Spokane County, Washington

Spokane County
County
Spokane County Courthouse
Flag Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Washington
Washington's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 47°37′N117°24′W / 47.62°N 117.4°W / 47.62; -117.4
Country	United States
State	Washington
Founded	January 29, 1858 (created) January 19, 1864 (annexed to Stevens Co.) October 30, 1879 (separated from Stevens Co.)
Named for	Spokane people
Seat	Spokane
Largest city	Spokane
Government
• Sheriff	John Nowels
Area
• Total	1,781 sq mi (4,610 km2)
• Land	1,764 sq mi (4,570 km2)
• Water	17 sq mi (40 km2)  0.9%
Population  (2020)
• Total	539,339
• Estimate  (2023)	551,455
• Density	275/sq mi (106/km2)
Demonym	Spokanite
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district	5th
Website	www.spokanecounty.org

Spokane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 539,339, making it the fourth-most populous county in Washington. ^[1] The largest city and county seat is Spokane, ^[2] the second largest city in the state after Seattle. The county is named after the Spokane tribe.

Spokane County is part of the Spokane-Spokane Valley metropolitan statistical area, which is also part of the greater Spokane-Coeur d'Alene combined statistical area that includes nearby Kootenai County, Idaho.

History

See also: History of Spokane, Washington

The first humans to arrive in what is now Spokane County arrived between 12,000 and 8,000 years ago and were hunter-gatherer societies who lived off the plentiful game in the area. Initially, the settlers hunted predominantly bison and antelope, but after the game migrated out of the region, the native people became dependent on gathering various roots, berries, and nuts, and harvesting fish. ^[3] The Spokane tribe, after which the county is named, means "Children of the Sun" or "sun people" in Salishan ^[4] Explorer-geographer David Thompson, working as head of the North West Company's Columbia Department, became the first European to explore what is now the Inland Northwest. ^[5] After establishing the Kullyspell House and Saleesh House fur trading posts in what are now Idaho and Montana, Thompson then attempted to expand further west. He sent out two trappers, Jacques Raphael Finlay and Finan McDonald, to construct a fur-trading post on the Spokane River in Washington and trade with the local Indians. ^[6] This post was established in 1810, at the confluence of the Little Spokane and Spokane Rivers, becoming the first enduring European settlement of significance in Washington. ^[5] Known as the Spokane House, or simply "Spokane", it was in operation from 1810 to 1826. ^[4]

Spokane County was established by the Washington legislature effective January 29, 1858. It was annexed by Stevens County on January 19, 1864, and recreated on October 30, 1879. ^{[7] [8]} The first post office in the county was located at Spokane Bridge. ^[9] The current Spokane county seat holder, Spokane, wrested the seat from Cheney in 1886. ^{[10] [11]}

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,781 sq mi (4,610 km²), of which 17 square miles (44 km²) (0.9%) are covered by water. ^[12] The lowest point in the county is the Spokane River behind Long Lake Dam (boundary of Stevens County) at 1,538 feet (469 m) above sea level. (Virtually no change in elevation occurs between the dam and the mouth of the Little Spokane River inside Riverside State Park.) The highest point in the county is the summit of Mount Spokane at 5,887 ft (1,794 m).  NAVD 88 ^[13]

Spokane County has a complex geologic history and varied topography. To the west is the barren landscape of the Columbia Basin and to the east are the foothills of the Rockies—the Coeur d'Alene Mountains, which rise to the east in northern Idaho. Spokane County lies in a transition area between the eastern edge of the basaltic Channeled Scablands steppe plains to the west and the rugged, timbered Rocky Mountain foothills to the east. ^[14] The area exhibits signs of the prehistoric geologic events that shaped the area and region such as the Missoula Floods, which ended 12,000 to 15,000 years ago. ^[15] The geography to the southeast, such as the Saltese Flats and Saltese Uplands is characterized as a shrub–steppe landscape with grassy hills and ravines. ^[16]

