Tri-Cities of Washington
| Tri-Cities | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s): Wine Country, Atomic Town | |
 Location of the Tri-Cities in Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties. |
|
| State | Washington |
| County | Benton, Franklin |
| Settled | 1891 |
| Elevation | 550 ft (170 m) |
| Population (2010 results) | |
| • City | 193,567 (Kennewick, Pasco, West Richland and Richland) |
| • Metro | 253,340 (US: 169th) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 99301, 99302, 99323, 99336, 99337, 99338, 99352, 99353, 99354 |
| Area code(s) | Area code 509 |
| Website | [4] |
The Tri-Cities are a group of three closely tied cities: Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco located at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia rivers in the semi-arid region of Southeastern Washington. Each city borders at least one other city or one of the area's rivers, 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 also includes the city of West Richland.
The combined population of the four cities was 193,567 at the 2010 Census. As of April 1, 2016, the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division estimates the cities as having a combined population of 217,430 The Tri-Cities Airport located in Pasco provides the region with commercial and private air service. Pasco is the seat of Franklin County, while the other cities are located in Benton County. Both counties are officially defined as the Kennewick-Richland, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In 2010, Kiplinger rated the Tri-Cities among the Top 10 best places to raise a family, and CNN/Money ranked the Tri-Cities one of the top 10 best bets for gains in housing value, due to its relatively stable economic conditions since the early 2000s.
Pasco was the first of the Tri-Cities to be incorporated, in 1891. Kennewick was incorporated in 1904, and Richland followed in 1910. West Richland was founded by dissatisfied residents of Richland, who wished to be home owners rather than renters of government-owned houses, after the arrival of Hanford. Despite attempts by Richland to annex the community, they remained separate and eventually became incorporated in 1955.
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