'Benton County' is a
county located in the south-central portion of the
U.S. state of
Washington. The
Columbia River makes up the north, south, and east boundaries of the county. In 2000, its population was 142,475. The
county seat is
Prosser, and its largest city is
Kennewick. It was named after
Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton.
Benton County was created out of
Klickitat County on
March 8,
1905.
[1]
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,559
km² (1,760
mi²). 4,411 km² (1,703 mi²) of it is land and 148 km² (57 mi²) of it (3.24%) is water.
Adjacent counties
★
Grant County, Washington - north
★
Franklin County, Washington - northeast
★
Walla Walla County, Washington - east
★
Umatilla County, Oregon - south/southeast
★
Morrow County, Oregon - south/southwest
★
Klickitat County, Washington - west/southwest
★
Yakima County, Washington - west
Wineries
The area of south-central Washington occupied by Benton County has been known primarily as an agricultural hub since its settlement by white Americans. The rise of
viticulture has had a profound impact on the agricultural and tourism industries over the past two decades, and has in many ways reshaped the reputation of the region. Prominent wineries and tasting rooms located in the area include but are not limited to:
Tri-Cities tasting rooms
★
Badger Mountain (organic) Vineyard,
Kennewick
★
Bernard Griffin Winery,
Richland
★
Bookwalter Winery,
Richland
★
Goose Ridge Vineyards,
Richland
★
Powers Winery,
Kennewick
★
Tagaris Winery and Taverna,
Richland
Red Mountain and other Benton City tasting rooms
★
Buckmaster Cellers,
Benton City
★
Hedges Cellars,
Benton City
★
Kiona Vineyards Winery,
Benton City
★
Oakwood Cellars,
Benton City
★
Terra Blanca,
Benton City
★
Seth Ryan Winery,
Benton City
★
Tapteil Vineyard Winery,
Benton City
★ Cañon de Sol,
Benton City
★ Chandler Ranch Vineyards Estate Winery,
Benton City
★ Sandhill Winery,
Benton City
Prosser and other tasting rooms
★
Alexandria Nicole Cellars,
Prosser
★
C R Sandidge Wines, winery in
Chelan, tasting room in
Prosser
★
Chateau Champoux,
Prosser
★
Chinook Wines,
Prosser
★
Columbia Crest Winery,
Paterson
★
Cowan Vineyards,
Prosser
★
Coyote Canyon Winery,
Prosser
★
Desert Wind Vineyard,
Prosser
★ Eaton Hill Winery
★
Fox Estate Winery,
Mattawa
★ Frenchman Hills Vineyard
★
Hinzerling Winery and Vintner's Inn,
Prosser
★
Hogue Cellars Winery,
Prosser
★
Kestrel Winery,
Prosser
★
Sleeping Dog Wines,
Benton City
★ Snipes Gap Vineyards,
Prosser
★
Snoqualmie Vineyards,
Prosser
★
Thurston Wolfe Winery,
Prosser
Geographic features
★
Columbia River
★
Yakima River
Sites of interest
★
Hanford Nuclear Reservation
★
Toyota Center
★
Columbia Center Mall
Major highways
★
Interstate 82
★
U.S. Route 12
★
U.S. Route 395
Demographics
As of the
census² of 2000, there were 142,475 people, 52,866 households, and 38,063 families residing in the county. The
population density was 32/km² (84/mi²). There were 55,963 housing units at an average density of 13/km² (33/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.25%
White, 0.93%
Black or
African American, 0.82%
Native American, 2.20%
Asian, 0.11%
Pacific Islander, 7.01% from
other races, and 2.69% from two or more races. 12.50% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race. 18.1% were of
German, 11.0%
English, 9.1%
United States or American and 8.4%
Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 86.4% spoke
English and 10.3%
Spanish as their first language.
There were 52,866 households out of which 38.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were
married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the county, the population was spread out with 29.70% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 10.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,044, and the median income for a family was $54,146. Males had a median income of $45,556 versus $27,232 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $21,301. About 7.80% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 14.30% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over.
Census-recognized communities
★
Benton City (2,624)
★
Finley (5,770)
★
Highland (3,388)
★
Kennewick (60,118)
★
Prosser (4,838)
★
Richland (38,708)
★
West Richland (8,385)
Other communities
★
Hanford (ghost town)
★
Kiona
★
White Bluffs (ghost town)
Further Reading
★
History of the Yakima Valley, Washington : comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton counties, Lyman, William Denison, , , S.J. Clarke, 1919, Available online through the Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection
External links
★
Benton County (official website)
★
East Benton County Historical Museum
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