East Wenatchee, Washington | |
|---|---|
 View of the Columbia River from the eastern hills of East Wenatchee | |
 Seal | |
 Location in the state ofWashington | |
| Coordinates:47°25′03″N120°16′56″W / 47.41750°N 120.28222°W /47.41750; -120.28222 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Douglas |
| Incorporated | March 11, 1935 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Mayor | Jerrilea Crawford[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.10 sq mi (10.61 km2) |
| • Land | 3.79 sq mi (9.81 km2) |
| • Water | 0.31 sq mi (0.79 km2) |
| Elevation | 846 ft (258 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 14,158 |
| • Density | 3,740/sq mi (1,440/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 98802 |
| Area code | 509 |
| FIPS code | 53-20155 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410391[3] |
| Website | www |
East Wenatchee is a city inDouglas County,Washington, United States. The population at the2010 census was 13,190, a 129.1% increase on the 2000 census, having annexed much of theEast Wenatchee BenchCDP. As of the2020 census, the population increased to 14,158.
East Wenatchee lies on the east shore of theColumbia River, oppositeWenatchee on the west shore. On November 10, 2002, East Wenatchee was designated a principal city of theWenatchee – East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area by theOffice of Management and Budget.[5]
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At the turn of the 20th century irrigation projects, including the Columbia Basin Project east of the region, fostered the development of intensive agriculture in the shrub-steppe native to the region. Fruit orchards become one of the area's leading industries.
In 1908, thefirst highway bridge to span theColumbia River opened. The privately owned bridge carried people, horses, wagons, and automobiles; it also supported two large water pipelines along its sides. It connected Chelan County on the west (Wenatchee) shore with Douglas County on the East Wenatchee shore. The bridge opened East Wenatchee and the rest of Douglas County to apple orchard development. Still standing today, the bridge is a 1,060-foot (320 m) pin-connected steel cantilever bridge and cost $177,000 to build. It once carried theSunset Highway (State Highway 2) across the river.
The bridge was the brainchild of W. T. Clark, one of the builders of the Highline Canal, a major irrigation project to water the apple orchards in the valley. It was financed in part by James J. Hill (1838–1916), of the Great Northern Railway (which arrived in Wenatchee in 1892). In its second year of operation the canal firm that owned it decided to start charging tolls.
This prompted local leaders to hasten to the state legislature to persuade the state to purchase the bridge as part of the state highway system. The state purchased the bridge despite the state-employed consultant's opinion "that the ugliness of the structure is very apparent" (Dorpat), despite defects in the timber floor and concrete piers, and despite leaks in the waterpipes.
The structure remained in full use until 1950 when theSenator George Sellar Bridge was built. Today, it remains as a footbridge on theApple Capital Recreation Loop Trail and still has the old pipeline running across it.
On February 28, 1935, citizens voted, 48 in favor and 46 against, to incorporate the town of East Wenatchee.[6] When the town was incorporated on March 11, 1935, the original town site was 50 acres (200,000 m2). Through subsequent annexations, the town has grown into a city. Today, East Wenatchee's boundaries encompass 3.67 square miles (9.5 km2). From its foundation in agriculture, the region's economy has diversified to include year-round tourism and a variety of other industries.
On October 5, 1931, East Wenatchee became part of aviation history. Having taken off from Misawa, Japan, pilotsClyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon Jr. safely belly-landed their Bellanca airplane,Miss Veedol, on a nearby airstrip known then as Fancher Field. After take off, the pilots intentionally jettisoned the landing gear to conserve fuel. This flight was the first nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean. In honor of this pioneering flight, East Wenatchee's airport is called Pangborn Memorial Airport, thePangborn-Herndon Memorial Site, listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, is nearby, andMiss Veedol's propeller is displayed in theWenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center.
