Kennewick, Washington

"Kennewick" redirects here. For the prehistoric man, see Kennewick Man.

Kennewick, Washington
City
City of Kennewick
Aerial view of Kennewick from above the Columbia River near the Blue Bridge.
Aerial view of Kennewick from above the Columbia River near the Blue Bridge.
Location of Kennewick, Washington
Location of Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick, Washington is located in the United States
Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick, Washington
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 46°12′13″N 119°9′33″W / 46.20361°N 119.15917°W / 46.20361; -119.15917
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyBenton
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager
 • MayorGretl Crawford[1]
 • City managerErin Erdman[2]
Area
[3]
 • City
28.84 sq mi (74.70 km2)
 • Land27.45 sq mi (71.09 km2)
 • Water1.39 sq mi (3.61 km2)
Elevation
407 ft (124 m)
Population
 (2020)[5]
 • City
83,921
 • Estimate 
(2022)[6]
84,750
 • RankUS: 411th
WA: 14th
 • Density3,072.86/sq mi (1,186.42/km2)
 • Urban
255,401 (US: 158th)[4]
 • Urban density2,276.0/sq mi (878.8/km2)
 • Metro
310,000 (US: 166th)
 • CSA
366,206 (US: 103rd)
 • Columbia River Valley
310,000
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes
99336–99338
Area code509
FIPS code53-35275
GNIS feature ID1512347[7]
Websitego2kennewick.com

Kennewick (/ˈkɛnəwɪk/) is a city in Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located 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 Snake rivers. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities (the others being Pasco and Richland). The United States Census Bureau estimated the population to be 84,750 as of 2022,[8] up from 83,921 at the 2020 United States census.

The discovery of Kennewick Man along the banks of the Columbia River provides evidence of Native Americans' settlement of the area for at least 9,000 years.[9] American settlers began moving into the region in the late 19th century as transportation infrastructure was built to connect Kennewick to other settlements along the Columbia River. The construction of the Hanford Site at Richland accelerated the city's growth in the 1940s as workers from around the country came to participate in the Manhattan Project. While Hanford and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory continue to be major sources of employment,[10] the city's economy has diversified over time and Kennewick today hosts offices for Amazon and Lamb Weston.[11][12]

  1. ^ "City Council". City of Kennewick. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  2. ^ McCoy, Cory (March 26, 2024). "Kennewick council hires new manager to lead the largest city in the area". Tri-City Herald. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  3. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  4. ^ "List of 2020 Census Urban Areas". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 14, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  5. ^ "2020 Census Quick Facts Kennewick, WA". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  6. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2022". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 11, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  7. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  8. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2022". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 11, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  9. ^ Stafford, Thomas W. (2014). "Chronology of the Kennewick Man skeleton (chapter 5)". In Douglas W. Owsley; Richard L. Jantz (eds.). Kennewick Man, The Scientific Investigation of an Ancient American Skeleton. Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 978-1-62349-200-7.
  10. ^ "In strange twist, Hanford cleanup creates latest boom". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. April 19, 2002. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  11. ^ "Amazon looking to fill 100 jobs at Kennewick job fair". Tri-City Herald. May 10, 2016. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  12. ^ "Lamb Weston Opens Expanded Operations in Richland, WA". Lamb Weston. October 16, 2017. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2019.