Ellensburg, Washington
Encyclopedia : E : EL : ELL : Ellensburg, Washington
Ellensburg is a city in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 15,414 at the 2000 census. Ellensburg is located just east of the Cascade Range on I-90. Ellensburg is the home of Central Washington University (CWU). The surrounding Kittitas Valley is internationally known for the timothy hay that it produces. There are several local hay brokering and processing operations that ship to Pacific Rim countries. The old part of the town is fairly historic, with old brick buildings from the late 19th century. Eastern Washington has a much drier climate and some Seattle-area residents visit the area to spend a weekend without rain after the sometimes dreary winters on the rainy western side of the Cascade Range; many former Puget Sounds residents have moved to the city and commute over Snoqualmie Pass on I-90 to jobs located in the Puget Sound region.
Ellensburg is the county seat of Kittitas County[Geographic references#6GR6].
A college town, Ellensburg is home to Central Washington University. Ellensburg is also a stop on the PRCA professional rodeo circuit. The town is also noted for being the birthplace of rock singer Mark Lanegan.
History
Ellensburg was officially incorporated on November 26, 1883.Ellensburg has the highest number of coffee cafes per capita in the world. There are 10 per 10,000 people.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.2 km² (6.6 mi²). 17.1 km² (6.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.75%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 15,414 people, 6,249 households, and 2,649 families residing in the city. The population density was 903.1/km² (2,338.9/mi²). There were 6,732 housing units at an average density of 394.4/km² (1,021.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.07% White, 1.17% Black or African American, 0.95% Native American, 4.09% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 2.86% from other races, and 2.69% from two or more races. 6.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 6,249 households out of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.4% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.6% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 15.8% under the age of 18, 39.3% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 12.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $20,034, and the median income for a family was $37,625. Males had a median income of $31,022 versus $22,829 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,662. About 18.8% of families and 34.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
See also
External links
- [Ellensburg official website]
- [Ellensburg Chamber of Commerce]
- [Ellensburg Rodeo]
- [Central Washington University]
- [Daily Record, Ellensburg's daily newspaper]
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