Washington, Missouri | |
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City | |
Downtown Washington at dusk, as seen from its Missouri River dock and park
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Nickname(s): Pipe City | |
Location of Washington, Missouri |
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Coordinates: 38°33′7″N 91°0′48″W / 38.55194°N 91.01333°WCoordinates: 38°33′7″N 91°0′48″W / 38.55194°N 91.01333°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Missouri |
County | Franklin |
Area | |
• Total | 9.87 sq mi (25.56 km2) |
• Land | 9.34 sq mi (24.19 km2) |
• Water | 0.53 sq mi (1.37 km2) |
Elevation | 551 ft (168 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 13,982 |
• Estimate (2012) | 13,918 |
• Density | 1,497.0/sq mi (578.0/km2) |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
ZIP code | 63090 |
Area code(s) | 636 |
FIPS code | 29-77416 |
GNIS feature ID | 0731664 |
Website | http://www.ci.washington.mo.us/ |
Washington is a city on the Missouri River in Franklin County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,982 from the 2010 census. It is the corncob pipe capital of the world, with Missouri Meerschaum located on the riverfront.
Washington is located at 38°33′7″N 91°0′48″W / 38.55194°N 91.01333°W (38.551879, -91.013313). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.87 square miles (25.56 km2), of which, 9.34 square miles (24.19 km2) is land and 0.53 square miles (1.37 km2) is water. The city has an extreme continental climate. The majority of annual precipitation falls during the humid springs and summers. Typically, falls and winters are relatively dry. While snow is not rare, it is not as frequent as in the upper Midwest. An average of 19 inches falls annually.
Named after George Washington after it came under American control, the town was first settled during the rule of the Spanish Empire. It was originally called St. John Meyer's Settlement and was the site of the Spanish log fort, San Juan del Misuri (1796–1803).
Family and followers of Daniel Boone settled the area starting in 1799. In 1814 a ferry boat was licensed for crossing the Missouri River to the north and the settlement became known as Washington Landing. In 1827 a town was laid out, with sale of lots starting in 1829. The cost of land was waived if the buyer could build a substantial house within two years. This encouraged many new settlers.