahunt (born November 24, 1964) is an American actor. He is best known for his work in television, including the roles Burt Chance on the Fox sitcom '' Raising Hope'', for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television ...
, actor
* Dan Doornink, NFL football player
* William O. Douglas
William Orville Douglas (October 16, 1898January 19, 1980) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 to 1975. Douglas was known for his strong progressive and civil libertari ...
, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice
* Dave Edler, Major League Baseball player, Yakima Mayor
* Mary Jo Estep, teacher, last survivor of the Battle of Kelley Creek
* Gabriel E. Gomez, politician and former Navy SEAL
* Kathryn Gustafson
Kathryn Gustafson (born 1951) is an American landscape architect. Her work includes the Gardens of the Imagination in Terrasson, France; a city square in Évry, France; and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park, London ...
, artist
* Gordon Haines, NASCAR driver
* Scott Hatteberg, Major League Baseball player
* Joe Hipp
Joe "The Boss" Hipp (born December 7, 1962) is a retired professional Americans, American heavyweight boxing, boxer. A member of the Blackfeet Tribe, he became the first Native Americans in the United States, Native American to challenge for a w ...
, professional boxer
* Al Hoptowit, NFL football player
* Myke Horton, professional football player and cast member of '' American Gladiators''
* Damon Huard, NFL football player
* Robert Ivers, actor
* Harry Jefferson, NASCAR driver
* Marshall Kent, professional ten-pin bowler
* Sam Kinison
Samuel Burl Kinison ( ; December 8, 1953 – April 10, 1992) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. A former Pentecostal preacher, he performed stand-up routines that were characterized by intense sudden tirades, punctuated with his distin ...
, actor and comedian
* Larry Knechtel
Lawrence William Knechtel (August 4, 1940 – August 20, 2009) was an American keyboard player and bassist who was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a collection of Los Angeles–based session musicians who worked with such renowned artists as Sim ...
, Grammy Award-winning musician
* Cooper Kupp, NFL football player
* Craig Kupp, NFL football player
* Jake Kupp
Jacob Ralph Kupp (born March 12, 1941) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a Guard (American football), guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Atlanta F ...
, NFL football player
* Mark Labberton, seminary president
* Donald A. Larson, World War II flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...
* Robert Lucas Jr.
Robert Emerson Lucas Jr. (September 15, 1937 – May 15, 2023) was an American economist at the University of Chicago. Widely regarded as the central figure in the development of the New classical macroeconomics, new classical approach to macr ...
, Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
-winning economist
* Paige Mackenzie, professional golfer
* Josh Pearce, Major League Baseball Player
* Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle Merritt MacLachlan ( ; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire ...
, film and television actor
* Debbie Macomber
Debbie Macomber (born October 22, 1948) is an American author of romance novels and contemporary women's fiction. Six of her novels have become made-for-TV movies and her ''Cedar Cove'' series of novels was adapted into a television series of the ...
, author
* Phil Mahre, Olympic gold medalist and world champion skier
* Steve Mahre, Olympic silver medalist and world champion skier
* Barbara La Marr, actress and writer
* Mitch Meluskey, Major League Baseball player
* Colleen Miller, actress
* Don Mosebar, NFL football player
* James "Jimmy" Nolan Jr., former host of ''Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse''
* Arvo Ojala, actor and artist
* Joe Parsons, snowmobiler
* Floyd Paxton, inventor of the Kwik Lok bread clip
* Gary Peacock
Gary George Peacock (May 12, 1935September 4, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist. He recorded a dozen albums under his own name, and also performed and recorded with major jazz figures such as avant garde saxophonist Albert Ayler, piani ...
, Jazz double bassist
* Steve Pelluer, NFL football player
* Jim Pomeroy, professional motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
racer and member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
* William Farrand Prosser, U.S. Congressman and mayor of Yakima
* Gary Puckett, singer, 1960s pop artist of Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
* Pete Rademacher, Olympic and professional boxer
* Monte Rawlins, actor
* Jim Rohn, entrepreneur
* Will Sampson
William Sampson Jr. (September 27, 1933 – June 3, 1987) was a Muscogee Nation painter, actor, and rodeo performer. He is best known for his performance as the apparently mute Chief Bromden in the 1975 film '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ...
, actor and artist
* Kurt Schulz, NFL football player
* Mel Stottlemyre
Melvin Leon Stottlemyre Sr. (November 13, 1941 – January 13, 2019) was an American professional baseball pitcher and Coach (baseball)#Pitching coach, pitching coach. He played for 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, all for the New York Yanke ...
, Major League Baseball player and coach
* Mel Stottlemyre Jr., Major League Baseball player
* Todd Stottlemyre, Major League Baseball player
* Thelma Johnson Streat, artist
* Taylor Stubblefield, football player
* Miesha Tate, mixed martial artist
* Willie Turner, sprinter
* Janet Waldo, actress
* Bob Wells, baseball player
* Christopher Wiehl
Christopher Wiehl (born October 29, 1970) is an American actor.
Life and career
Wiehl was born in Yakima, Washington and is of Danish and German descent. His father, Dick Wiehl, was an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He ...
, actor
* Lis Wiehl, author and legal analyst
* Jon Westling, 8th president of Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...
* Chief Yowlachie, Native American actor
Sister cities
* Morelia
Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid; Otomi language, Otomi: ) is a city and municipal seat of the municipalities of Mexico, municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. It is both th ...
, Michoacán
Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...
, Mexico
* Itayanagi, Aomori, Japan
See also
*
* Japantown
is a common name for Japanese communities in cities and towns outside Japan. Alternatively, a Japantown may be called J-town, Little Tokyo or , the first two being common names for Japantown, San Francisco, Japantown, San Jose and Little ...
References
Further reading
Available online through the Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection
External links
City of Yakima – Official Website
{{Authority control
Yakima
1847 establishments in Oregon Country
Cities in Washington (state)
Cities in Yakima County, Washington
County seats in Washington (state)
Populated places established in 1847
Populated places on the Yakima River
Washington (state) placenames of Native American origin