In ecology, as with the topography, the county is also in a transition area, roughly split between the Columbia Plateau ecoregion in the southwest portion, where it is at the eastern edge of the basaltic Channeled Scablands steppe plain and the Northern Rockies ecoregion in the northwest portion, which is the rugged and forested Selkirk Mountains. ^{[17] [18]}

Rivers

• Spokane River
• Little Spokane River
• Latah Creek
• Deep Creek
• Coulee Creek
• Cable Creek
• Saltese Creek

Lakes and reservoirs

• Medical Lake
• West Medical Lake
• Liberty Lake
• Newman Lake
• Shelley Lake

Notable summits and peaks

• Mount Spokane
• Mount Kit Carson
• Mica Peak
• Krell Hill

Notable parks

• Dishman Hills Natural Conservation Area
• Riverside State Park
• Riverfront Park
• Manito Park
• Mount Spokane State Park

National protected area

• Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge

Major highways

• Interstate 90
• U.S. Route 2
• U.S. Route 195
• U.S. Route 395
• State Route 27
• State Route 206
• State Route 290
• State Route 291
• State Route 902
• State Route 904

Adjacent counties

• Stevens County – northwest
• Pend Oreille County – north
• Bonner County, Idaho – northeast
• Kootenai County, Idaho – east
• Benewah County, Idaho – southeast
• Whitman County – south
• Lincoln County – west

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	996		—
1870	2,000		100.8%
1880	4,262		113.1%
1890	37,487		779.6%
1900	57,542		53.5%
1910	139,404		142.3%
1920	141,289		1.4%
1930	150,477		6.5%
1940	164,652		9.4%
1950	221,561		34.6%
1960	278,333		25.6%
1970	287,487		3.3%
1980	341,835		18.9%
1990	361,364		5.7%
2000	417,939		15.7%
2010	471,221		12.7%
2020	539,339		14.5%
2023 (est.)	551,455	[19]	2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [20] 1790–1960 [21] 1900–1990 [22] 1990–2000 [23] 2010–2020 [1]

2020 census

Spokane County Racial Composition ^[24]

Race	Number	Percent
White (NH)	431,806	80.1%
Black or African American (NH)	10,486	1.9%
Native American (NH)	6,862	1.3%
Asian (NH)	12,404	2.3%
Pacific Islander (NH)	4,202	0.8%
Some Other (NH)	2,644	0.5%
Other/Mixed (NH)	35,585	6.6%
Hispanic or Latino	35,350	6.6%

As of the 2020 census, there were 539,339 people, 212,470 households, and 132,324 families residing in the county. ^[25] The population density was 305.7 inhabitants per square mile (118.0/km²) averaging 2.46 persons per household. There were 224,019 housing units had an average density of 128.0 per square mile (49.4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.1% White, 2.0% African American, 1.5% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, 2.2% from some other races and 9.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.6% of the population. ^[26] 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.5% were under 5 years of age, and 17.5% were 65 and older.

Females consisted of 50.1% of the county. 5.3% of the county consist of foreign born persons. ^[27]

Of those 25 years or older, 94.2% people in the county hold a high school diploma, GED, or higher; and 31.5% obtaining a bachelor's degree or higher. Of those below the age of 65 years, 10.% have a disability and 6.3% are without health insurance. The median household income was $64,079 (in 2021 dollars) and 11.2% of the county are living in poverty. ^[27]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 471,221 people, 187,167 households, and 118,212 families were residing in the county. ^[28] The population density was 267.2 people per square mile (103.2 people/km²). The 201,434 housing units had an average density of 114.2 units per square mile (44.1 units/km²). ^[29] The racial makeup of the county was 89.2% White, 2.1% Asian, 1.7% African American, 1.5% American Indian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.5% of the population. ^[28] In terms of ancestry, 27.0% were German, 15.4% were Irish, 13.5% were English, 6.9% were Norwegian, and 4.4% were American. ^[30]

