The Tri-Cities are three closely linked cities at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia Rivers in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington. The cities border one another, making the Tri-Cities seem like one uninterrupted mid-sized city. The three cities function as the center of the Tri-Cities metropolitan area, which consists of Benton and Franklin counties. The Tri-Cities urban area includes the city of West Richland, the census-designated places (CDP) of West Pasco and Finley, as well as the CDP of Burbank, despite the latter being located in Walla Walla County.
Richland is a city in Benton County, Washington, United States. It is located in southeastern Washington at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 60,560. Along with the nearby cities of Pasco and Kennewick, Richland is one of the Tri-Cities, and is home to the Hanford nuclear site.
Benton County is a county in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 206,873. The county seat is Prosser, and its most populous city is Kennewick. The Columbia River demarcates the county's north, south, and east boundaries.
Kennewick is a city in Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located along the southwest bank of the Columbia River, just southeast of the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima rivers and across from the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities. The United States Census Bureau estimated the population to be 84,750 as of 2022, up from 83,921 at the 2020 United States Census.
Hermiston is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Its population of 20,322 makes it the largest city in Eastern Oregon. Hermiston is the largest and fastest-growing city in the Hermiston-Pendleton Micropolitan Statistical Area, the eighth largest Core Based Statistical Area in Oregon with a combined population of 92,261 at the 2020 census. Hermiston sits near the junction of I-82 and I-84, and is 7 miles south of the Columbia River, Lake Wallula, and the McNary Dam. The Hermiston area has become a hub for logistics and data center activity due to the proximity of the I-82 and I-84 interchange, Pacific Northwest fiber optic backbone, and low power costs.
Pasco is a city in, and the county seat of, Franklin County, Washington, United States. The population was 77,108 at the 2020 census, and 79,315 as of the July 1, 2022 estimate.
Interstate 182 (I-182) is an east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Washington. It serves as a connector from I-82 to the Tri-Cities region that crosses the Columbia River on the Interstate 182 Bridge between Richland and Pasco. I-182 is 15 miles (24 km) long and entirely concurrent with U.S. Route 12 (US 12); it also intersects State Route 240 (SR 240) and US 395.
Tri-Cities Airport is a public airport in Pasco, Washington, United States. It is two miles (3 km) northwest of downtown Pasco and serves the Tri-Cities metropolitan area in southeast Washington. The airport is the third largest commercial airport in the state. The facility has three runways and covers 2,235 acres.
Kamiakin High School is a public high school in Kennewick, Washington, the second of three comprehensive high schools in the Kennewick School District. Kamiakin opened in the fall of 1970 and serves the district's northwest portion. The school colors are scarlet and gold and the mascot is the Braves.
Southridge High School is a public high school located in the city of Kennewick, Washington, United States. The school is part of Kennewick School District. Construction of the $30 million building began in 1995, with classroom doors opening in the spring of 1997. The plans for Southridge High School were originally designed for a high school on the east side of the country; however, the school was never built and the Kennewick School District purchased the blueprints and plans. During construction, classes were held at Fruitland Elementary School, under the direction of Principal Ron Williamson. The first commencement was held inside the Toyota Center in June 1999. Southridge was the third 4A school constructed in Kennewick, but with the reorganization of leagues in 2006, Southridge became a 3A school and is now a member of the Columbia Basin League. Yet again, in 2008, it was decided that Southridge would be put back under the 4A schools along with 2 other high schools in Kennewick, WA. Once again in 2010 Southridge was brought back down to a 3A school.
Chief Sealth International High School (CSIHS) is a public high school in the Seattle Public Schools district of Seattle, Washington. Opened in 1957 in southern West Seattle, Chief Sealth students comprise one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse student bodies in Washington State. The school is named for Chief Seattle, a Duwamish chief and a recognized leader amongst the local peoples at the time of the arrival of European American settlers in the area. The school shares a campus with Denny International Middle School (DIMS).
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is typically used in the context of education policy or curriculum choices in schools. It has implications for workforce development, national security concerns, and immigration policy, with regard to admitting foreign students and tech workers.
Pasco High School is a 9–12 public high school in Pasco, Washington. It was the only high school in Pasco until 2009, when Chiawana High School was opened.
The Tri-City Herald is a daily newspaper based in Kennewick, Washington, United States. Owned by The McClatchy Company, the newspaper serves southeastern Washington state, including the three cities of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland. The Herald also serves the smaller cities of Benton City, Connell, Prosser and West Richland. It is the only major English-language newspaper in Washington east of Yakima and south of Spokane, and includes local and national news, opinion columns, sports information, movie listings and comic strips among other features.
Richland School District #400 serves the cities of Richland and West Richland, Washington.
KTNW is a PBS member television station in Richland, Washington, United States, serving the Tri-Cities area. The station is owned by Washington State University (WSU) and is part of its Northwest Public Broadcasting group of radio and television services. KTNW's studios are located on the WSU Tri-Cities campus in Richland, and its transmitter is located on Jump Off Joe Butte. Master control and most internal operations are based at the studios of sister station KWSU-TV in the Murrow Communications Center on WSU's main campus in Pullman.
Pasco School District No. 1 (PSD) is a public school district in Pasco, Washington, United States, part of the Tri-Cities area. It serves over 18,500 K–12 students in the city of Pasco and surrounding parts of unincorporated Franklin County. As of 2024, the district operates 17 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools.
Chiawana High School is a four-year public high school in Pasco, Washington, United States, the second traditional high school of Pasco School District #1. Opened in 2009 with 1600 students in grades 9, 10, and 11, CHS graduated its first senior class in 2011. The school colors are blue and silver and the mascot is a riverhawk.
High Tech Academy, is a post-secondary school serving grades 10-12, and is located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States.
The following is a timeline of the history of the Tri-Cities, an area of the U.S. state of Washington encompassing the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland.