On May 27, 1987, East Wenatchee became part of archaeological history. On that date, while digging in an orchard just east of the city, farmworkers accidentally discovered a cache of 11,000-year-oldClovis points and other artifacts, left there byPleistocene hunters. TheEast Wenatchee Clovis Site, nearPangborn Airport,[7] was explored in two subsequent archaeological digs in 1988 and 1990, was closed to science by the landowner after protests by local Native American tribes. The legal moratorium on new archaeological work at the site ended on June 1, 2007.[8]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.81 square miles (9.87 km2), of which, 3.80 square miles (9.84 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[9]
| Climate data forPangborn Memorial Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 60 (16) | 65 (18) | 78 (26) | 93 (34) | 103 (39) | 109 (43) | 108 (42) | 109 (43) | 101 (38) | 90 (32) | 70 (21) | 62 (17) | 109 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.9 (1.1) | 42.2 (5.7) | 53.1 (11.7) | 62.2 (16.8) | 71.3 (21.8) | 78.9 (26.1) | 87.5 (30.8) | 86.2 (30.1) | 76.9 (24.9) | 61.6 (16.4) | 44.3 (6.8) | 33.6 (0.9) | 61.0 (16.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22.1 (−5.5) | 27.1 (−2.7) | 33.3 (0.7) | 39.7 (4.3) | 47.2 (8.4) | 54.3 (12.4) | 60.5 (15.8) | 59.9 (15.5) | 51.5 (10.8) | 40.4 (4.7) | 30.6 (−0.8) | 23.2 (−4.9) | 40.8 (4.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −12 (−24) | −15 (−26) | 6 (−14) | 25 (−4) | 32 (0) | 38 (3) | 43 (6) | 42 (6) | 31 (−1) | 15 (−9) | −5 (−21) | −21 (−29) | −21 (−29) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.09 (28) | 0.79 (20) | 0.62 (16) | 0.59 (15) | 0.64 (16) | 0.55 (14) | 0.26 (6.6) | 0.31 (7.9) | 0.30 (7.6) | 0.46 (12) | 1.07 (27) | 1.38 (35) | 8.06 (205.1) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.3 (26) | 4.3 (11) | 1.6 (4.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 4.2 (11) | 12.0 (30) | 32.6 (82.61) |
| Source:[10] | |||||||||||||
There are many orchards surrounding East Wenatchee. Commercial crops primarily include apples, sweet cherries and pears. Apricots, peaches, nectarines, and plums are also grown. Wheat and other grain are also grown on farms in the outlying areas near East Wenatchee.
The area's major shopping centers areWenatchee Valley Mall and Valley North Mall.
Activities in East Wenatchee include:
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 268 | — | |
| 1950 | 389 | 45.1% | |
| 1960 | 383 | −1.5% | |
| 1970 | 913 | 138.4% | |
| 1980 | 1,640 | 79.6% | |
| 1990 | 2,701 | 64.7% | |
| 2000 | 5,757 | 113.1% | |
| 2010 | 13,190 | 129.1% | |
| 2020 | 14,158 | [11] | 7.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] | |||
The2020 U.S. census counted 14,158 people, 5,295 households, and 3,631 families in East Wenatchee.[11][13] The population density was 3,736.6 per square mile (1,442.7/km2). There were 5,479 housing units at an average density of 1,446.0 per square mile (558.3/km2).[13][14] The racial makeup was 67.33% (9,533)white orEuropean American (61.25%non-Hispanic white), 0.52% (73)black orAfrican-American, 1.46% (206)Native American orAlaska Native, 1.2% (170)Asian, 0.2% (29)Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian, 15.76% (2,232) fromother races, and 13.53% (1,915) fromtwo or more races.[15]Hispanic orLatino of any race was 31.33% (4,435) of the population.[16]
Of the 5,295 households, 35.2% had children under the age of 18; 47.5% were married couples living together; 26.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 23.9% of households consisted of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13] The average household size was 2.8 and the average family size was 3.2.[17] The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 12.6% of the population.[18]
25.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.9 males.[13] For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 106.8 males.[13]
As of the2010 census,[19] there were 13,190 people, 4,997 households, and 3,517 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 3,471.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,340.2/km2). There were 5,275 housing units at an average density of 1,388.2 per square mile (536.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 80.1%White, 0.3%African American, 1.2%Native American, 0.9%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 14.0% fromother races, and 3.4% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 23.4% of the population.
There were 4,997 households, of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% weremarried couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.6% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.08.
The median age in the city was 35.2 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 14.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.
East Wenatchee has amayor–council government. The city council consists of seven members; the mayor presides at city council meetings and acts as the city's executive officer.[citation needed]
Public K-12 education is provided by theEastmont School District #206. The district has several schools in the city:
East Wenatchee was home to the only public school in Washington named after Confederate generalRobert E. Lee. It was constructed in 1955 and the school district rejected a name change in 2015 and again in August 2017.[20][21] The school district voted to change the name from Robert E. Lee Elementary School to Lee Elementary School in 2018.[22]
Link Transit provides public transportation throughout the Wenatchee valley including routes that connect the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee withLeavenworth, Chelan, and Waterville.
The city is served byPangborn Memorial Airport with daily flights toSeattle–Tacoma International Airport provided byAlaska Airlines.
East Wenatchee is serviced byState Route 28,State Route 285,U.S. Route 97, andU.S. Route 2.
East Wenatchee has onesister city:
Misawa,Aomori Prefecture, JapanMunicipalities and communities ofDouglas County, Washington,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