Of the 187,167 households, 30.9% had children under 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were not families; 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 2.99. The median age was 36.8 years. ^[28]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,250 and for a family was $59,999. Males had a median income of $44,000 versus $33,878 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,127. About 9.1% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over. ^[31]

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 417,939 people, 163,611 households, and 106,019 families were in the county. The population density was 237 people per square mile (92 people/km²). The 175,005 housing units had an average density of 99 units per square mile (38 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.62% White, 2.00% African American, 1.40% Native American, 1.88% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races; 2.77% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. About 22.0% were of German, 10.7% Irish, 9.9% English, 7.6% American, and 6.4% Norwegian ancestry.

Of the 163,611 households, 32.4% had children under 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were not families. About 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.46, and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the age distribution was 25.7% under 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females. there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,308, and for a family was $46,463. Males had a median income of $35,097 versus $25,526 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,233. About 8.30% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.20% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

A Washington state 4th Legislative District Caucus

Spokane County is governed by a partisan board of county commissioners, one from each of five districts. They run in a partisan primary election within their own district, then compete countywide in the general election. Other elected officials include the sheriff, auditor (who is also responsible for elections), assessor, treasurer, and prosecutor, which are also partisan offices. Spokane County has an appointed medical examiner. In 2023, Spokane County expanded the number of County Commissioner seats from 3 to 5. ^[32] As of January 2023, the current commissioners for Spokane County are Chris Jordan (Democrat), Amber Waldref (Democrat), Josh Kerns (Republican), Mary Kuney (Republican), and Al French (Republican), from the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth county districts, respectively. ^[33] The previous Sheriff was Ozzie D. Knezovich, ^[34] who was appointed on April 11, 2006, and retired on December 31, 2022. ^{[35] [36]} The current elected Sheriff of Spokane County is John Nowels, whose term began on January 1, 2023. ^[37]

Transportation planning within the county is handled by the Spokane Regional Transportation Council, a metropolitan planning organization that was created in 1962. It distributes federal and state funds for transportation projects and updates the long-range transportation plan for Spokane County. ^[38]

Politics

Spokane County is rather conservative for an urban county. It has voted Republican all but three times since 1948. Lyndon Johnson was the last Democrat to win a majority of the county's vote. It gave a plurality of votes to Bill Clinton in both elections. Democratic strength is concentrated in Spokane itself and in Cheney, which is home to Eastern Washington University, while the suburban areas are heavily Republican. ^[39]

The Republican edge has narrowed somewhat since the turn of the century. In the last four elections, the margin has been single digits.

United States presidential election results for Spokane County, Washington ^[40]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	148,576	50.29%	135,765	45.96%	11,089	3.75%
2016	113,435	48.06%	93,767	39.72%	28,848	12.22%
2012	115,285	51.07%	102,295	45.31%	8,174	3.62%
2008	108,314	49.01%	105,786	47.87%	6,907	3.13%
2004	111,606	55.09%	87,490	43.19%	3,491	1.72%
2000	89,299	51.88%	74,604	43.35%	8,209	4.77%
1996	66,628	41.84%	71,727	45.05%	20,877	13.11%
1992	59,984	35.47%	69,526	41.11%	39,622	23.43%
1988	68,787	49.43%	68,520	49.24%	1,843	1.32%
1984	88,043	58.96%	59,620	39.92%	1,673	1.12%
1980	78,096	55.51%	49,263	35.02%	13,326	9.47%
1976	68,290	53.37%	55,660	43.50%	4,004	3.13%
1972	74,320	59.37%	44,337	35.42%	6,528	5.21%
1968	52,650	47.61%	49,423	44.69%	8,521	7.70%
1964	49,387	44.26%	62,092	55.65%	102	0.09%
1960	59,557	51.62%	55,553	48.15%	259	0.22%
1956	60,335	55.21%	48,833	44.68%	119	0.11%
1952	56,958	55.17%	45,827	44.39%	451	0.44%
1948	37,086	41.68%	49,649	55.79%	2,253	2.53%
1944	36,359	44.18%	45,491	55.27%	456	0.55%
1940	33,228	42.17%	44,852	56.92%	713	0.90%
1936	19,951	28.45%	48,117	68.62%	2,057	2.93%
1932	24,848	38.15%	36,953	56.74%	3,324	5.10%
1928	35,858	65.48%	18,527	33.83%	373	0.68%
1924	23,403	49.30%	6,036	12.71%	18,034	37.99%
1920	26,219	60.55%	13,412	30.97%	3,670	8.48%
1916	19,503	45.23%	21,339	49.49%	2,278	5.28%
1912	4,205	11.92%	10,845	30.75%	20,218	57.33%
1908	11,719	58.68%	6,557	32.83%	1,694	8.48%
1904	10,258	71.71%	2,602	18.19%	1,445	10.10%
1900	5,515	49.84%	5,125	46.32%	425	3.84%
1896	2,701	31.22%	5,829	67.37%	122	1.41%
1892	3,367	45.45%	2,247	30.33%	1,794	24.22%

