Kennewick, Washington | |
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City | |
Nickname(s): The Grassy Place | |
Location of Kennewick, Washington |
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Location in the United States | |
Coordinates: 46°12′13″N 119°9′33″W / 46.20361°N 119.15917°WCoordinates: 46°12′13″N 119°9′33″W / 46.20361°N 119.15917°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
County | Benton |
Government | |
• Type | Council-Manager |
• City council | Mayor Steve Young Matt Boehnke Greg Jones Don Britain Paul Parish Bob Parks John Trumbo |
• City manager | Marie Mosley |
Area | |
• City | 28.36 sq mi (73.45 km2) |
• Land | 26.93 sq mi (69.75 km2) |
• Water | 1.43 sq mi (3.70 km2) |
Elevation | 407 ft (124 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• City | 73,917 |
• Estimate (2015) | 78,896 |
• Rank | US: 429th |
• Density | 2,744.8/sq mi (1,059.8/km2) |
• Urban | 210,975 (US: 171th) |
• Metro | 279,116 (US: 169th) |
Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
• Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
ZIP codes | 99336, 99337, 99338 |
Area code(s) | 509 |
FIPS code | 53-35275 |
GNIS feature ID | 1512347 |
Website | www.go2kennewick.com |
Kennewick (/ˈkɛnəˌwɪk/) is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the State of Washington, 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 the Snake. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities (the others being Pasco across the Columbia and Richland across the Yakima). The population was 73,917 at the 2010 census. April 1, 2013 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the city's population at 76,410.
The nearest commercial airport is the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco, a regional commercial and private airport.
The name "Kennewick" is believed to be a native word meaning "grassy place." It has also been called "winter paradise," mostly because of the mild winters in the area. In the past, Kennewick has also been known by other names. Legend has it that the strangest was "Tehe," which has been attributed to the reaction from a native girl's laughter when asked the name of the region.
During the 1880s, steamboats and railroads connected what would become known as Kennewick to the other settlements along the Columbia River. In 1887, a temporary railroad bridge was constructed by the Northern Pacific Railroad connecting Kennewick and Pasco. That bridge could not endure the winter ice on the Columbia and was partially swept away in the first winter. A new, more permanent bridge was built in its place in 1888. Until this time, rail freight from Minneapolis to Tacoma had to cross the Columbia River via ferry.