Flag and symbols

The county government adopted an official flag in 1988 following a public design contest sponsored by the Spokane County Centennial Commission. The winning entry from Stephanie Bumgarner-Ott, the daughter of state legislator Gary Bumgarner, depicts the ceremonial headdress of the Spokane people against a yellow sun; the background is green with a diagonal blue stripe to represent the Spokane River. ^[41] The flag was sent for display at the Washington State Capitol for the state centennial in 1989 and 25 copies were made at a cost of $1,751.75; it was used for official events, including the funeral of a county commissioner, but was not on permanent display in Spokane County buildings. ^[42] One copy of the flag was stored in a vault in the county courthouse until 1995 and later lost again. ^{[42] [43]} The county government announced plans to decommission the design in 2002 and hold a new public contest due to the original flag's appearance, which was deemed potentially offensive to Native Americans. ^[44] A new county seal was adopted in 2005 that depicts the county courthouse. ^[45]

The 1988 County flag, no longer in use.

Communities

Cities

• Airway Heights
• Cheney
• Deer Park
• Liberty Lake
• Medical Lake
• Millwood
• Spangle
• Spokane (county seat)
• Spokane Valley

Towns

• Fairfield
• Latah
• Rockford
• Waverly

Census-designated places

• Country Homes
• Fairchild Air Force Base
• Fairwood
• Four Lakes
• Mead
• Otis Orchards-East Farms
• Town and Country

Unincorporated communities

• Amber
• Buckeye
• Chattaroy
• Colbert
• Deep Creek
• Denison
• Duncan
• Dynamite
• Elk
• Espanola
• Freeman
• Garden Springs
• Geiger Heights
• Glenrose
• Greenacres
• Green Bluff
• Hazard
• Highland
• Manito
• Marshall
• Mica
• Milan
• Moab
• Mount Hope
• Newman Lake
• Nine Mile Falls
• Orchard Prairie
• Peone
• Plaza
• Riverside
• Seven Mile
• Silver Lake
• Spokane Bridge
• Spring Valley
• Stringtown
• Tyler
• Valleyford
• Veradale

Ghost towns/neighborhoods

• Babb
• Coey
• Darknell
• Dragoon
• Freedom
• Geib
• Hite
• Lyons
• Mock
• North Pine
• Rahm
• Rodna
• Saxby
• Scribner
• Wallner

Education

School districts in the county include: ^[46]

• Central Valley School District
• Cheney School District
• Deer Park School District
• East Valley School District (Spokane)
• Freeman School District
• Great Northern School District
• Liberty School District
• Mead School District
• Medical Lake School District
• Newport School District
• Nine Mile Falls School District
• Orchard Prairie School District
• Reardan-Edwall School District
• Riverside School District
• Rosalia School District
• Spokane Public Schools
• St. John School District
• Tekoa School District
• West Valley School District (Spokane)

Community colleges include:

• Spokane Community College
• Spokane Falls Community College

Universities include:

• Eastern Washington University
• Gonzaga University
• Washington State University
• Whitworth University
• University of Washington

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Spokane County, Washington

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Ruby et al. (2006) pp. 5–6
4. Phillips (1971), pp. 134–135
5. Stratton (2005), p. 19
6. Oldham, Kit (January 23, 2003). "The North West Company establishes Spokane House in 1810". Essay 5099. HistoryLink. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
7. "Milestones for Washington State History – Part 2: 1851 to 1900". HistoryLink.org. March 6, 2003.
8. "Spokane County, Washington: Historical Dates and Maps". Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
9. "Spokane Valley — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink . Retrieved July 21, 2019.
10. "Spokane Falls Weekly Review". October 8, 1885. p. 2. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
11. Kershner, Jim (August 11, 2007). "Armed Cheney citizens forcibly remove the county seat from Spokane Falls to Cheney on March 21, 1881". Essay 8249. HistoryLink. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
12. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
13. "Y". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce.
14. "Station Information Data Sheet – Spokane, Washington". National Weather Service. April 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
15. Breckenridge, Roy M. (May 1993). Glacial Lake Missoula and the Spokane Floods (PDF) (Report). GeoNotes. Vol. 26. Idaho Geological Survey. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 26, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
16. "Geology of the Saltese Uplands Conservation Area". www.spokanecounty.org. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020.
17. "Ecosystem and Vegetation System Management | Environmental Review Toolkit | FHWA".
18. "Ecoregion Download Files by State - Region 10". U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. March 10, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
19. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023" . Retrieved May 8, 2024.
20. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
21. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
22. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
23. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
24. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Spokane County, Washington".
25. "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
26. "How many people live in Spokane County, Washington". USA Today. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
27. "QuickFacts: Spokane County, Washington". Census. United States Census Bureau. January 12, 2023.
28. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
29. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
30. "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States - 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
31. "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
32. Wohlfeil, Samantha. "As a unique election expands the Spokane County Commission to five, political disagreement is likely to return". Inlander. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
33. "County Commissioners | Spokane County, WA". www.spokanecounty.org. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
34. "Sheriff Ozzie D. Knezovich" . Retrieved October 4, 2012.
35. "Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich". Spokane County, WA. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
36. "'I did what I thought was right' | Ozzie Knezovich signs off as Spokane County Sheriff". krem.com. January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
37. "Sheriff John Nowels | Spokane County, WA". www.spokanecounty.org. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
38. Deshais, Nicholas (June 12, 2019). "Spokane Tribe will get a voice in transportation planning, a move that sparked controversy among Spokane officials". Spokesman-Review. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
39. Camden, Jim (June 4, 2016). "Mapping the vote: Red v. Blue in Spokane County". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
40. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
41. "Spokane's new flag depicts Indian, sun". Spokane Chronicle. October 19, 1988. p. A5. Retrieved March 14, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
42. Hansen, Dan (May 12, 1995). "Hasson says county flag doesn't fly". The Spokesman-Review. p. A1. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
43. Camden, Jim (April 1, 2002). "Not such a grand old flag". The Spokesman-Review. p. A6. Retrieved March 14, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
44. "Our flag was still there!". The Spokesman-Review. April 8, 2002. p. A6. Retrieved March 14, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
45. Cannata, Amy (March 7, 2005). "County says it will choose a single logo". The Spokesman-Review. p. A5. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
46. 2020 Census – School District Reference Map: Spokane County, WA (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022. - Text list

External links

• Official website

47°37′N117°24′W / 47.62°N 117.40°W / 47.62; -117.40